Need a Job Now? Follow These Essential Steps

These moves will help you nab a job offer in no time.

Need a Job Now? Follow These Essential Steps

It's time to get serious about your job search.

We hear you loud and clear: You really, really need a job now. In order to find one, you’re going to have to hustle—the good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. Monster is all about helping you maximize your job search. (Hey, we don’t like to waste time, either.)

The main thing you need to remember is to treat your job search like it’s a job. You can’t apply to one job and then walk away from the process for a week or two. Make a commitment to spend some time each day devoted to your search.

Ready? Follow these steps to score a job yesterday.

Whip Your Resume Into Shape

When’s the last time you updated your resume? If you’re like many professionals, it’s probably been a while. In fact, 8% of U.S. workers can’t even remember the last time they touched their resume, a Monster poll found.

To give your resume a refresher, you can start by replacing outdated skills or lingo with more powerful and relevant buzzwords. “Terminology changes from year to year, so be sure your resume reflects current trends,” says Monster resume expert Kim Isaacs.

Before you send your resume out into the wild, get an extra set of eyes on it. Need help with that? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster’s Resume Writing Service. You’ll get detailed feedback so you can make sure you're putting your best foot forward.

Network in Real Time

Real talk: "Liking" someone's post on social media doesn't replace networking in real time. Since coronavirus made it impossible to gather face-to-face, you need to rely on video technology to help you connect with people. Join trade associations and attend their virtual networking events, have a Zoom lunch with former colleagues, and engage with new contacts online by signing up for their webinars and asking questions.

Just remember to be strategic about the people you’re targeting. Make a list of prospective employers and then reach out to mid-level employees at those organizations. They just might introduce you to job opportunities.

It's also a good idea to reconnect with professionals with whom you’ve lost touch, including college professors, past managers, and the like. Explain to them that you need a job now, and tell them the type of work you're qualified to do. People get satisfaction from helping other people.

Build Your Online Presence

Though in-person networking is crucial, many recruiters search for job candidates online—meaning you can improve your visibility by taking the right steps. Regularly tweeting on industry news, for example, can help you gain some exposure in your field. If you’re in a creative profession, like graphic design, post samples of your work on Instagram or Pinterest.

If you can write well, create a blog to share insights on a particular topic, which could help establish you as a thought leader—something that all employers value. You could also submit original articles to trade publications or on your social media pages to further your reach.

Sharpen Your Job-Interviewing Skills

If it’s been a few years or more since you’ve hit the job-search circuit, you’ll need to refresh your job-interview skills. Prepping for job interviews might also entail crafting well-thought-out answers to common interview questions, such as “Why should we hire you?” and, “What are your long-term goals?”

Doing mock interviews with friends or industry peers is a great way to regain your footing. Plus, the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll appear during job interviews. Focus on mastering the three Cs during a job interview: stay cool, calm, and confident.

Look for Contract Work

To bounce back from a layoff, contract jobs, temp work, and/or freelance jobs can not only give you a boost of confidence, it can also help you get your foot in the door at other companies. This will show prospective employers that you’re invested in your career growth—not to mention you’ll be supplementing your loss of income. Double down and take online courses while you’re in between jobs to gain certifications that will make you more marketable to employers.

Let Monster Pick Pp Some of the Slack

No doubt you’re familiar with Monster’s epic board of online jobs, where you can search by job title, city, company, and skills. But since you need a job now, you can also let Monster bring jobs directly to you. Ready to get started? Create a profile on Monster for free today. You can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox, not to mention recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. The sooner you take action, the sooner you’ll be fielding job offers.