Job Search Checklist: 8 Steps to Success
Advice From Employers / August 2, 2024There are many steps to keep track of while you are looking for your next job opportunity, and a lot of emotions you will go through. It’s easy to get off track or forget a step that could hinder your success.
We’ve put together a step-by-step guide with resource materials to help you stay organized throughout each phase of finding a new opportunity, including how to prepare all of your documents, set up your online presence for success, and know how to answer any interview questions you may get.
Table of Contents
Prepare Your Online Presence
- Optimize your social media profiles
Spend some time updating all of your social media profiles to give recruiters and employers the best impression of you. Make sure there are no images or posts that you wouldn’t want your future employer to see.
Resources:
How to Use Social Media in Your Job Hunt
Using Your Social Media for More Than Just Socializing
Restaurant Manager Shares Post-Layoff Thoughts on Job Search
This Hotel Concierge’s Post-Layoff LinkedIn Post Went Viral
2. Create your Hcareers profile
When you fill out your Hcareers profile, it will help you be matched to employers that have the culture, values, and perks you are interested in. You can also receive recommended job alerts that will help ease the process of searching for openings you are qualified for.
Resources:
How to Optimize your Hcareers Profile With Your Resume
Your Hcareers Personal Fit: What’s it all About?
Organize Your Documents
3. Update your resume
Open your most recent resume and make sure that you have your latest job included. Do the formatting and design seem appropriate? Should you make multiple versions to tailor it to specific job titles?
Resources:
How to Make a Good Video Resume
Managing Your Resume’s Visual Rhetoric: Small Improvements That Can Have a Big Impact
Quick Fix: 10 Ways to Improve Your Resume in an Hour or Less
The Essential Resume Checklist for Hotel Professionals
Free Resume Resources to Build a Great Resume
Resume Design Do’s and Don’ts: Fonts, Layouts, and Structure
Avoid These Top Five Resume Mistakes
4. Prepare a few cover letter templates
Oftentimes, we’re not sure how to differentiate a cover letter from our resumes, because it feels like the same information goes in both. You should tailor each cover letter based on the specific skills for each job opportunity.
Resources:
How Furloughed, Laid Off Workers Should Write Cover Letters
Get Noticed: Write a Cover Letter that Makes You Stand Out
Back to the Basics: How to Write a Great Cover Letter
Activate Your Network
5. Reach out to connections and let them know you’re looking
Of course, during job hunting, you’ll have to spend a lot of time looking through job boards and company websites, but you can also let people know you’re looking. You never know when a former colleague, mentor, boss, or friend knows of an opportunity and could help you get your foot in the door.
Resources:
How to Reach Out to Past Managers or Coworkers for References
How to Follow up With a Networking Opportunity
How to Be Successful With Virtual Networking and Career Fairs
Here’s How to Continue Building Your Professional Network From Home
How to Get Your Next Job With Virtual Networking
6. Reach out for informational interviews
If you are still trying to figure out what career path you want to go in, whether it’s your first job or you want to switch to a new hospitality department or you want to learn more about a company you’d like to work at, consider adding informational interviews to your job search.
Resources:
How Informational Interviews Can Help Your Job Search
Everything You Need to Know About the Informational Interview
Nail the Interviews
7. Practice makes perfect
Prepare yourself the night before for both in-person and virtual interviews by picking out the appropriate outfit, practicing your answers to questions, and jotting down questions of your own to ask.
Resources:
Prepare Yourself for that Phone Interview
Prepping for Virtual and In-Person Job Interviews
What to Wear to a Job Interview
Building a Connection at your Next Job Interview
8. Follow up to show your interest
Sending a thank you follow-up email can go a long way to increase your chances of getting a callback. Make sure to send a personalized thank you 24 hours after you speak with someone to show them your interest and efforts. This also includes anyone you network with.
Resources:
How To Follow Up With a Networking Opportunity
After the Interview: 4 Steps to Help You Succeed
Ready to get started? You can create your profile on Hcareers.com and start searching for jobs that match your skill set. If you want to research potential companies, you can visit their employer profiles to see their company mission, culture, values, and open roles.
