6 Ways To Beat The Odds Of Job Search Madness

As I prepare my March Madness bracket (like I do each year) I usually take the route of submitting as many brackets into the pool as I can, thinking that I’ll have a better chance of winning. But given that I have been participating for the past 10+ years to no avail, this year I’ve decided to take care in submitting only one, thoughtfully prepared, bracket.

And I never thought that my love for March Madness would inspire me to write about job searching, but I was wrong about that too. While in a way job seeking is a numbers game and it seems logical to submit your resume to as many jobs as you can in hope of landing at least one interview that’s not usually the case. The way to win that interview is to be thoughtful in your search. So from what I’ve learned, I’ve decided to share with you.

Here are my top six tips to approach your job search with care:

1. Target your resume. Don’t maintain just one general resume that is a mishmash of all of your experiences. You should tailor your resume to each job you apply for and match your skills to those requirements of the job so you’ll sound like the perfect fit.
2. Stay organized. While you search for a new job you’ll need to create a system that works best for you to keep track of the positions you’ve applied for, those you’ve followed up on, and those you need to provide with more information. Staying organized while sometimes taxing will be your best friend throughout this whole process.
3. Make goals. While your job search might seem out of your control a lot of the time, make sure that you set goals for yourself throughout the process. While you can’t realistically know when you’ll land your next great job, you can certainly keep yourself on track by setting deadlines for yourself like researching a particular company you’re interested in pursuing or reaching out to networking contacts. Setting and meeting goals throughout your job search will keep you in good spirits.
4. Do your homework. Before applying to a job make sure you do a little digging before you submit your resume. Try to learn as much about the organization as possible so that you can target your resume and cover letter appropriately.
5. Use your network.  If you come across a position and you’re unsure of the work involved with the job reach out to your network for some advice. Turning to your network of contacts to introduce you to potential employers is not their only purpose, but they’re also there to be your sounding board.
6. Be positive. No one wants to be around someone who feels sorry for them self and seems like they’re about to go off the deep end. Having a positive attitude and being able to roll with the punches shows a great sense of character on paper and in person.

Just to end on a high note, while your job search can be seem daunting at times these six tips will help to keep you grounded and confident, and if that doesn’t help the odds of you landing your next great job are way better than you winning your NCAA pool.