A Recruiter's Advice for a Successful Virtual Job Search

We have never experienced a pandemic or any economic crisis of this magnitude and are in uncharted territory. From mid-March 2020 to the end of May, roughly 40 million Americans applied for unemployment. Today, we want to offer valuable advice for finding the right career opportunities at growth-oriented organizations right now. We will share best practices for your virtual job search, including getting the hiring team’s attention and interviewing so that you can get hired quickly.

Starting your virtual job search

This may be your time to survive and not reinvent yourself. Use all your strengths to help find the career opportunity and job you can most positively impact. Seek positions that are similar to your previous roles where you can leverage previous knowledge and skills.  

Google for Jobs is a new resource for job seekers everywhere that aggregates all jobs that Google can find on the internet. Quickly search for interesting roles with companies that have great reviews. This tool shows both the available roles that match your search, plus the company reviews found from Glassdoor and Indeed – saving you time. Widen your search by exploring organizations that are growing during this time and those that have been hit by this economic crisis.

After this brief research, use the responsibilities listed on those descriptions to help revise your resume and longer LinkedIn profile. You’ll notice patterns in specific positions across different companies on what they seek most. Where applicable, add those industry keywords to your resume.

Getting a hiring team’s attention

Have your resume and LinkedIn in order

If you have never created a free LinkedIn profile, now is the perfect time to do so. LinkedIn is the tool used by recruiters all over the world who are eagerly seeking someone like you. You’ll find it easier to update your LinkedIn profile first and your resume second, simplifying your LinkedIn to create your resume. The more content on your LinkedIn, the easier it is for recruiters to find you through searching for all the keywords that are listed on your profile.

The Golden Rule for Resume Length: Five years of your career = one page of your resume. Bonus points if you can keep it shorter.

Use a Microsoft Word template for your resume. Unless you are a designer or searching for roles that require artistic talent, don’t reinvent the wheel by creating a custom resume. Recruiting systems have difficulty parsing custom resumes. With your professional experience on paper, it’s time to be a human and connect with your past colleagues and industry related peers.

Start using your network

Networking is the most underrated activity during any job search. Come up with a two-sentence introduction to send your close friends, family, and past coworkers. This should briefly explain what you are looking for, what you performed previously, and how your connections can help you.

When you receive a lead for a new career opportunity, ask if your contact knows anyone at the company that could refer you to the hiring teams. The highest performing hires at companies are referrals. Organizations praise their team members for referring someone like you. Once you gain the attention of a potential new company, it is time to get ready for interviews.

Handling remote interviews

Widespread remote interviewing will be the method of choice for the foreseeable future. Hiring conversations have a new element thanks to the technical advantages of remote interviewing – and you should be prepared to discuss your strengths through a screen. While you should always be prepared to answer the top interview questions, you also need to be ready for virtual face-to-face interactions. These require a different kind of preparation than many of us are used to.

Tips for meeting face-to-face, virtually

Distractions are the enemy for virtual interactions. There are a lot of great online resources for preparing your background and lighting for a virtual interview. Below are some of our favorite tips:

• Ensure you are in a quiet and well-lit environment.
• Make eye contact through the camera lens.
• Smile – and remember to breathe!
• Always wait a few extra seconds before answering to ensure you don’t interrupt your interviewers.

Most importantly, be curious! Even though the recruiting process is being held virtually, it is still an opportunity for you to learn more about potential employers. Vet your new teams as they vet you.

After the interview

Follow-up is king and will always reign supreme. Follow up with all your interviewers via email to thank them for their time and express your excitement to make an impact on their team.

Handwritten notes don’t have to go away! You can write a brief and separate handwritten note and take a picture to add as an attachment in your email. There is something magical about a handwritten note and the added human element.

Join our team

During this time, it may seem like there are few safe and secure companies hiring. By reading these virtual job search recommendations, you’ve found one of them! Apply to one of ivision’s open career opportunities today. We all look forward to remotely meeting you!