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It used to be, the average job search lasted three to nine months, even in a good job market. But just in the past year, the length has been increasing for several reasons.
One, more companies are including additional rounds of interviews and cumbersome assessments in their hiring process, making it much longer.
Also, according to some studies, those who’ve lost jobs due to AI tend to stay unemployed longer.
Finally, online job boards are becoming more time-consuming due to the oversaturation of job seekers and the increase in scams and ghost posts.
In response to lengthy job searches, many candidates mistakenly approach it as a numbers game. They assume the best course of action is to keep applying to more and more online job postings.
However, they soon find this strategy to be an even bigger waste of time. While it may feel productive in the moment, applying to multiple jobs online is the most time-wasting and soul-sucking thing a job seeker can do. It leads to more frustration, feelings of failure, and desperation.
So, what’s the answer to speeding up the process and seeing real results?
5 ways to save time and increase success in your job search
Entering today’s job market is no longer a numbers game. It’s a systems game. If you don’t have a good system in place to maximize your time and energy, you’re doomed to experience the same frustration many other job seekers face.
I teach my clients how to develop a job search system that gets results while reducing the amount of time they spend on their strategies, and decreasing the amount of time they remain in between jobs. This system includes five key elements.
1. Using AI to your advantage and to save time
While many companies’ use of AI in the hiring process may put you at a disadvantage, you can use AI to your own advantage. The AI Prompt Bank I provide for my clients includes properly and effectively worded prompts to reduce the time spent researching companies, figuring out how to best use LinkedIn, and overcoming procrastination.
These AI prompts work in tandem with the system I offer, along with the nurturing human connection I provide as a coach and accountability partner.
2. Targeting companies likely interested in you
You can spend a lot of time applying to companies you want to work for. But, you can save time in your job search by focusing on companies that actually want to hire you.
These often include smaller companies you may have never heard of or considered. After all, there are many more small companies (fewer than 100 employees) and medium-sized companies (100 to 500 employees) than there are large corporations.
As a result, you’ll find more job opportunities when targeting smaller, lesser-known employers. One reason they have more openings is simply because they struggle in competing with big-name corporations for the best talent.
The system I provide my clients includes AI prompts and search strategies to help them quickly identify which of these companies would be a good fit for their interests and skills.
3. Finding people at those companies most willing to chat with you
Before you even start applying for jobs with a company, it’s important to first find people there to talk with and do informational interviews with. You need to gain their insights (in addition to info from your own research) to determine fit and to learn how to better understand and leverage the company’s hiring process.
But you don’t want to talk with just anyone at the company. Instead, you want to identify the people who are (a) willing and eager to talk with you, and (b) the most relevant contacts based on your current network, or even lack thereof.
I teach my clients how to identify the best connections, and how to establish ones where there currently are none.
4. Knowing how to talk to them while using proper etiquette
Once you identify who to speak with at a targeted company, the next challenge is understanding how to approach them.
This is the area my clients rely most on personalized coaching. They want to know what to say, what to ask, and how to best handle themselves, both in initial correspondence and during conversations.
Without the help of a coach, job seekers often make mistakes such as offering too much information about themselves in their initial outreach and wasting time going back and forth to schedule a meeting. And without proper etiquette training, they may turn off a potential employer without realizing it.
Because etiquette is almost a lost art, demonstrating it will make you stand out. It makes you more likeable, and therefore more likely to be referred for open positions.
5. Knowing when and how to follow up
Proper etiquette is also helpful when conducting follow-ups with potential connections. And in addition to the art of etiquette, there’s also a bit of science to the follow-up.
The combination of this art and science I teach helps my clients know when and how frequently to follow up. It also helps them identify when to cut their losses with an unresponsive contact so they don’t waste anymore of their precious time.
If this is something you struggle with or need assistance in, click here to find out more about my services.
Save time by working smarter, not harder
The modern job market may be tougher and slower than before, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. With the right system, you can save time by working smarter, not harder. You’ll attract opportunities instead of chasing them, while gaining more time for the fun things in life.
Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results? Click here to learn more about how I can help you build a system that works.
