Let me start with a confession: I’m probably the laziest job-searcher out there. Five minutes into a job search and I’m overwhelmed. All those companies, all those listings, all that work. Ugh.
But luckily, we modern job-seekers live in a time of incredible convenience. And while we may not yet be able to call upon our robo-butlers to draft a new resume on demand, there are so many tools out there that can at least lighten the load.
So without further adieu, let me welcome you to a crash course on automating your job search from start to finish:
Networking
As you’ve probably heard a million times, any truly smart job search starts with a great network. Too bad finding new people to connect with is such a drag - to say nothing of staying in touch with your existing connections! Until now that is…
Because nowadays, all that drudgery can happen in the background, with not a single smarmy cocktail party to attend. Take meeting new people. Lunchclub now automatically matches you with a cool new person from your desired industry every week and even arranges a time and place to meet. Goodbye networking mixers!
OK, so you’ve made a great new connection; now you’re ready to rock. Unless of course you totally blow it and never actually follow-up with them. Not that you’d ever do that, right? :) Well, technology can now make sure you don’t. LinkedIn, for example, allows you to sign-up for notifications whenever your contacts change jobs or are featured in the news - the perfect time to reconnect. Just go to your email controls and make sure “Network Updates” are turned on.
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Applying
Once you’ve built and engaged a network of supporters, it’s time to start applying. But first you need to find out who’s hiring. And while you could spend weeks slavishly hitting the refresh button on your browser to find the freshest jobs, you could also just let technology do it for you. For instance, once you run a search on Indeed, you’ll see a link next to the results that says “Get new jobs for this search by email.” One click and you’ll get the hottest new gigs in your inbox everyday without lifting a finger.
And then when you’re ready to apply, take advantage of another tech shortcut by looking for jobs that say “Apply with Indeed.” While doing so won’t automatically apply for you (would that be awesome - or scary?), it will draw upon a resume you’ve already uploaded to pre-fill your application. No new application system logins, no need to upload a bunch of documents over and over again; just one more click and you’re done!
Interviewing
So all your “hard” work finally paid off and it’s time to interview. Well guess what? Even this process can be automated. Here’s how: Instead of spending days preparing for the interview only to be tripped up by some breaking news that completely changes the role at the last second, get a direct line into what’s happening with the company, minute-by-minute. Just go to Google Alerts and enter the company’s name to receive real-time updates right up until the interview. Pro tip: You can also add the names of anyone you’re interviewing with to score the perfect conversation fodder and break even the frostiest interview ice!
And once the big day is over, don’t take your foot off the gas. Because there’s no better way to show your passion for the role then staying in touch with the hiring manager. But that only sounds like a lot of work. Because with technology at your side, you can keep the pressure on while you snooze. Just download Boomerang for your Gmail account. And now, when you send the hiring manager a thank you email, you can check the box for “Boomerang this in X days if no reply.” Doing so means that Boomerang’s algorithm will check for a reply from your prospective boss. And if you don’t receive one in a few days, it’ll remind you to follow-up, keeping you on the company’s radar and in the running.
So there you go - the lazy man’s guide to an automated job search. No muss, no fuss. Isn’t technology a beautiful thing?
Want more job search shortcuts? Get my free LinkedIn profile checklist, covering the only four things on the site that will actually help you land a job!
