There are times when job boards don’t update new jobs as often. It happens. With a shaky economy, a couple of wars, and the world trying to find its feet after several lockdowns and a pandemic that is still happening — it’s expected.
Quiet spells like this happen while companies restructure and prepare for the times ahead.
As a job seeker, it can be frustrating and demotivating to struggle to find roles to apply to and receive endless rejections from the ones you have applied to.
Here are a few things you can do, to prepare for when the job market speeds up:
1. Upskill
These quiet periods are a great time to boost your skills and give yourself an edge against the competition.
One of the best ways to improve your skills (upskill) or learn new ones is to learn through online courses. There are courses for almost any skill you can think of — and a lot of them are free!
People shy away from free online courses because they worry that they won’t “hold much weight” on their CVs. But this isn’t true.
Taking online courses isn’t just about having something to show off on your CV. It’s about improving the skills you already have, or acquiring new ones in order to apply for more advanced roles.
If finances are not on your side, or you know you’re not good at following through on courses, I recommend using free or low-cost courses to learn.
Udemy is a great place to find online courses at affordable prices. They have frequent sales that allow you to purchase a course for $20 or less.
If you want to build a career in marketing — Hubspot, Google Digital Garage, and the Content Marketing Institute are a few reputable platforms that offer free resources and certificates.
FreeCodeCamp and CodeAcademy offer a variety of free resources to help you start your coding career.
Here are a few guides you can use to improve your skills in the following areas:
Once again, remember, the important thing here is developing practical skills. Most companies are more concerned about what you can do and not where you learned it from.
Upskilling can also involve learning new tools that will help you offer more value in a role. No code tools are on the rise and are applicable to most online roles. Learn more about that here.
Another way to improve your skills is through practice. Work on projects you can showcase to your networks and future potential employers.
So if you’re a writer, work on long-form articles in your field. Learn how to write compelling case studies. Create email sequence templates that eCommerce stores need.
If you’re a designer, take on a 30-day logo challenge, design a new packaging for an existing product (or make your own), etc.
If you’re a coder, put your skills to work. Design websites for different fields, or create a new project of your own.
You can also Google challenges for your field. There are countless platforms that run design, coding, or writing challenges to help you become better at what you do.
2. Update your CV
If you’ve received an onslaught of rejection letters, this could be a good time to review your CV and make changes.
My go-to platform for CV and jobseeking tips is My Career Couch and Company Is You on Instagram.
You can also Google templates for CVs in your field. Compare several templates and identify what you can add to or remove from your current CV.
Lastly, tailor your CVs for each position you apply to. Don’t use a generic, one-size-fits-all CV. Study the role you’re applying for and add keywords from that job description to your CV (in a natural way) so that Application Tracking systems can select your CV.
Next, work on your interview skills. Research standard interview questions for the positions you typically apply for and learn to answer them well. The two platforms I shared with you also offer good resources to help you become interview ready.
3. Update your Portfolio
You can use the “practice” part of upskilling to create projects you can add to your portfolio. Quiet periods in the job market are frustrating, but also give you time to work on new ideas you haven’t had a chance to tend to.
If you’re struggling to find ideas to work on, you should:
Observe what your peers are doing and see if you can do similar projects
Join a challenge related to your field. e.g. writing for 30 days, designing a logo every day, building a new website, etc.
Pick a brand and work on something for them. For example, write a press release for Coca-Cola. Design a new logo for Uber. Redesign a page on Goldman Sach’s website.
You don’t have to share it with these companies (unless you want to), but these projects help you show prospective employers what you’re capable of doing
Work on something for a local business. Spotted a new business that’s website is in need of work? Rewrite their copy, redesign their logo, or create a wireframe for their website and share it with them. This could score you a freelance gig to bring in some income.
Get creative with how you can create an impressive portfolio. You can also share your portfolio with industry peers to collect constructive criticism so you know what needs to be improved.
4. Build your Personal Website
A personal website is a great way to showcase your skills and build your personal brand.
To stand out among your competition, you need to show potential employers that you are that person. A personal website can help you do this.
First, it shows that you’re a person who takes initiative and goes the extra mile in what they do.
Your website is a creative way to explain who you are and what you do — which could be better to read than a standard CV.
You can also turn your website into a digital portfolio. Create a page for the work you’ve done, references you’ve collected, and the current projects you’re working on. You’re giving people a chance to view everything they need to know about you early.
Nowadays, people are big on “show, don’t just tell”. A personal website — done well — can show potential employers that you’re a self-starter who takes their work seriously and knows how to market a brand.
Isn’t that more powerful than just a cover letter?
And nowadays, it’s very easy to build your own website without spending a lot of money. Platforms like WordPress.com, Wix, and Weebly allow you to create simple, effective websites for free.
Using these platforms also makes it easy to build a “temporary” website until you want to invest in building a more complex website in the future.
5. Share Your Knowledge & Work
Don’t just wait for job applications to share what you’re working on. Share with your networks.
Pick the platforms you feel will be the best for you to share on (I recommend 2) and actively update your people on what you’re working on.
I recommend that you use LinkedIn as one of your platforms. I have a gripe with that platform — it can be overwhelming. But I also understand how powerful it can be.
LinkedIn is one of the easiest ways to connect with peers in your industry, learn together, communicate with them, and also show what you can do.
Set a reasonable schedule for yourself and post regularly. I’ve committed to posting twice a week and I only write on the day. I’m working on a content schedule for LinkedIn but for now, I can commit to showing up twice a week and it’s enough for me.
The other platforms I share on are Twitter and Instagram. I took a break from doing that, to finish my website and content strategy, so in the next few months, I plan on being more active.
People can’t plug you with opportunities if they don’t know what you do — and they won’t know if you don’t tell them. So, use this downtime to up your sharing.
6. Create a Job Searching Schedule
Let’s be honest. Job searching is exhausting and if you’ve been on it for a while, it can affect your mental health.
One of the best things to do — whether the job market is quiet or not — is to set a schedule for yourself.
Dedicate a specific number of days to job searching (and it can’t be every day of the week). I would recommend three days (e.g. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). There should be a “break” between your days.
On your break days, try not to go on to any job boards. There’s a high chance you’ll find the same things you found the day before and that’ll frustrate you.
Use your breaks to work on a project, focus on a hobby, or just rest. I know it’s hard to “rest” when you’re searching for a job, but spending endless hours on job boards, day in and day out, will affect you negatively.
Taking time away from your routine also gives you time to think of things to improve and new ideas to work on.
Within those few days of being away from a job board, new roles may be advertised and you’ll be rested and ready to apply for them properly.
Note: Revisit the Roles You’re Applying For
Sometimes we may be shooting for roles that don’t match our skills in hopes of being seen. While this is admirable - and encouraged - it’s also important to make sure you apply for roles that match your skills as close as possible.
It gives you a better chance of being selected. I’ll use myself as an example. Several years ago, I applied to a ton of content manager & content marketer roles and received a slew of rejections.
After a bit of reflection, I analyzed the requirements for the positions I didn’t get and realized that my skills profile was lacking. I knew that I needed to learn more and courses weren’t going to cut it.
I started applying for entry-level roles: Marketing Assistant, Marketing Support, etc. and I received several hits. Eventually, I was hired as a Marketing Assistant and this role helped me gain more experience with important marketing tools and gave me a chance to grow into content marketing.
Sometimes you need to go a couple of steps back before you can shoot forward.
7. Set Job Alerts to Arrive in Your Inbox
Most job boards allow you to set alerts for the roles you’re looking for. Here’s an example of the alerts I’ve set on LinkedIn:
LinkedIn sends job alerts everyday
You can set job alerts in LinkedIn through your profile. LinkedIn lets you select a number of roles you're on the lookout for, and which countries. If I were to do it on my profile, this is what it would look like:
How to set job alerts in LinkedIn
You can choose how you want LinkedIn to notify you when new jobs appear — through the app or directly to your inbox.
Remember: If an alert appears during one of your “break” days, leave it alone and tackle it the next day.
Other job boards that let you set alerts, and I would recommend them, are WeWorkRemotely.com, dynamitejobs.com, and Greenhouse.
8. Create a “Target” List
Think of 15 to 20 companies you’d like to work for — or wouldn’t mind working for.
In the Google search bar, simply type “Company name + careers” and see if they have any openings. Some companies prefer to post job vacancies on their own websites, instead of uploading them to job boards.
Search "[company name] + careers] to see if you can apply from their direct website.
Bookmark these pages and save them in a folder, so you can access them easily. It saves you time, too, since you won’t have to use a search engine to find the pages again.
In the event there aren’t any available positions, try and see if the company has a sign-up form for their Talent Community. Basically, you provide the company with your details, CV, cover letter, and the types of roles you can fill.
When a relevant role is available, a recruiter from the company might reach out to you, or you’ll receive an email encouraging you to apply.
9. Consider Contract or Part-Time Work
If you’re struggling to find full-time remote roles, then it might be a good idea to include contract and part-time positions in your search.
Most platforms like LinkedIn, WeWorkRemotely.com, and Dynamite Jobs have pages dedicated to listing part-time and/or contract positions.
Search the "Contract" tab to find short-term gigs
If you have the strength, you can also give gig boards like UpWork and Fiverr a go to find short-term gigs. I would only recommend using platforms like this if:
- You’ve freelanced through them in the past
- Have 3 - 5 years of experience in your field
- Have titanium-level patience.
Alternatively, you can reach out to business owners in your network and pitch your services to them. Don’t overthink the “network” bit. Think of reaching out to friends, career peers, family members, church members, etc. Exhaust all possible contacts — you never know what you’ll find.
10. Look for “Survival Jobs” to Support Yourself
This is the least desirable option for a lot of people because “Who wants to work a job they don’t enjoy?”
But bills need to be paid and sometimes we need to bite the bullet and do what needs to be done.
A survival job is any type of job you can do to earn income - becoming an Uber driver, waiting tables, working as a receptionist, or even just taking an office job. These are not “lower-level jobs”. No, because there’s nothing wrong with them. They’re just a detour on your way to getting the job you actually want.
Here, you’ll need to take stock of the skills you have and the jobs you can do. List 5 - 10 positions you can handle, and start sending out your CV. This will alleviate the pressure of meeting your needs. Job searching is stressful and if you can find any way to reduce your stress, please do.
Lastly: Don’t Give Up
Job searching is tough — whether you’re looking for a remote role or an in-office one. Right now the market is fluctuating which means there are times when there are abundant openings, and there are times when it feels like nothing is available.
Use this list as a guide, hang in there, and keep trying. You’ll find your role, soon.