5 Innovative, Professional Ways to Land a Job in 2018

Landing a job isn’t easy in today’s competitive job market. You have seconds to catch the attention of HR before your resume winds up in the trash or the bottom of the pile. Sometimes, you have to get a little creative to stand out in the sea of applications.

Here are five innovative ways to land a job in 2018.

1. Establish a Web Presence

It’s not always easy to convey your experience and skills in a paper resume. To show prospective employers what you can do, build a portfolio website that showcases your skills.

The great thing about having your own website is that you have freedom to do whatever you want. Be as creative as you want with the design. Format the content any way you please. You are the captain of the ship when building your own website.

Your online portfolio should be designed as a marketing piece to sell you and your skills. It should fit your personality and be relevant to the job. While you have some creative freedom here, make sure that you still keep it professional.

2. Make LinkedIn Work for You

LinkedIn is a powerful way to connect with decision-makers and show off your resume. In fact, LinkedIn is your digital resume.

Most professionals have a profile on this platform, but they don’t use it to their full advantage.

A complete, up-to-date profile is a valuable tool that you can use to demonstrate your skills to potential employers. Your profile should include:

• A recent photo
• Information that is relevant and up-to-date
• Include your achievements and education history
• List at least one previous position
• Include work examples in text, video, photo or presentation format

Work on growing your network, and getting recommendations and endorsements. Endorsements and recommendations will improve your credibility.

3. Hire a Professional to Write Your Resume

If you haven’t had any luck getting interviews, your resume may be to blame. Knowing what to put on your resume and how to word it can be a challenge.

If writing isn’t your cup of tea, you may want to hire a professional to write your resume. A resume writer will know how to showcase your skills in a way that catches the eye of hiring managers.

As the professionals at Arielle explain, “Some people don’t ever talk about their careers, and most people don’t really reflect on their achievements. By taking a deep dive into this process, they get reacquainted with their careers and start ‘owning’ it again.”

Something as simple as changing your resume may be all you need to land your dream job.

4. Connect with Decision-Makers Online

One way to get to know a company is to check their social media profiles. But following a company may also be a great way to get hired.

You may not get a job offer overnight, but if you connect with decision-makers and build relationships with the right people, you may just get your foot in the door.

Make sure that your social persona is professional. Inappropriate posts can damage your chances of getting the job.

5. Cold Calling

Cold calling is still an effective method of job hunting, although it has changed a little over the last decade.

Now, creative job hunters are creating databases with information about each company. This information helps the candidate create a more personalized message and better explain why they’d be a good fit for the company.