Valentine’s Day is almost here, and we know you’ve all been busy hunting for that perfect gift for your special someone. Doesn’t leave a lot of time for job hunting, does it? Well have no fear, because your friends here at Resume To Interviews are here to help. Job hunting is tough, especially when you have no idea where to start looking. Here are a few job hunting tips that will make landing a job a little easier, and give you more time to get back to gift hunting.

Get Your Emails Together

Staying organized is perhaps one of the most valuable job hunting tips I’ve ever heard. Before you start applying for jobs it’s a great idea to set up a brand new email account, separate from your personal one. This way, important messages will never get lost in the clutter of your personal inbox, you’ll have a concise running list of every job you’ve ever applied for, and you’ll get the chance to rename your email address to something more professional (your email address should be simple, like first.lastname@blank.com, rather than crayZgrrrlXOXO@blank.com).

Job Search Engines Are Your Friends

You know how to use the Internet. If you don’t know how to use the Internet (which would be very strange, since you’re reading this on a computer) it’s time to learn, because it is the single best job hunting tool there is. Start with the most popular job search sites like Monster.com and Indeed.com. These sites allow you to search thousands of job listings based on keywords, locations, salaries, and more. Use them often as well, because new jobs are uploaded every single day, and being the first resume on top of the pile isn’t a bad start at landing that job.

References

Before you begin job hunting you’ll want to print out a reference sheet in advance. Sometimes employers will ask for references; this is a list of people you have worked with/for in recent history, and should never include your family members (even if your grandmother does have nice things to say about you). Having this separate sheet with you before every interview will make you appear well-prepared, professional, and one step ahead of every applicant who didn’t.

Social Media: Not Just For Cats

Just because social media is mainly reserved for sharing and looking at pictures of cats, doesn’t mean it can be a useful job hunting tool. LinkedIn is a fantastic professional social media site that lets you upload your resume, search for jobs, and connect with other professionals in your field. Remember to keep your profile maintained with current info, as well. This will show employers that you are detail-oriented, professional, and that you probably know how to do more on the Internet than look at pictures of cats.