I have some news to share! I got a part-time and short-term job without applying (Yey)! I’m really thankful for this because my online selling business is really really really slooooooow due to the pandemic. People are hesitant to spend money on non-essentials especially nowadays when some areas are being put on lockdown AGAIN due to the new strain of COVID-19.
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash
How I Landed a Job Without Applying
I received an email approximately two weeks ago and I actually ignored it for a day or two because I thought that it was SPAM. When the traffic of Thrifty Hustler started growing, the SPAM that I get on my email grew tremendously as well.
Sometimes I read it if I thought that it was legit (almost all aren’t) and most of the time, I just delete them.
When I finally read it, I had a feeling that it was a legit offer but I didn’t know how to respond. I was deciding first if I could commit myself to it or not. Even if my online selling business is currently slow, I’m still very interested in making it work.
And also, when I found out that this blog’s traffic is growing consistently, I also want to spend more time building more content.
I finally responded after some time and we came to an agreement regarding the rate, deliverables, and deadlines. I mentioned that I could only commit to writing a certain number of articles for a certain period of time because of my other commitments and he said that he’s ok with that.
So far, I’ve sent two articles (got paid already as well) and currently working on my new deliverables. I’m actually excited about this because I’m learning a lot of new things. I don’t know how long this will last since we didn’t have any contract, but for now, I’m just enjoying this new experience.
Technically, this isn’t the first time that I had been offered a job without applying. In the past, I had been offered a job as well by my former bosses a few years after I have resigned.
However, this particular scenario is unique, because the offers before were from people that I used to work with. This time, it’s from someone who I didn’t know and he just found my article on Google search (Thanks SEO!!!).
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash
How to Get a Job Without Applying
If you’re asking yourself if it’s really possible to get a job without applying, the answer is YES!
I’m not the only person that has experienced this. Some of my friends in the corporate world have also been offered a job without applying, but usually, the offers came from people that they also used to work with.
Anyway, here are some tips on how to help you land a job without applying:
Start a Blog
Regardless of what you do for a living, start a blog!
Use your blog as a portfolio of your achievements and as a medium to showcase your personality and work ethic.
Use your blog to highlight what you can do to help other people achieve their goals.
I was found by this startup company because apparently, some of my articles in their niche were ranking in Google. If I didn’t have a blog then there’s no way we could have crossed paths.
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Write SEO-Optimized and Helpful Content
The only way to rank in Google is by writing SEO-Optimized and very helpful content. Starting a blog is not enough because no one will find you if your blog posts do not appear on search pages, especially on Google.
I have not done any backlinking effort yet but, a lot of my blog posts are already ranking. It’s a testament that it’s possible to rank even without/minimal backlinking effort.
Based on my observation, you have high chances of ranking on search even if your blog is relatively new if:
- Blog/website is SEO-Optimized
- Articles are SEO-Optimized and Reader Optimized
- Keywords have low-medium competition
- You write long-form articles (700 – 2000+ words)
- Your article answers a question/provides a solution to a problem
Of course, these are not the only factors to rank, but using my blog as my own case study, these were the variables that made a huge difference in my blog traffic.
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Be Careful with Your Social Media Posts
Social media posts are public (unless you set it on private viewing only) so you better be careful with your social media posts.
Be a real person on social media that provides value to the people that you interact with.
Write Consistently
I got this idea from my online selling business. With my online selling business, even if I already have a thousand pieces of clothing and stuff on my online shops, I still constantly replenish my stocks on a weekly basis (prior to the pandemic).
I have noticed that my repeat customers are always looking for something new.
It goes the same for your followers. What will they read if they already have read all your existing articles, right?
And also, aside from giving your readers something to look forward to, it also increases your chances of ranking.
Why?
Blogging, just like any other business is a numbers game.
The more SEO-Optimized and high-quality articles you produced, the higher the chances of outranking your competitors.
Aside from that, you also become better and better with your craft.
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Let Your Results Speak for Itself
Back in the days when I was still working, I always made sure that I understood very well what the target was. And then, I always made sure as well that I exceeded the target even just a little bit.
Make your bosses and colleagues know that you are a consistent and dependable team player. If they know this, when they move on to their next opportunities, they might think of bringing you with them.
Be Someone You’d Like to Work With
Aside from the result, people also remember if you’re someone they’d like to work with again!
I’ve met so many talented people who were such a pain to deal with, and even if they could deliver results, it’s just like a nightmare to work with them.
Sometimes, we forget, that we’re not the only ones that can do a particular thing. We get overly-confident when we achieve great things at work thinking that we’re indispensable and that we could get away with almost anything.
Bear in mind that its part of every company’s BCP (Business Continuity Plan) that no task/s should be done by only one person. Why?
What will happen to the entire business if this person resigns or if this person gets sick or if he/she dies?
Sustainability is the key regardless if you’re a small or huge business. And part of ensuring sustainability and continuity is distributing tasks even the key tasks (most important tasks) to multiple people.
Sorry for what sounded like a rant hahaha! This isn’t a rant, I was just trying to get my point across that regardless of how talented you are, people might not like to work with you again if you’re a pain in the a$$.
Keep Your Data on Online Job Boards Updated
Even if you’re currently employed/self-employed, it’s still worth it to keep your data updated.
I have friends who are receiving inquiries from headhunters about jobs that they might be interested in and almost all of these headhunters/recruiters found their profile on employment/job boards online.
Network, Network, and Network
Again, regardless of your job, it’s always worth it to keep on networking unless of course, you’re retired. Who knows, this might open doors of opportunities for you.
Upskill and Continue Learning New Things
To keep yourself relevant in the job market, upskill and continue to learn new things especially if you’re in the Tech and Business sector. The world is fast-changing and jobs are being redefined by the new technologies.
Keep yourself updated with these new technologies and with all the other developments in your field of work to ensure that you stay employable until such time that you’re capable of either standing on your own feet as an entrepreneur or as an early retiree/retiree.
Give Yourself a Job
This may sound silly but it’s true. You can hire yourself even without applying. Be an entrepreneur and be the one hiring people and help your community prosper by providing jobs to your community members.
This is my ultimate goal that’s why I left my employment to focus on learning and doing business.
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Final Thoughts
Getting a job without applying is possible for anyone, especially if you stay committed to consistently delivering results.
If you have additional tips and suggestions or recommendations, don’t hesitate to comment down below. Thanks!
I haven’t sought work after retiring but it keeps finding me. Some had come from my former employer but one consulting client found me via a friend of a friend and they kept me busy as an expert witness for over a year off and on. I had a large network when I retired and that seemed to be the thing.
Thank you Steve for sharing.
Really enjoyed the read. It’s a flattering experience to be offered work, unsolicited. Sounds like you’ve got a nice gig going at this point with freelancing some articles.
I’ve had a few offers along the way from prior employers to “come back”, which is a great testament to value having been well-provided in the past. I’ve never taken anyone up on it, but it’s a positive, all the same.
Take care,
Ryan
Thanks Ryan! It’s indeed flattering and it adds a bit of pressure to make sure that I provide something of value to them.
I once got a writing gig through … believe it not … a guest post that someone had done on my site, that referenced and linked back to this person’s site. They followed the track back, found me, hired me!
Wow! Blogging does really open up a lot of opportunities.