We’re living in unprecedented times marked by furloughs, layoffs, and the collapse of sectors as a result of the pandemic. The transformation of work as a whole will affect everything in life and it certainly affects the way we apply for jobs. There’s much more competition and the rules of the game have drastically changed. But what does any of this have to do with the RSS feed, you might ask? In short, RSS is your secret weapon, but more on that later.
Finding your dream job during Covid times might be challenging
Not one article has been written about the hostile labor market that’s emerged in a post-pandemic world. Landing a job is difficult as it is and there are plenty of warnings on not to stay unemployed for too long. Talks about employment have certainly been tense and we’ve seen many industries get exposed for poor conditions and payment. We’re looking at you, fast food, and retail industries.
Do we even have the right to talk about dream jobs in such a downturn across the world as a whole? Yes, choosing where you work matters a great deal. More than it did before.
Landing a dream job is hard, but not impossible.
What are some of the tools you can use?
What I’ve outlined might feel daunting to the point you wonder where to even begin your search. You can breathe easy knowing that due to the pandemic most of your efforts will be done online and most resources are available for free.
Begin with the obvious. Recruiters overall are active on the platform and reach out occasionally. The first step would be to dust off your profile and establish more of a presence to get necessary attention. At the same time look into groups and do your own searches. At the very least you’ll get the lay of the land in your city or region, if you’re prepared to move.
Companies’ websites
Do some more legwork and turn to the companies that excite you to work! Where do you wish to spend your time working? What’s the dream job or jobs? The best course of action is to head on to their websites and check for job postings and available positions.
Online events
Networking has fully migrated onto digital platforms, so this leaves you at an advantage to make the most out of digital events without expenses or logistical issues. You can always sit down for a webinar or a Zoom meeting in your sweatpants and show the part of your room that’s not messy. Sure some events will have a fee to participate especially, if there’s a speaker imparting actionable advice and words of wisdom. But most will be free. For instance, there are regular hashtags for writers to pitch novels to potential agents.
RSS feed reader
The star of the article. I’ve saved the best for last. If you’re not using an RSS feed reader already, then what are you doing with your life? RSS readers are more than just a handy tool to organize your reading online, they’re indispensable for a lot of activities from competitor research to social media monitoring.
With the same ease, your RSS reader can assist you in job hunting. At the very least, you can add active searches on job sites to your dashboard so you’ll see new job postings as soon as they’re shared online. In this job climate, speed means everything.
How can RSS feed help you?
All right, but how can RSS readers actually assist in landing your dream job? It’s the number one question to consider, because after all it’s meant as a way to read articles in one place at your own time.
Exactly what is useful about it. You have several courses of action. You can…
Track companies
Does your dream company have a blog and/or a newsletter? Have they advertised in the past about open positions? It’s one avenue to pursue. RSS readers are the best way to stay informed on your company of choice and gather information.
If you want to work there, then it’s advisable to read all there is about the organisation in the first place and get acquainted with values, goals, branding voice and company culture as best as you can. It’s only a small window into their operation, but a valuable one.
Follow their social media accounts easier
It’s not uncommon that companies would use Twitter or Instagram to announce job openings. Need we mention LinkedIn in this list? However, you can’t be expected to refresh all three platforms for hiring news and there’s a risk you might miss out on a post in your feed. Add their social media profiles to your RSS feed reader so you can keep a close eye on what’s being posted. Inoreader has native support for Twitter and where you can’t find an RSS feed, there are always tools to turn any page into an RSS feed.
Receive alerts
Inoreader can set up alerts based on a number of keywords and phrases. Receive an email or a push notification on your mobile devices whenever a new position gets announced. This way you learn about the job before anyone else and can be among the first wave of submitted resumes. There’s a real benefit to being the first person a recruiter sees when making a selection. With Inoreader you can also install a browser extension, which is handy for when you want to quickly scroll through any new posts.
Prepare for job interviews
All the monitoring you’ve performed has its definite payoff once you score a job interview, because you’ll be up-to-date with their activity and recruiters appreciate job candidates who have obviously done their homework.
Your RSS reader can also help you with practical tips and preparation on how to ace a job interview. Inoreader provides users with a solid discovery function, where you can subscribe to topics and popular feeds. Type up job interviews in the search and discover the resources you need.
