Joining the Great Resignation? 6 Tips to Streamline Your Post-Pandemic Job Search

If the pandemic has spurred you to explore new employment opportunities and ways of working, you’re not alone.  Many have joined what’s dubbed the “Great Resignation”, where the Labor Dept estimates record numbers of people leaving their jobs in 2021. Whether you’re enthusiastically diving into a job hunt or dipping your toe into uncharted waters, reduce your time and effort in the long run by setting up a few systems and practices in preparation.

1. Compile a master resume - Creating targeted resumes will be easier if you already have a comprehensive master document that includes every relevant position.  Be sure to include detailed bulleted points (aka accomplishment statements) for each experience. Also don’t forget to add any independent projects or continued education/training. When you’re ready to create a targeted resume for a particular role or industry, pick and choose the appropriate content from your master resume.  Bonus tip: Test how your targeted resume matches the job description through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) simulator from Jobscan.
2. Complete a master application - Similar to a master resume, a master application will be useful as a source document when completing online applications. Be sure to have all your employment history covered, such as employer addresses, start/end dates, contact info, and professional references all in one spot for easy access. There are many applications available online; refer to this Microsoft template.
3. Setup Profiles and Job search filters - If you find yourself frequently visiting particular job boards like Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, Linkedin or Handshake, consider completing their user profile and job search filters to customize your results. Many job boards have email alerts or notifications that can be sent to you on a daily/weekly basis. Check out this video on how to create job alerts in LinkedIn.
4. Designate a separate professional email/contact info for job related activity - Having a professional email address may seem like common sense, but you might also want to create a dedicated account to separate job-related messages once you get into the full swing of your search. Pro Tip: This dedicated email can also be shared publicly on social media (ie. LinkedIn contact info visibility) for recruiters or potential employers to see.
5. Join multiple staffing agencies - It never hurts to get help finding opportunities. Also known as temp/recruiting/employment agencies, staffing agencies may connect you to employers who are hiring contract workers, many remote.  Large agencies like Adecco, Nelson, ManPower, Kelly, Robert Half and Randstad have divisions that source for a variety industries/fields, while niche agencies target specific industries (healthcare, tech, design etc). If you’d like to contract at a particular company, see which staffing agencies they source from at Oncontracting.com.
6. Track your activities - As you start to reach out to your network and apply to multiple jobs it can get a little overwhelming. Using lists, spreadsheets, post-its, Trello boards or any other combination of tools will help you keep track of your contacts and progress.  There is even free “CRM software” for job seekers that saves and tracks jobs across different platforms, like Teal. It’s also a nice way to acknowledge your movement in the right direction!