Job Search Tips: 3 Powerful Ways to Get Noticed Online

This post was originally featured in the Careerminds blog. For more job hunting strategies, visit www.careerminds.com/blog

The other day we talked about the importance of standing out in and interview, but it is also important to stand out in your application. This can be trickier since there is only a limited amount of time spent reviewing each applicant. Steve Murphy, a small business marketing expert, and founder of Get Busy Media lends his expertise to this very concept, offering creative solutions to the standards dilemma.

Solving The Standards Dilemma in The Digital Age

Finding a job has gotten quite difficult in the digital age. Not only do you have to deal with automated HR systems that filter resumes before they ever reach a real human, but you must also compete with the droves of unemployed nomads willing to work for a fraction of their previous salaries.

The key to making yourself relevant in a competitive job market is to stand out. This is nothing new. What is new are the creative methods and channels you can use to get noticed in the crowds. Using the internet and social media can be a game changing move in any career search, and below are three ways to effectively get found by employers.

#1 Build A Website or Blog

You no longer have to be a nerd to get your own website. In fact, free platforms like WordPress and Blogger make it painfully easy to get online in just a few clicks. This is an excellent way to show potential employers that you are willing to innovate to get ahead, a key quality in nearly every industry.

The first benefit of sending a personal website to an employer is that they will always have the most updated information about you on hand. If something changes on your resume, you can quickly change your website and every employer will instantly have an updated record of your qualifications. If you take it one step further and blog on your site, it can offer valuable insights into your intellect and industry experience that normally wouldn’t shine through in a standard cover letter or resume. Use your website to link to all of your virtual assets including your LinkedIn profile, your portfolio, and any other relevant links.

Need inspiration? Click here for an example of this author’s personal site.

#2 Leverage Social Media

Maintaining robust and complete social media profiles can go a long way in your job hunt. LinkedIn can connect you to others in  your industry that might know of job openings or put you in touch with others who can. The booming social network can also give employers a look into your past work history, the strength of your network, and recommendations from past clients or employers. Make sure your profile is complete and descriptive to get the most out of it.

LinkedIn may be an obvious choice for your job hunt, but Youtube isn’t typically considered in the conversation. You can create a video channel and record personal, targeted messages to specific employers and send them private links to view them. This lets your personality shine through where paper resumes fail, and helps build a more intimate connection with decision makers in HR. You can also create a generic video to place on your newly created website to liven it up.

#3 The Power of Paid Advertising

The last thing most people think about when looking for jobs is spending money when they don’t have to. Its typically a time to pinch pennies and jump into survival mode. But not for you. No, while others are merely surviving, you are in attack mode. Your new weapon: Google Adwords.

For those not familiar, Google Adwords is a paid advertising service that lets advertisers put their featured search results above the rest in a Google Search. One way to use paid advertising is to take out ads that include high-ranking executives and HR professionals’ names. If these individuals monitor their names online (who doesn’t Google themselves these days?), most will click your ads out of pure curiosity. Make sure to link the ad back to a personalized YouTube video or to your website, so that your future employer will be able to follow up!

Think this is too out of the box? It worked wonders for this guy.

No matter what your skill level with computers, these are three easy and affordable ways to add some “pop” to your job search. Embracing new media can catapult you to the front of the pack and get you a new job in no time.

For more information, feel free to reach out to Steve at steve@getbusymedia.com

If you’re interested in a personal marketing plan be sure to have a look at BrandYourself’s other posts.