Are you prepared for an increase in job search activity that typically happens in September?
At Transition Solutions, we have been helping companies and individuals with workforce changes for 30 years.
September can be one of the best times to apply for a job. Why?
Hiring typically happens in waves. Summer can be slower due to vacations, so early Fall often sees activity increase especially as hiring managers return from vacation. With more people in the office, the hiring process can be smoother reducing the time from initial interview to offer.
Also, as of the last U.S. Bureau of Labor job openings report, the job market remains strong with almost 11 million job openings as of the last day of June. Hires and total separations were little changed versus the previous month at 6.4 million and 5.9 million, respectively.
How then can you best prepare for a Fall job search? We coach our clients to follow the steps below to ensure they are best equipped to find their next opportunity.
- Know your product. Invest the time to understand you as the “product”. Review your skills, accomplishments, values and interests.
- Find the work that needs to be done that fits with your capabilities. Once you know what you can do and where you want to go, identify target companies are looking for employees with your skills and interests.
- Market yourself so companies recognize you will help solve their business needs. Creating a job search marketing plan can help ensure you are maximizing job search tools such as your resume, LinkedIn profile, networking discussions and more.
- Create “BAR” stories to share your top accomplishments. BAR is a format that will help you write about your accomplishments. It should be a short statement of 5 to 10 words starting with a verb and helps differentiate you from other candidates. It stands for:
- B = Background — a brief statement that describes the situation and/or problem.
- A = Activities — the actions you took.
- R = Results — how the department, company, group benefited from your actions. Whenever possible, quantify the results using dollars, numbers or percentages.
- Update your resume. Make sure your resume is the best it can be and relevant to the role you are seeking. Have others proof your resume to ensure it is error free and easy to understand. The objective of your resume is to get the interview. The more your resume reflects the job requirements, the better chance you will have to make it through gatekeepers.
- Refresh you LinkedIn Profile. Keep your LinkedIn profile current with a nice head and shoulder image, current work experience, updated connections, BAR stories, recommendations and skills. Increase your exposure on LinkedIn by engaging with content sharing, commenting and liking relevant information.
- Networking. Networking is really about connecting with people. Reach out to people in your network to reconnect. Seek to understand how they are doing as people, before you share your situation. Do your homework upfront to know how best they might be able to assist you in your job search. Most job seekers find their next role through their network, so it is worth the investment and often great to reconnect with past acquaintances.
- Apply on job search sites, LinkedIn and company websites. Keep an eye on job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs for new daily opportunities. Set up job searches to alert you to jobs that are a good fit for you. Frequently review career sites on your target company websites as new jobs might appear their first.
Overall, now is the best time to apply the above steps to help ensure you are best positioned for increases in Fall hiring.
At Transition Solutions, we have been helping companies and individuals with workforce changes for thirty years. Our strong reputation for consistently delivering exceptional service at value sets us apart.
If you would like more information on our services please check out our website at https://www.transitionsolutions.com/ or you can contact us directly at 888-424-0003 or email us at info@transitionsolutions.com.
Be sure to follow our LinkedIn company page where we share advice for companies and individuals going through workforce changes at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/transition-solutions/!