Your next career move can be exciting, but you cannot rely solely on your resume to land your next role. While you should make every effort to create a professional resume tailored to the position to which you are applying, there are other important steps you may need to take to get the position you want. Think strategically and utilize all the tools at your disposal to help land your next position.

How to Find Your Next Role

Use technology to diversify your search and find the best match for you. 

• Professional Job Boards – Focus your search on aggregator sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, Google Careers and CareerBuilder. These sites regularly scrape employer career sites and pull job openings to their platform. Perform an internet job search for “jobs near me” or search specialty/niche job sites for your industry to locate open positions.
• Academic Job Boards – Many colleges and universities have career service centers to help students and Alumni find and prepare for new employment. Employers partner closely with schools to share opportunities. Check with your alma mater to see if you can access posted positions via their career portal or attend a campus career fair.
• Career Fairs – It is vital to get face-to-face time with company representatives. Community career fairs allow you to meet a variety of employers in your designated area. Dress professionally and be ready to impress. Bring plenty of printed copies of your resume and do your due diligence to ensure it is well written and that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Take this opportunity to talk to as many employers as possible to learn more about their organization and available opportunities. Share how you will contribute and add value to their organization. Building connections are a huge part of networking and this is a great place to start!
• LinkedIn Networking – LinkedIn is a professional networking site designed to help you connect with folks in your industry and follow and learn about organizations where you may want to work. Create a profile that will attract companies by highlighting your skill set and achievements. Show that you are open to new opportunities and employers may reach out to you. Ask coworkers to write a review of your past and present skills and job performance to show employers that you will add value to their organization. You can also perform job searches to view open positions at specific companies. 
• Join a Professional Association – Professional association membership will provide you with the advantage of becoming an active and informed member of their industry. Many help those in transition connect to other professionals in the industry, which may lead to job opportunities.

Additional Strategies

Create a list of companies you would like to target during your job search. Utilize sites like Glassdoor and Indeed to learn more about the company by reading reviews and viewing current openings. Search the company’swebsite to view current job openings and learn more about the organization.

Perform keyword searches for positions by using different job titles, e.g., “CNA” and “Certified Nursing Assistant” or “Cook” and “Chef”.  This will enable you to find all applicable opportunities for the position you are seeking. 

Old-fashioned networking is always a key strategy when job hunting. Contact individuals in your preferred industry for employment leads. Perhaps, ask them out for coffee to learn more about the industry, their organization, job searching tips, and referrals. Engage with your connections through professional and social media sites. Employers welcome referrals so tap into your network to help you get in the door.

At Wesley Enhanced Living, we utilize many of these channels to attract and engage job seekers. We are always interested in engaging with new people and talking about employment opportunities. Follow us on LinkedIn and Glassdoor, run searches on our website and create a job alert to be notified of new positions.

If you desire to make a compelling difference in the lives of others, are enthusiastic about learning, and are seeking employment where your strengths will be valued, then visit Wesley Enhanced Living’s career opportunities.