Gemrick’s Guide: Job hunting made easy

Job hunting — there’s apps for that. The reality is that job seekers need all the help they can get. There isn’t an all-in-one strategy for job searching, but having a toolkit to help navigate these previously unchartered territories will produce better tailored results.

LinkedIn

A networking must-have, LinkedIn lets users share their work experience with the resume in place of typical profile details. It encourages users to connect with people they already know, and when users link up with more people, their professional network expands.

I find it particularly handy when I want to learn about someone’s work history or experience. It becomes even more useful when details of what someone specifically did as their job are included because I’ll know if I have a similar skill set that will get me where I want to be.

It takes some work and time to build up a good LinkedIn profile, but the overall pay off makes the effort worth it. Everything I’ve ever written or published is on my profile, as well as projects and other materials that are typically included in a portfolio.

I’ve been taught to always keep my resume to one page, so my LinkedIn profile serves as a master copy of everything I’ve ever done. By pulling from my LinkedIn and only including relevant experience, I can tailor each copy of my resume to fit the description and requirements for every job application.

This is especially helpful for job applicants who may have varied experience within different industries.

As far as finding job openings, the results and experience can vary; a search produces all openings based on keywords and sometimes an irrelevant result would occasionally come up. Following company LinkedIn pages and checking openings from there were more effective than a general job search query.

Crafting a clever summary can be difficult, but The Muse has provided some useful guidance on writing an engaging summary that will set one apart from competitors.

Glassdoor

I didn’t find Glassdoor particularly helpful for job hunting because it’s heavily reliant on company reviews and “insider” knowledge from former or current employees. For the purposes of getting a job, some of the reviews can be helpful in learning what type of interview questions a potential employer likes to ask, what kind of reputation a company has or information on salary ranges.

Some of this information is what I would prefer to learn from people I know. In discussion topics considered taboo, such as salary ranges, doing research on one’s own will suffice. Glassdoor seems to be more useful for people that are job hunting who currently have a job.

Glassdoor produced potentially helpful information, but it should be kept in mind that these reviews are anonymous and circumstantial.

Simply Hired

This has been my favorite job hunting site for the past couple of weeks. Out of everything I’ve used, Simply Hired has produced to most relevant results in a job search.

My favorite feature is the ability to connect my LinkedIn profile and import my resume. It’s fairly easy to use, and it’s been the most helpful tool during my job search.

Job alerts can be directed to your inbox, recent job searches are saved so you can pick up from the last search session and search filters are more precise.

Another benefit of Simply Hired is the mobile app. Job hunting doesn’t have to be limited to a computer anymore.

Between scrolling down my Twitter timeline and Instagram feed, I’ll do a quick search on the Simply Hired app for new leads. The best thing about the app is it doesn’t require signing up for an account to use it. An account will be required to set up email alerts and the ability to save jobs, but it gets the job done for search purposes.

Opinion columnist Gemrick Curtom is a public relations senior and may be reached at [email protected].