Entering or re-entering the job market can be a nerve-wracking process. Trying to tweak your resume to perfection all while prepping for an interview can be tricky. That’s why we have gathered a list of resources to help give your job hunt the extra leg up!

Many recruiting agencies are ready and available to guide you through your job hunt, but there is also a multitude of things you can do all on your own.

Resume Critique’s

There is an array of platforms designed to review and critique your resume. All you have to do is upload your file, and within minutes you will have a guide of what stands out on your resume and what could use some adjusting.

VMock is a great site to use for this. After submitting your resume, VMock produces a detailed rubric with different benchmarks and scores for each. Your resume is also given a total score out of 100. This is a great feature as you can see how your resume matches up to others in similar fields!

If there is something that needs fixing, VMock will highlight it and give you specific tips on how to improve it. The site also analyzes the skills on your resume to see if they are necessary and adding value.

VMock is just one example of a resume critique on the web. Top Resume and Live Career do the same type of thing. Just upload your file, and within minutes it will be scanned for the most common issues seen on a resume.

Mock Interview Sites:

Interviews can be a scary thing, especially if you have been out of the job market for a little bit or just entering it for the very first time. Certain sites offer virtual interview practice to help you get comfortable with speaking professionally, eye contact, and impromptu questions.

Big Interview was created by Pamela Skillings, “the guru of interviews”. According to The Wall Street Journal. This platform allows individuals to customize industry-specific interview questions and practice answering them using a webcam. These customized mock interviews include both behavioral and occupational questions so that you will be prepared on all ends!

Big Interview also offers an in-depth curriculum for interviewing. From Interview fundamentals to how to close an interview to smart questions to ask, Big Interview will have you prepared for every step of an interview-even the toughest questions.

The best part of this mock interview process is that it can be tailored directly to you! Besides being able to customize your interview based on industry, you can choose the pace you work at! If you’re on a time crunch and preparing for an interview one week away, choose the fast track. If you’re getting a head start or working towards a super competitive interview, take the mastery track and dive in deep for that extra edge.

Interview Bit and Interview Buddy are similar platforms. These sites also offer customizable practice interviews and constructive feedback. Interview Bit can even match you up anonymously to work with peers in the same industry as you!

Job Search Platforms:

So you’ve used resume critiques to get your resume up to par and you’ve started to work on those mock interviews. But what’s next? Hit those job search engines! By exploring a multitude of sites with thousands of job postings, you open the door to more opportunities. Just using one job board won’t cut it. The most successful job hunts require digging.

On the top of the list for best job boards is Indeed. They’re going to have more job opportunities listed than any other site we know. Indeed also offers a typically fast and easy application process. Some perks of using Indeed are customizable job posting alerts and the ability to compare and research salaries.

CareerBuilder is another great resource. The platform has been online for more than 20 years and offers highly customizable search features so you can quickly see job postings that match exactly what you’re looking for. Unlike Indeed, CareerBuilder gathers job postings directly from employers. CareerBuilder also partners with many local news organizations to be able to list their local job ads from their “classifieds” section. Using Indeed and CareerBuilder will open you up to tons of jobs!

Job boards stretch far and wide. While sites like Indeed and CareerBuilder are great, there are also sites tailored more specifically to students. These sites include handshake and vault.

Handshake is popular amongst students because they offer tons of search filters to find jobs based on your major, paid, or unpaid internships, and reviews of other students who worked there. Handshake will also show you if a company has employees from the same university as you! This could be a huge networking advantage. Vault connects students to jobs or internships, and alumni in a similar way.

Take Away:

Starting a job hunt can be exciting, nerve-wracking, and scary all at the same time. These resources will help you to stay organized during the job hunt and prepare you at every end. It is important to take the time to use resources such as resume critiquing and mock interviews to give you that extra leg up in the job hunt.

 

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