Want a Job? Stop Applying.

Tens of millions of Americans are unemployed as a result of the global pandemic. From restaurants and retail to financial services and insurance, young people from a variety of educational backgrounds are back on the job market, some of them for the first time in years. And while the natural tendency is to spend the day on job posting sites filling out applications and submitting resumes and cover letters in droves, that is valuable time poorly spent. If you want a job, you should stop applying – and do these three things instead.

Learn Something New

Notice I encouraged you to stop applying – but not necessarily walk away from the computer. Whether you are interested in pursuing a whole new career path or simply adding a skill or two to your resume, there are millions of online courses just a click away.

Have a limited budget? Websites such as Udemy and Skillshare offer thousands of classes for a reasonable price. Udemy charges as little as $9.99 for many of its courses, while Skillshare offers a membership starting at $8.25 per month. Topics range from your standard marketing and IT to the non-traditional productivity and yoga. 

Have no budget? No problem. Websites such as EdX and Coursera offer free courses from colleges and universities around the world. In fact, EdX was founded by MIT and Harvard. Filter by subject, skill level and a variety of other factors to pick the best course for you.

Get specific. Familiarize yourself with a specific software or tool that will set you apart from other candidates. Attend industry-specific virtual events, such as those focused on social media marketing, corporate learning and development or data analytics. Every industry has at least one professional organization that is likely offering free or low-cost online training.

Talk to Your Network

Reach out to your network – and not just the people you’ve connected with on LinkedIn. There are many people outside of the traditional online space that can offer valuable insight into different industries, not to mention your personal strengths and style. 

Friends Who knows you better than your friends? Not only can they offer you valuable information about what you’re good at and what they admire about you, they likely have had a career transition (or two) of their own and can offer insight into what did and didn’t work for them.

Family Sure, mom and dad think you’re special but think bigger. Spend 30 minutes chatting with an aunt or uncle about their career and related opportunities. For example, Aunt Cathy might be a lawyer which is of no interest to you, but what other positions are there in the firm? Who are her most interesting clients and what do they do for work? Cousins are a great resource as well, especially if they are a few years older. They can relate to your struggles and provide advice and wisdom based on their experiences

Former co-workers and teammates What’s great about contacting people you’ve worked and played with is they know your work ethic, how you build relationships and how you respond under pressure. Not only can they offer specific feedback on you, they can give you a glimpse into the industry or career they’ve chosen.

Former bosses, teachers and coaches Reaching out to past authority figures is another resource rich with knowledge and perspective on you and your skills. Coaches in particular know you in unique settings and can offer you a glimpse into sectors and positions you aren’t aware of. 

Prove Yourself

You’re probably familiar with the sentiment “Actions speak louder than words”. While most commonly used in the context of leadership or relationships, it can be applied to career transition as well. When you’re being interviewed by a prospective employer, they want to see proof of the skills or strengths you claim to possess. Whether it’s setting up a basic but informative website, creating an electronic portfolio of your work or even creating a short video demonstrating your skill, submitting different media and proving you will improve their workplace immediately can be a key differentiator in a highly competitive job market.

Don’t be discouraged by not hearing back. Don’t be intimidated by reaching out to “connections” on LinkedIn. Instead, learn something new, catch up with someone you miss and start doing some of the work you love in order to share it with prospective employers. These are the secrets to securing your dream job.

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