It can be a crowded field when you’re job hunting these days, so you want to use every tool at your disposal to get an edge over the competition. Luckily, there’s an increasingly wide range of technology to help you land a great new role, offering everything from the inside scoop on employers to CV-writing tips.
We’ve gathered some expert suggestions on the apps and websites that can make finding a new job faster and more effective than ever.
Make the most of LinkedIn
The biggest work-based social media website is probably the most obvious destination for job hunters – but are you making the most of its features? Career coach Ashley Stahl warns that too many people simply use it as a “dusty old billboard” of their resume.
For creators, she recommends showing off your best work by uploading media to your profile’s “featured” section, with a brand video, a showreel of media appearances or a photo from a conference keynote speech. And she urges people to use the search function to its fullest by saving searches, adding filters in the advanced search, and setting up alerts, so you never miss that golden opportunity.
Build your network with Shapr
Networking online or off to find new opportunities can be challenging: it isn’t always easy to tell who’s interested in making new professional connections. But Shapr offers a solution: it’s a dedicated app with millions of people who have signed up to network. It takes its cue from dating apps, so you just swipe right when you encounter the profile of someone you’d like to connect with.
Adam Kleinbaum, a networking expert at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University, uses the app and tells the BBC: “Broadening your network is a really good way to break out of echo chambers and bring cognitive diversity to your projects.” Research shows people with broader networks get promoted faster, he adds.
Search out the best places to work on Glassdoor
Of course, you don’t want to end up in any old job: you want to find a company that fits, with the right culture and environment for you to succeed. That’s where Glassdoor comes in, offering reviews and ratings from anonymous employees who can give you an unvarnished look at a company’s pros and cons and key info such as salaries.
When you’re ready to apply, you can also get the inside track on the interview process, from the type of questions to the onboarding procedures. “It can provide you with an unparalleled look at your potential place of work,” says TechRadar.
Let Jobscan help your polish your CV
The first time your CV gets read at some of the larger companies these days, it’s likely to be by a robot. Increasingly, firms are using Applicant Tracker Systems (ATS) to weed out applicants at the early stages – meaning an automated system scans your CV and makes sure you match some of the crucial terms in the job description. So, if you don’t speak the robot’s language, you might find yourself rejected unnecessarily.
Enter Jobscan: it’s a piece of software that scans your CV in the same way and alerts you to any missing keywords, so you can add them and beat the bots. “If you’re looking to get your foot in the door somewhere, it really helps to make sure that you’re getting through the company’s ATS,” says Business Insider.
