We’re at a time when the previously booming IT giants are laying off thousands of employees. We also witnessed the Great Resignation and multiple post-pandemic influences.
Numerous people with varying professional experiences are currently facing the harsh realities of unemployment. Financial responsibilities are especially challenging and add more urgency to the situation.
That’s why it’s important to know how to get a job fast. It’s critical to target the right job markets and use the most effective methods to apply for a job.
When is the Best Time to Find a Job?
Let’s get the worst times to find a job out of the way first!
- Summer: that’s when most of the C-suite would be hitting the beaches.
- Seasonal holidays: starting from Thanksgiving to the New Year celebrations, companies are often off.
- End of the Fiscal Year: which is often June/July or Dec/Jan. Companies rarely make new hires at these times.
Additionally, which day of the week, and even the time of day matter. The first day of the week is often filled to the brim with weekend emergencies and department meetings.
The best options are often Monday and Tuesday, around noon. That’s when the new jobs are posted, and the hiring managers have gotten through the Monday morning rush.
As for the seasonal calendar, here are your best options.
Mid-January or February
The company has already closed its accounting for the previous fiscal year, formulated its strategy, and laid out the budget for the new year.
That’s when the management approves all the new job postings necessary for growth and scaling plans.
Spring
Job seekers should focus on spring. It’s a great time to hire interns, as well as to update the head counts for ongoing projects.
It’s also a good three months before managers start taking time off for the summer holidays. This translates to an uninterrupted hiring process.
How Long Does it Take to Find a Job?
The averages are easy, but these figures are often misleading if you take them out of context. There are some realities of life that you should consider.
- The state of the economy
- How in demand is your field
- The type of job you’re looking for
- Your qualifications and current CV appeal
- The job market dynamics
- The local factors in your geographic area
Aside from these factors, here’s how long it takes to get a job. The average time to find employment is 8.5 weeks, according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Other employment agencies place that figure a bit higher, as they calculate the time from the start of the job search to receiving an affirmative job offer. This process could take up to six months.
How Quickly Can You Get Hired for a Job?
Internal hiring is a smooth process that doesn’t take too long. A day or two is sufficient if the hiring manager has the right candidate in mind.
Temporary jobs are also rather easy to land. Within a week, you can be on the payroll of a new employer. Who knows, the small temporary job could grow into something bigger and better.
If you’re hoping to get a managerial position in a multinational establishment, that’s a long wait. These giants aren’t as agile as smaller companies. Networking and a tactical approach could lubricate the process.
Where is the Easiest Place to Get a Job?
When you’re pressed for time, here are the best places to look for a job.
Through Your Network
The hidden job market makes up 70-80% of all active hiring at any given time. The best way to access this employment treasure is through your network.
You can ask specific people directly for referrals. Alternatively, you can make an announcement on social media that you’d be available for employment.
Glassdoor
This US-based job search platform has millions of openings, including job opportunities all over the world.
Glassdoor is one of the best job boards that could greatly facilitate your job search.
More than 690 Million Users are currently active on LinkedIn, with 20+ Million Jobs Listed. That’s not the only perk you get from this platform though.
The opportunities you get on LinkedIn far exceed browsing through job openings. You can connect with the hiring managers in any company, and talk to them directly.
You’ll also see who works at these companies from your friends or colleagues, and you can approach them for a referral or endorsement.
Indeed
Huge amounts of job postings provide better odds of finding and landing your dream job, and that’s exactly what you get at Indeed.
How to Get a Job Fast
If you want to get a job fast, then you need to work smart—and hard!
Reflect on What You Want from a Job
A wide-range, hit-or-miss, job search is guaranteed to waste your time. It’s best to be fully aware of what you want from your job.
While job hunting, you can target one, or more, of the following:
- Better pay
- Job stability
- Nearer location
- Remote job
- A job abroad
- Flexible working hours
- A managerial position
- A different field
Use the Job Boards Strategically
Most recruiters recommend applying for 3-5 jobs per week, as a necessary application process. You can stick to that regimen, but try to be highly selective, and use the 80% rule.
You can also apply for multiple jobs at once. That is if you have the necessary qualifications for all the selected jobs. Apply to two or three jobs maximum at a time, and write a cover letter to explain why you took that route.
Interestingly, smaller companies usually hire quicker. You can focus your search on this category. The odds are higher for getting a job interview.
Perfect Your Resume
Writing and updating a resume can be an arduous process. Still, you need to polish it to perfection.
Hiring managers skim through CVs at surprisingly high speeds. They also use automated applicant tracking systems to screen resumes.
Make sure that all the right information is present in a clear concise form. In addition, stay up to date on how to manage ATS software.
Tailor Your Cover Letters
Personalized cover letters always reflect seriousness, thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and dependability. All of which are necessary traits for employment.
Read the job description thoroughly. Explain why you’re interested in the job in question, what you like most about the company, and how you can contribute if you’re hired. Use facts, figures, success stories, and verifiable achievements to get the hiring manager’s attention.
Use Your Network
Your network is your net worth. This is often mentioned lightly and sometimes treated as a cliche. It’s not.
Get the most out of your network by being polite and forthcoming. Ask for specific referrals or endorsements. At times, a little piece of info about a new opening or who makes the final decision is enough.
Most people respond nicely to honest and realistic requests.
Be Specific About Your Search
If you want to hit your target, don’t waste your time and effort on fringe or irrelevant job listings.
Match your qualifications to the jobs you’re applying for, and prepare all the needed documents to back up your application.
If you’re already working, but looking for a different position, try shadowing before applying to the desired job.
Don’t Settle
People settle for lower pay, rough working conditions, or rigid working hours out of desperation. Urgency often comes with a real need for income, which is understandable. Then again, signing a long-term contract with the wrong employer can complicate the situation even more.
You can seek temporary employment or take on some freelance gigs until you land a proper job.
Follow-Up With Hiring Managers
A lot of people think that their work is done as soon as they send out an application. This is not true.
A follow-up visit, call, or email often boosts your chances for success. Establishing a personal connection with the hiring manager increases trust and familiarity. These are intangibles that are necessary beyond imagination.
Get Your Reference List Ready
Asking for references from previous employers, colleagues, and subordinates is a necessary part of the job application process. It takes time though.
Prepare these documents in advance, and make sure that each person on the reference list is willing to take a call from your new employer.
Additionally, prepare any other needed papers. For example, get a pre-employment physical proactively.
Focus on Your Accomplishments
Job seekers are sometimes tempted to write down everything they did since their high school volunteering days till today. This is excessive and potentially confusing to the HR people.
Focus on your verifiable accomplishments and mention only the ones relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Sign Up for Job Alerts
Most employment platforms, job boards, career advancement centers in universities, and even social media provide the option of job alerts.
Sign up for job alerts whenever you get the chance. This should give you an early-bird advantage over other candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is Hard to Find a Job Right Now?
Today’s job market is substantially different from what we’ve known in the past decades. Since the pandemic and onwards, many realities have changed.
Remote work is one of these drastic transformations. Inflation, AI taking over creative jobs, IT-sector layoffs, and supply chain issues, are also new situations with huge consequences.
On the other hand, there’s a marked growth in hospitality, food, transportation, and manufacturing.
What is the Best Source to Find a Job?
Judging by the numbers, the hidden job market is the best source to find a job. This is where 70-80% of the action is taking place, and you can access it with the right tools.
The next best source is LinkedIn, with its various network possibilities. Finally, you can tap into the large recruitment platforms.
Wrapping Up
I’ve experienced the situation of being unemployed and wondering how to get a job fast twice. Fortunately, the uncertainty didn’t last for too long. In both cases, I found new job opportunities in less than two weeks.
The first time was through a friend who needed my specific skill set and wide range of contacts. The second was a job announcement on social media. In both cases, I had done some extra work to get the attention of the hiring manager.
You can do that too. It’s all listed in this article.
