Want to find a job fast? Finding the right job can be slow, but there are some critical steps you can take to speed it up.

What to do when you want to find a job fast?

Perhaps you had to move or want to move to a new city, and you need to find a job fast. Maybe you want to quit a job you hate to replace it with a job you love. Possibly you got laid off and you need to find a job in a hurry. You might have just graduated from college and you are ready to land your first job. Whatever the reason, if you want to find a job fast, you have options.

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How to find a job you love fast?

It’s no secret that finding a job is a slow process. Even a few weeks of a couple of months can seem forever when you really need a job. Although you can’t control how quickly employers process your job application, you are in complete control of how quickly you apply for jobs.

Ready to find a job fast? Here is our # step guide to help you quickly find a job.

Step 1 – What are your career goals?

You can’t begin your job search unless you have career goals. Career goals are milestones you set as you get ahead in your profession.

Why is it important to have career goals?

If you are one of those people who think that a job is just that…a job, you probably don’t have any career goals. But if you want to find a job fast, doing something you enjoy, you must have career goals. Career goals are important because they help you focus on things that drive you forward professionally. The goals you set will help you get ahead and help you go from just another day to a job you are passionate about.

Ask yourself the following questions to help you set career goals:

  • What are your current skills?
  • What companies are hiring for such skills?
  • What skills do employers want?

Your career goals should include some of the following:

  • Improving your communications skills.
  • Learning marketable skills that you love to do.
  • Starting a business, even if it is a part-time or side-hustle business.
  • Understanding what it takes to get a promotion, and working on the required skills.
  • Changing jobs if you feel there is no opportunity to advance.
  • Becoming an expert in your profession.
  • Seeking a leadership position.
  • Earning a degree or professional certificate.
  • Learning a skill that others don’t want to or can’t learn.
  • Becoming more productive.
  • Closing more sales.
  • Winning an award.
  • Becoming a mentor.

When you need to find a job fast, career goals can help you. The most important thing when you start your job search is to know your skills, achieve your career goals, and to identify the available jobs out there.

Step 2 – Customize your resume for job descriptions.

If you want to find a job fast, you should customize your resume for each job description. Yes, it is more work, but you improve the odds of getting a job if you customize it for the job description. Customized descriptions for each job you are applying for will help get your resume noticed. It is the only way to be selected for interviews.

What’s the best way to customize your resume for the job description?

Before you start customizing your resume to match the job descriptions, you may want to make a list of skills and accomplishments. This will prepare you to optimize your resume for your dream job.

Highlight your work experience as it relates to the job requirements before you submit your resume. Employers want to see the skills they have listed in the job descriptions. So, make sure that your resume matches those skills. Include relevant keywords to make your resume applicant tracking system (ATS) friendly.

Here are some hints to make your resume ATS friendly:

  • Don’t save your resume as a PDF. Microsoft Word is the preferred format.
  • Include job-related keywords. If the job requirements include “customer service” experience, make sure your resume includes “customer service.”
  • Never use images or symbols. Applicant tracking systems might not be able to translate them.

Focus on Skills and Achievements

Look for ways to explain the skills and achievements that make you the best candidate for the job. Create effective impact statements, highlighting the required skills to support your application. For a greater impact, begin phrases or sentences with verbs. Choose strong action words such as “supervised” and “initiated” to demonstrate that you’ve made an impact on your previous job roles.

Include Job Specific Keywords in Your Resume

Include as many job-specific “keywords” as possible to optimize your resume for database scanning. When searching resume databases for potential job candidates, employers search for resumes with the greatest number of “hits” on job-relevant keywords.

These keywords are generally nouns, e.g. “Python programmer” or “web designer.” To effectively use keywords, be specific, use as many as possible, and sprinkle them throughout your resume.

A customized resume for each job will help you stand out from the crowd and land more interviews.

Step 3 – Write a cover letter to get a job fast.

For each job, you should include a custom-tailored cover letter. Make sure to include your job skills, experience, and a quick sentence or two about what makes you the right candidate for the job. Writing a cover letter indeed takes extra time, but it will help you stand out, and it might help you land a job faster.

How to write a good cover letter?

  • Your cover letter should focus on what you can do for the company. What do you bring to the position and the company?
  • Write a customized cover letter for each job. If you are applying for ten jobs, you are going to need ten fresh cover letters, one for each job.
  • Personalize your cover letters. Avoid “To Whom It May Concern,” if you want your cover letter to stand out from the rest. Do your homework and find the name of the hiring manager. Include the hiring manager’s name with a formal salutation. Use the person’s first and last name. Address the person formally such as “Dear Ms. First_name Last_name.”
  • Carefully word the opening line. A great opening line can differentiate your cover letter. Mention the job you are applying for and one good reason that makes you the best candidate for the job. Show your excitement about the job and the company, and share your passion for the job.
  • Don’t regurgitate your resume. The cover letter supposed to go beyond your resume. If you repeat yourself you defeat the purpose of the cover letter. Expand on the job skills and accomplishments that you have included in your resume.
  • Showcase your skills and highlight relevant experiences. Make sure that you are corresponding to the required skills in the job description.
  • Unless you are applying for an entry-level job or an internship, you shouldn’t focus on your education. Hiring managers care about work experience, not college credits.
  • Show your achievements in measurable terms. Don’t write “I increased revenues” because it is not measurable. It is better to write “I increased revenues by 35% in the first year on the job.” Numbers speak volumes about your accomplishments, so use them to highlight your achievements.
  • If you have any relevant testimonials, include one of them in your cover letter.

Step 4 – Networking is the fastest way to get a job.

You don’t have to work alone to find your next job. If you have to search alone, you will be the bottleneck of your job search efforts. Networking multiplies your time and energy spent on a job search. When you take advantage of your personal and professional network, you can expedite your job search. Now, instead of the power of one, you have your entire network helping you.

Mobilize Your Network to Find a Job Fast

Your personal and professional network is your greatest career asset. If you want to find a job fast, you much mobilize your network. Reach out to your LinkedIn connections. Tell people that you are searching for a job. Be specific and explain what type of job you want and at what companies. Don’t be shy. Ask for introductions.

You should also reach out to recruiters and let them know that you are in the job market. Look through your contacts from school and previous jobs. Talk to friends, family, neighbors, and anyone who listens. A personal connection at the right place at the right time is worth a hundred resume submissions.

How to use networking to find a job?

  • Announce to people that you are searching for a job.
  • Be specific. If you would like introductions, ask who you would like to be introduced to. If you want people to keep an eye out for any job openings in their own places of employment, tell them what type of job you are looking for. Don’t assume that people know these details.
  • Reach out to family members, friends, and classmates from school, former coworkers and managers, and college professors.
  • If you have been searching for a while, follow up with people in your network.

Step 5 – Submit your application directly to the hiring manager.

Make a list of your target employers and submit your applications. It is best if you use job search sites to expedite your efforts. Make sure you follow the employer’s instructions for each job you apply for.

What is the best day to submit your resume?

It’s true that timing is everything, even when it comes to submitting your resume. Generally speaking, submitting your resume during the weekend is a bad idea. But, submitting your resume on Monday could increase your hiring chances by close to 50 percent. Delivering your application and resume between Tuesday morning and before 12:00pm on Thrusday might be even more effective.

What should you do after submitting a job application?

Try to make a direct connection with the hiring manager. Reach out on LinkedIn to find out about the job opening. Don’t follow up on Fridays, Mondays, or one day before a major holiday. If you follow up on one of those days, it’s unlikely that you get a response.

Have a copy of your resume on your phone, to have it handy when you get a call about the job.

Step 6 – Practice your interviewing skills.

If you put in the work and apply for the right positions, you will be called in for an interview. You want to be ready when that happens, so it is essential to practice. If you work with a recruiter, she might be able to help you. If you search on your own, you might have to practice with a friend.

Here are some of the most common job interview questions:

  • Tell me about yourself?
  • What is your dream job?
  • Why do you want this job?
  • What are your weaknesses?
  • What are your strengths?
  • Why should we hire you?
  • Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?
  • What professional achievement are you the proudest of?
  • Tell me about a problem you handled recently?

Step 7 – Systematize your job application process.

Systems help you create more efficient processes. Your job search will be much more effective if you follow a system. If you follow the above steps, you greatly increase your chances of finding a job fast.

Keep applying for jobs, don’t be discouraged.

Create a daily job search routine. Your job is to find a job fast, and having systems in place will help you stick with the process. If your job search takes bit longer than expected, you shouldn’t get discouraged. Other jobs may be a better match for you, so keep searching, it will happen for you.