Simply Hired Blog

Mobile Job Search with Simply Hired

Mobile is here, and it’s here to stay. As mobile technology becomes more sophisticated and user friendly, many online activities are moving from PCs to mobile devices, and that includes job search. With Simply Hired’s mobile solutions, you can search for jobs from just about anywhere... in a park, on a beach, or even during your morning train commute. And with Simply Apply, applying to jobs on-the-go has never been easier.

According to our recent job seeker survey, 70 percent of job seekers search for employment on mobile devices. And it makes sense--we always have our smartphones on us, and if you can conduct the same job search from anywhere as you can from home, then why not track down that dream job from the beach?

Here's how:

First, check out m.simplyhired.com, Simply Hired's mobile site. Just like on SimplyHired.com, you can search over 5 million jobs across the U.S. based on keyword (for ex: sales manager) and location (ex. Chicago).

When you find a job of interest labeled with a "Simply Apply" button in the results, you can apply to it directly from your phone or tablet. You can reach over 10,000 employers who have already enabled Simply Apply on their jobs, and the number continues to grow.

To apply to a Simply Apply enabled job, click on the Simply Apply button, attach your resume and cover letter, and submit your application. If you don't have a Simply Hired account with an uploaded resume, you can import your resume from LinkedIn on the spot. For more on using Simply Apply check out our tutorial video.

If you’re not quite ready to apply or want to save a job for later, you can also send the job listing from the mobile site to your email Inbox for reference.

Happy mobile searching!

Find Jobs for Veterans

Happy Veterans Day!

Today, to assist those American service people looking for a job, we at Simply Hired want to share with veterans our useful employment search tool.

Simply Hired has a special job search filter designed for US veterans. The veteran job filter provides results from the Direct Employers list of over 400 vet-friendly companies and federal contractors. This filter provides a venue for veterans to perform job searches from select companies who are dedicated to hiring veterans and advancing their careers.

The vet-friendly job filter can be found at www.simplyhired.com/veteran, or as part of the special filters on the left side of any search results page.

 

The Fantasy Football Approach to Job Searching

By Robyn Melhuish

It’s that time of year again. Nothing eases those end-of-summer blues like the kick-off of football season. Whether you’re partial to NFL, NCAA, varsity, or little league, for many, the return of football season means the return of all that’s right with the world. It also means the return of fantasy football.

Now, for the uninitiated, fantasy football allows an individual to draft a fictional team of real NFL players to compete against other fictional teams. Using a predetermined scoring system that accounts not only for touchdowns and field goals but also passing yards, rushing yards, etc., the owners of said teams will track the real-life performance of their individual players to arrive at a score for their team. The various teams within a given fantasy football league “play” each other every week.

The level of commitment involved with running a fantasy football team can be rather intense. But it’s not just this intensity that makes fantasy football a good model for the job search. I argue that the same tactics that win fantasy football championships could win you your next job.

1.      Do your research – Fantasy football enthusiasts may spend weeks researching players before going into the draft, factoring in the player’s position, past performance and even their health. Likewise, job seekers must do extensive research to identify the companies they want to pursue and the people in their network that can help them succeed, factoring in their position, past performance, and in the case of a potential employer, their fiscal health!  

2.      Know your stats – Before and after the draft, owners of fantasy football teams study players’ stats to gauge what kind of performance they may give on a given Sunday. Job seekers must know their own stats and be aware of which professional accomplishments will be most impressive to a potential company.

3.      Change tactics regularly – Dedicated fantasy football players will meticulously plan each week’s lineup for maximum effectiveness. Job seekers should also tweak their strategy depending on the company and job they are applying for. Just like the starting lineup, your resume, cover letter, even the way you prepare for the interview should never look the same way twice.

4.      Improve your odds – What’s the best way to increase your chances of winning a fantasy football league? Play in multiple leagues of course. This doesn’t mean you should apply to every job you’re remotely qualified for, but you should employ multiple tactics and not wait to hear back after each application or interview before moving onto the next.

5.      Keep playing – Winning your league’s championship is the ultimate goal, but achieving it doesn’t mean you won’t play again next year. For the job seeker, getting a job is the end goal, but you too should keep playing even after you’ve started the new job. Your game may not be as intense, but it’s still smart to stay in touch with what’s happening in the job market for your industry.

Whether you are an avid fantasy football enthusiast or if this blog post is your introduction to the topic, the parallels are hopefully clear. Dedication, research, and commitment, along with a little luck, can get you to your goal – whether that goal is a league championship or a new job.  

Robyn Melhuish is the editor at MedReps.com, the leading website for medical device sales jobs, pharma sales jobs, and biotech sales jobs. In a competitive industry like healthcare sales, the MedReps.com career center strives to offer candidates advice that will give them the advantage they need.

3 Ways to Start Your Simply Hired Job Search

One of the best indicators of your future job is your most recent job title. However, you are likely to explore multiple careers in your lifetime. If you come to simplyhired.com and are not sure what to put in the search box, consider using these three tools:

1. Browse Jobs: On the homepage, you should see a list of categories. If you do not see it, clear your recent searches or select browse on the bottom. Click on these categories to launch a search. Alternatively, by selecting the browse job listings at the end of the list, you can explore jobs by: job category, location, company or industry. See purple boxes below for links.
2. Trending Jobs: Simply Hired recently introduced a new trending jobs feature. This can be found on the Simply Hired home page as a ticker. Use this tool to explore up and coming searches. See orange box below.
3. O*NET Search: If you are exploring career paths, you should consider checking out the O*NET site. The O*NET program is the primary source in the U.S. for occupation information and classification. The site offers the opportunity to explore occupations based on categories including bright outlook and gives excellent details regarding the requirements for specific occupations. Whenever you come across an O*NET code you find interesting, you can search for it on the Simply Hired site by putting in the keyword- onet:(insert number here). See the red box below for an example.

Finding the Invisible Job Market

Job seekers today probably realize that the online job marketplace is extremely visible and therefore, extremely competitive. Sometimes thousands of potential candidates will view a job and hundreds will apply. With competition so fierce, many job seekers may favor better in the invisible job market. 

But what is the invisible job market?  Well, it’s not another name for Diagon Alley of Harry Potter fame.  The invisible market refers to the market of job openings that never appear online, or any public job-posting site.

Here are some strategies for finding this invisible job market:

Social Networking 

If you know a specific company you are interested in, find a hiring manager or recruiter at the company to follow with LinkedIn.  Once you have found a recruiter on Linkedin then search for them on other social media sites, for example Twitter, and follow them.  Now keep a close watch on their social channels.  If they post any jobs on the social sites that do not appear on their company’s site you’ve found a hidden job!  

Another great way to tap into the invisible market is through referrals in your own network. Simply Hired's Who Do I Know® feature can help you find contacts at companies of interest to you within your Facebook and LinkedIn networks. Ask these contacts to help you set up introductions with recruiters, hiring managers, and other decision makers.  Even if the company isn’t hiring right now, making a good impression with these people may lead to hearing about a job opening before it ever gets posted.

The Old Fashioned Way 

The old fashioned way is the job hunt equivalent of a cold sales call.  But rather than calls to sell aluminum siding, you are dropping in at companies with your resume, whether or not they have any job openings.  To execute this first you will need to research the company of interest, and tailor your resume and cover letter to fit their employee requirements and culture (start by checking out previous job opening requirements and current employees’ Linkedin profiles). 

Once you’re ready to drop off your resume, identify a contact at the company (the recruiter, department hiring manager, etc.) and when you arrive request to speak with them.  If you’re lucky you’ll get the chance to talk with the contact about yourself and possible employment opportunities.  But if you are unable to speak with the contact, leave your resume and cover letter for them.  Follow up with a quick call or email, letting them know you stopped in to drop off your resume, and wanted to discuss employment opportunities.  You may get lucky and get a phone call. If you don’t hear back, you can try again in a few weeks.  Be patient with this method, out of ten drop ins, you may hear back from one.  But your go-getter approach may just get employers’ attention.

Internships and Promotions

Internships can be a great way to decide if you are a good fit for a company or a job.  They can also be a great way to land an un-posted job.  When a company recognizes an intern would be great addition to the staff, they may carve out a full-time position to keep the intern on as a full-time employee.  So, what can you as intern to improve your chances of converting to full-time?  Be respectful of the company's time, money and culture. Be sure to always go above and beyond their expectations.  Finally, demonstrate your improvements as an employee by learning new tasks and asking insightful questions. Interns who keep these tips in mind will greatly improve their chances of converting to a full-time employee.

Have you landed a job using the invisible job market? If so, share your method below.