The pursuit for employment is undoubtedly problematic given the current economic situation, but there are always innovative ways to do so, such as using the World Wide Web.
Realistically, accomplishment when you find jobs isn't certain, and you need to embrace the hard truth. However, if you're concerned about landing a job, you need to invest the energy and effort; you can't just pin your hopes on a job search app and wait for your candidacy to be considered by the recruiters.
Furthermore, you should never ever confine your reach-outs to employers' career pages or social media groups. You should definitely try, but understand that like you, there are hundreds and thousands of jobseekers, each sending their resume to every potential employer on a daily basis.
So, what should you do?
Being visible to employers uniquely through personal branding. Also known as applicant branding, it requires candidates to view themselves as brands. Your purpose, like any brand in the many markets that exist today, is to stand out from the competition by promoting your qualities, background, experience, capabilities, and mindset.
And the internet is the best place where you can do that. After all, why should you not make the most of the fact that the internet is a dynamic environment that has its own set of advantages for job seekers?
On that note, let's explore a few ways you can promote yourself on the world wide web that can help you gain an edge over your competition.
Method 1: Get on Relevant Social Media Platforms
Social Media must be your go-to destination, given its global audience and marketing capabilities. The trick is not to sign up on all social media platforms, but to get on well-known and effective ones that have a specific audience with common interests.
The most prominent professional networking platform is LinkedIn, which has the best marketing practices and undoubtedly is the most comprehensive in terms of job opportunities, careers, and networking.
You can join groups to network with professionals (or start your own groups), view available jobs, engage in discussions, construct a page devoted to a particular subject, showcase your talents and resume for others to see, and more.
Of course, you should also look at other options based on your background and level of expertise. You may incorporate essential connections on the majority of these platforms, as well as demonstrate to hiring managers and others that you possess the skills necessary for a vacant position.
A great alternative to LinkedIn is AngelList (if you’re fascinated by start-ups and entrepreneurship). It’s still not as big as LinkedIn but AngelList does get over 5-6 million visits every month and has an audience that exceeds 15 million users. Other alternatives include Xing, The Dots, ResearchGate, Epiloge, and Goodwall.
Method 2: Nothing Like a Personal Website or Blog
Start a personal website. It's organised, and not only can you just promote your skills, experience, or knowledge, but also exhibit them with the help of some posts like written articles, work portfolio or CV.
Given that Google today is the #1 search engine of preference, it offers you the chance to create your website for no cost with the added perk of being highly ranked. There are other alternatives such as Wix, which offers you the option of constructing your webpage for a very reasonable price (if you require more resources) or for free.
If a personal website is just too much too soon, you can always stick to blogs. Although you have undoubtedly seen this brief before, it really works well. Are you aware that several bloggers have landed employment as a result of their popularity and massive following, that has attracted the attention of corporations or job agencies?
With the help of popular blogging services like WordPress or Blogger, starting up a blog is simple, easy (and mostly free). Managing it, putting effort into its maintenance, and adding fresh posts can be difficult if you've never done it before. But there are a lot of tutorials online that can get you going on one.
You can start a blog on the topic you are an expert in, targeting either the wider populace or a specific trade that interests you. In other words, anyone can launch a blog in any field or area of expertise.
But keep in mind that you need to create a static page as well for your blog. It should feature your intro, a synopsis of your knowledge, experience, career aspirations, a call to action for contact, and social networking links.
One of the many benefits of blogging (as your audience grows in numbers) is the chance to generate revenue through advertising via affiliates or Adsense.
Your income will depend on the number of site visitors and readers. In fact, many bloggers today make decent income, while others have turned blogging into full-time gigs.
Another great pluspoint about blogging is that you can get job proposals or offers of collaboration from other businesses.
Method 3: Become an Online Guru, or Write an e-Book
You can add outstanding qualifications to your resume by delivering an online course to learners that is both engaging and well-received.
You can even make money by teaching online. To interact with your students, all you need to do is create your course, publish it online via e-learning platforms like Udemy or Coursera, and video conference. Depending on the course's length, interest level of the learners, or the intricacy of the course, you determine the cost.
Similar to e-courses, releasing an e-book will enhance your resume. Any handheld gadget can read it, and you may even be paid when anyone downloads or reads it.
Sounds complicated, but it's much simpler than it sounds (or looks). You simply need to write your document on Google Docs or MS-Word and convert it to readable file extensions like Mobi, PDF, or epub, and host it on your blog or website for reading or download.
Conclusion
This is the Web 2.0 era. And as things stand, we’re already on the cusp of Web 3.0. Employers want unique and talented candidates who do things differently and are obsessed about disruption. As a jobseeker, you should understand what they want.
And the first step is to stand out, especially when you begin to find jobs online. And you can do that exactly by following the 3 steps mentioned above.
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