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10 Brilliant Hacks That’ll Let You Work Smarter, Not Harder During a Job Search

Updated on June 2, 2022Professionals

The job search wouldn’t be so daunting if you didn’t have to spend so many hours, countless late nights, and weeks on end searching for jobs and sending in applications. It’s a long, exhausting process—but we’re here to help make it easier for you so that you can work smarter, not harder!

Looking to streamline your job search? Consider the following job search hacks that every prospective employee should try during the job hunt.

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1. Treat your job search like a full-time job

If you don’t set a schedule for yourself, you’re never going to get anywhere. Get up early, head to a café or co-working space (just anywhere that’s not your apartment) and work on your job applications as if it was your job to do so. Not only will this prepare you for adjusting to a job schedule later, but the more serious you take your job search, the easier it’s going to be.

2. Narrow your search by salary

Don’t waste your time and apply to a company or job that isn’t going to allow you to pay the bills. Want to weed out those jobs? Simply use the Glassdoor Know Your Worth tool to calculate your worth and find jobs that match your salary.

3. Work in twenty-minute chunks

If you’re already doing step one, considering changing it up a bit and breaking up your work time into twenty-minute time blocks. This will help you be more productive in the long run because staring at your screen for six hours working on the same material will drive you crazy. Instead, work on a job application for twenty minutes, then go for a walk or move to different location. Then, work on the same job application for another twenty minutes.

4. Research the companies you are interested in

Make a list of the top ten companies you want to work for and read online reviews or articles about these companies. Based on the reviews, make a list of the top five companies you definitely want to work for after reading more about the company. Then look for jobs at those companies and apply to each one!

5. Perfect your résumé, then upload it to Glassdoor

Take the time to make your résumé perfect. Double check for typos and have a friend or résumé expert look it over. Once it’s perfect, take thirty seconds and upload it to Glassdoor. Seriously, it’s that easy—and now when you browse the site, you can easily apply to a job.

6. Take a break

Plan a rest day in the middle of your week during your job search and do something completely different, like going for a hike. Something as simple as getting out in nature for a little bit can help relieve the stress and anxiety you are likely experiencing during the job hunt. It’s important to not spend an entire week just applying to jobs – you always have to take some time for mindfulness, or else you’ll end up tiring yourself out, which will lead to lackluster job applications.

7. Research company employees online

Once you start to narrow in on some companies you really, really, want to work for, consider looking up employees who work there. You can put a call to action out on your social media pages to see if any friends know someone at the company who could give you an introduction. Social sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can also help you find connections you may not know you have. If you can get the contact information for an employee who works at the company you want to apply to, that can help you get a foot in the door.

8. Write down keywords

Stuck on those cover letters? Grab a pen and paper and read the job application closely. Write down all the keywords that stand out or that you see multiple times. This will help you focus your cover letter or résumé with the same keywords, which will help make your application stand out!

9. Set up job alerts

Did you know that on Glassdoor you can set your account settings to receive alerts when a job you might be interested in gets posted or when a company you are following posts a job? Setting up alerts will help make sure you never miss an opportunity that you might be interested in—you never know what could happen!

10. Follow recruiters, companies and job search websites on social media

One of the easiest and quickest ways to make the job search process easier is to put job listings at the front of your mind. By following recruiters, job sites, or your favorite companies on all social channels, you’ll see their posts in all of your social news feeds—that way you never miss a listing! Who knows, maybe the next time you are scrolling through Instagram or Twitter, you’ll see a hiring post that you might have missed otherwise!

A version of this post originally appeared on Glassdoor’s blog.

More from Glassdoor:

The Ultimate Guide to Analyzing a Company’s Glassdoor Page

10 Smart Ways to Improve Your Chances for a Raise

8 Honest Reasons You Didn’t Make It Past the First Interview

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