[Note from Pat Sweet: This is a guest post from Jeff Perry of More Than Engineering]

Times are tough for so many engineers at many levels right now. Some industries are downsizing in a big way. People have lost internships and jobs, or have just been blocked from really starting their careers after graduating.

If any of this describes you, you have a choice – succumb to feelings of hopelessness, or take charge and start being more proactive in your job search. 

The strategy to “spray and pray” dozens of job applications to online job boards just doesn’t work. Hundreds of other people are applying to those same jobs, so you will likely get lost in the shuffle. 

So how do you start to stand out and accelerate your job search? You’ll have to do things differently. Here are 5 ideas:

Optimize LinkedIn

If you are job searching and you’re not utilizing LinkedIn, you’re missing out on a very important platform. LinkedIn is part of your personal brand and in many cases provides a first digital impression for who you are and what you can do.

There are many facets to building a strong LinkedIn profile. You can start by really focusing on the following:

1. Have a great photo and background photo. This is how people will physically view you, so make sure you smile and look professional. Put in a background photo that says something about you or your industry – keeping the standard LinkedIn background is boring.
2. Customize your title. This is important, as the title has a huge impact on the keywords that are used for recruiters to find you. It defaults to your current job title, but you should put in interests and skills that you have to make it more interesting.
3. Tell a story in your “about” section. People want to learn more about who you are, not just what your job is. Use the rest of your profile to talk about that. Telling a story can humanize you and help you be more likable before someone even ever gets a chance to talk to you in person.

These items are what I would consider the “low hanging fruit” on LinkedIn, but make sure to fill out your entire profile!

Focus First on Companies, Not Job Ads

Often job seekers will just start searching on LinkedIn, Indeed, or other job boards and looking for roles and applying. That’s certainly one way to do it, but it rarely yields success.

Instead, I recommend making a quick list of the companies that you are interested in working for and ranking them based on your personal motivation to work there. Sure, you hope that these companies have open jobs, but you’re looking to connect with people first, not just jobs to apply to. Target a list of 40 companies or so, and go from there.

Find an Advocate

Look at your list of 40 companies, and especially the top 5-10 on your list – do you know anyone there? If not, can you get to know someone? This is your career, and it’s time to take charge!

Look for some sort of tie – hometown, university alumni, 2nd degree connections on LinkedIn, or something else. Any small connection can increase the chance you can find someone on the inside of a company that is willing to help you and be an advocate.

Be a Giver, Not Just a Taker

When searching for advocates, you are looking for ways to build relationships with people, not just find people you can mooch jobs off of. Any good relationship is mutually beneficial. What can you bring to the relationship?

Your initial goal should be to get an informational interview. Perhaps up front, you’re simply providing an opportunity for someone to feel good and share their career experiences with someone else (many people like that). In other cases, maybe you have a connection that they could benefit from. 

Find a way to give, not just take as you establish new relationships.

Be a Solution to a Problem

Finally, shift your approach to job searching in general. If a company is going to hire someone, it’s because they need someone to fill a gap or solve a problem they have. So rather than talking about the things you can do, seek to understand their problem and how you can be the solution. 

This is a paradigm shift for some people, but it’s critical to learn and understand if you want to be successful. Especially if you get to the interview, you want to leave the interview with your interviewers starting to visualize you being the solution they are looking for. 

Conclusion

The job market is certainly difficult these days, but there are still jobs available and people being hired. Will you take the steps necessary to be one of them? 

Want to Accelerate Your Job Search Even More?

I’m on a mission to help more engineers get jobs they love faster. To help, I’m hosting a free webinar on job search strategies for engineers. To register, please click on the link below:

Register for the Webinar

About Jeff

Jeff provides engineering and software pros with professional coaching to help develop soft skills like leadership and mindset to unlock hidden potential and remove self-imposed roadblocks for career and life.

For years, Jeff has had the pleasure of supporting engineers and software pros from new grads to the director level. Having been on the front lines in the technical world, he has been able to map out the necessary skills for becoming a quality leader in the field, and landing jobs faster than ever. 

Connect with Jeff on Linkedin, or check out his website at https://morethan-engineering.com/, where he blogs and shares free resources like a Career Clarity Checklist.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator on Unsplash