Unemployment has skyrocketed since COVID-19 entered the picture. And many feel like any chances at getting a new job have been decimated as well. You’re now limited in your options for applying—company hours have changed, many don’t let you walk in for in-person interviews, regardless if there’s a government lockdown or not. Your most valuable resource for landing work in this situation is the Internet.
The problem is, many struggle with separating themselves from the pack on the web. It’s still relatively new territory. Especially if a prospective employee was already shy or modest in real life, they might have some real trouble defining what they do for a living and putting it out there for the world to see.
They’re thinking about the stakes. Yes, the stakes are high, and the Internet is hugely competitive. But what many don’t realize is how technology has in fact made everything much easier than it was before. There are just a few hoops to get over before realizing that.
It seems near impossible to separate yourself from the millions of others looking for the same thing at the same time. But there are some easy ways to separate yourself and build and online job hunting persona that achieves results. It starts with getting to know what works and what doesn’t. That’s exactly what we’re doing here.
Today, we’re going to go over the reasons you probably won’t get responses from potential employers online. If you’re here out of frustration that no one’s calling back, then here are some things you can change immediately.
You Haven’t Included Enough Information
LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly valuable resource for job candidates to be seen by their prospective employers. If you’ve been on the site, you may notice they have a ranking system for your profile, the more information you enter. This is just a matter of filling the gaps. Make sure you have headline, photo, bio and complete work history. It’s not a hard thing to raise your profile to “All Star” status, and it can pay off in the long run. You will be more likely to show up in the search results. In fact, whatever job board you’re using, it’s likely the algorithm operates in a similar way. You need to be as specific as possible to your niche and the job you’re looking for if you want it to “see” and match you with your ideal employer.
Your Pictures Are No Good
A professional image can go a long way online. It’s all the employer has to go on. If all they see is a bathroom mirror selfie, that could be the end of the conversation. Even if it’s not, sites like Upwork, for freelancers, have specific guidelines for what makes a professional profile photo and what doesn’t. A professional headshot could be what maximizes your chances of getting a callback. The good news is you probably don’t have to break the bank on a professional studio, with the quality of iPhones these days. Just find a well-lit room and set up a plain backdrop, and that might be all you need to take the most professional photo of your life.
You’re Not on the Right Job Board
Maybe you’re not looking for a job in the right places. Different job boards tend to become hubs for different fields of expertise. If you work in IT, for example, you would be better off perusing sites like StackOverflow or AngelList. If you are a marketer, you might want to check out CrunchBoard or TalentZoo. If you do any kind of freelancing, the ideal might be Freelancer.com or Upwork. The great thing is that it’s all quite flexible. While the algorithms niche you down, your niche can also have some bend to it, and it’s likely you’ll find a home in several different communities, depending on what services you are offering.
You Don’t Have Enough Experience
One sad, unfortunate reality is that it could have nothing to do with the algorithm at all. It’s possible that you’re stuck in COVID lockdown mode, fresh out of college with no prior experience, not even an internship. This can make it hard to draw the attention of the employers you’re trying to reach. In this case, you may have to get creative with your education or prior work history. There are usually one or two things that may not appear as achievements to you, that would stand out to an employer if you included it on your profile. On the other hand, if you do have substantial experience…
You Don’t Have the Right Experience
More specifically, you might not be searching for the right jobs. The working world in 2020 and beyond is going to become incredibly niched-down, so prospective employees will need to be ever more precise with how they define their skills and positions. It’s reasonable to expect some confusion along the way. Many companies will probably misunderstand what they’re looking for while those prospects do the same thing. Always seek clarification wherever there’s an opportunity. If you end up finding a match and still aren’t getting work, consider this…
You’re Not Framing Your Experience Correctly
It’s possible you’re not telling the prospective employer what you do in the correct way. You could articulate with needle-precision what your technical role is, but you could be forgetting to include exactly what benefits your experiences could bring the company. For example, you could have plenty of experience making sales calls, but if you neglect to add that hefty sum of revenue you generated for your last employer, it may not register. Always be thinking about benefits over features.
Conclusion
Finding a job has never been easy. COVID-19 has only made it more difficult. With the right tools, and the right guidance, you can get over the hump and make it easier than it’s ever been. You’re talking to algorithms, so you’ll need to optimize your online persona to ensure you’re “seen.” Make sure your profile photo is professional. If there’s a headline, make sure it properly encapsulates everything about you in the professional realm. You want to be as specific as possible wherever you can in your online profile, no matter what site you’re on. At the end of the day, the advice is the same as it’s always been: put your best foot forward.
