If you’ve lost your job and need to find another one fast, there are a few steps you can take to boost your chances of success. Of course, updating your CV is a crucial step, but refreshing your LinkedIn profile and reaching out to a recruitment company can also be helpful in speeding up the process of finding a new job and getting hired.
1. Refresh Your CV
First, ensure that your CV is up to date with your most recent position, newest skills, and so forth. Additionally, you can make your CV stand out from those of other applicants by taking the following steps:
Tailor Your CV to Each Job Posting
While it does take some extra time, tailoring your CV to each job that you apply for can significantly boost your chances of scoring an interview and, ultimately, getting hired. To tailor your CV, start by mentioning the job title and the name of the company that you are applying to. The best place to do this is usually in your personal profile, which is a short paragraph placed at the top of your CV that summarises your most impressive experience, skills, and education details.
Additionally, read the job posting carefully and identify key characteristics that the employer is looking for in a candidate. Then address these characteristics in your CV, using the same language.
Quantify Your Achievements
Whenever possible, use numbers and data to quantify your accomplishments. In the bullet points below each of your past positions, focus more on your achievements in that position than the job duties. Most hiring managers will already know generally what your job duties were based on your job title, so they’ll be more impressed to see exactly how you succeeded in those roles.
Use Power Words
Use strong power words in your CV when describing your accomplishments in order to make your career feel dynamic and exciting. For example, instead of saying that you “had a team of 6,” write that you “managed a 6-person sales team and boosted revenue by 25% in 6 months.”
2. Update Your LinkedIn Profile
The majority of employers will check you out on LinkedIn if they are seriously considering you as a candidate, so it’s important to ensure that your profile is up to date and appealing. Use a professional headshot for your profile photo, fill out all of the relevant fields, and make a decent amount of connections so an employer will know that you are a real person with a professional network.
You can save employers some time by setting up your custom LinkedIn URL and including it on your CV. Since many job applications are online now, you can hyperlink the URL directly to your page to save an extra step.
3. Reach Out to a Recruitment Company
Finally, you can always reach out to a recruitment company if you need additional help finding a job quickly. Recruiters can help you polish your CV, draft compelling cover letters, and identify job openings that will be a good fit for you.
