Simple Ways to Job Hunt on the Go From Your Cell Phone
Whether you lost your job or you need a better job, job hunting can be stressful. You’re competing with dozens of other qualified applicants, so getting your foot in the door can prove more difficult than expected.
For this reason, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to search job ads. This includes looking and applying for work even when you’re away from your computer.
One of the best features of a cell phone is that you’re able to access the Internet and find work anyplace, anytime. In fact, 43% of job seekers use their handheld device to find work.
If you haven’t used your cell phone in this capacity, it’s time to get onboard. Here are a few tips for job hunting on the move.
- Keep your cover letter and resume on a cloud server
When you create a cover letter and resume in a word document or another word processing software, make sure you upload both documents to a cloud server. This way, you can access your information whenever you need to.
Let’s say you’re in a waiting room browsing job ads and stumble upon a great opportunity. Keeping documents in the cloud lets you access your cover letter or resume over the Internet and send both to hiring managers. The sooner they receive your information, the better. If you put off sending your information until you get home, your resume could get lost in the shuffle and you could miss out on an interview.
- Download job site apps
The days of searching newspaper classifieds for a job are gone. Nowadays, most people find work through online job postings.
The good thing about searching for a job online is the ability to download job search apps to your phone. Some options include Glassdoor, Snag, Indeed, and Monster. With these apps on your phone, you’re only a few clicks away from jobs in your field. And the best part about these apps is that many of them give you the option to upload your cover letter and resume to the site. When you see a job you like, you can send it directly to the employer from inside the app.
- Get alerts and notifications sent to your email
Not only can you receive job postings on your phone, you can set up alerts within job search apps. Customize these alerts so you’ll receive notification whenever certain types of jobs become available. Since these alerts are emailed to you, you won’t miss an opportunity.
- Add a professional signature to your email account
Add a professional signature to your email. You’ll want to include your name, address, phone number and links to your online portfolio, if applicable.
This is perfect when employers don’t have an online application but prefer candidates to send their cover letter or resume through email. Of course, an in-depth signature isn’t required. But it adds a nice touch and you’ll appear more professional to employers.
- Use social media to your advantage
If you have a social media account such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, use your network to your advantage. Chances are, you know at least one person working for a company that’s currently hiring someone with your skills.
In your post, ask those in your network to send you a message if they know of any job openings. This could potentially open the floodgates and you could snag an interview for a job you wouldn’t have otherwise known about.
Bottom line: Job hunting can be stressful and time-consuming. Therefore, get creative and utilize every trick at your disposal to help you land your next position.