By Julianne Hill, Marketing Manager, Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc.
Searching for a job is like going on a treasure hunt. You set out on a quest, hoping to discover something you want — the perfect job! But just like a treasure hunt, you need the right tools to guide you. That’s where Indeed comes in.
In this second of a series of four blogs, we will delve deeper into key features on Indeed like the job search engine and how it operates, company reviews and how they can be helpful, salary data and its importance, and last, but not least, the résumé builder.
Indeed’s Job Search Engine
Think of Indeed’s job search engine as your treasure map. It lays out the landscape, showing you where the job ‘treasures’ are hidden. You can narrow your search by using filters provided by Indeed’s search engine, just like choosing the X on a treasure map where you think the golden prize is buried.
Here are some of the most common search filters used:
- Keyword: This filter allows you to search for specific terms relevant to the type of job you’re looking for. For example, you could enter job titles, skills or company names.
- Location: You can narrow your search to jobs in specific cities, states or countries. You can also select “remote” if you’re interested in remote work.
- Job Type: This filter allows you to select the type of employment you seek, such as full-time, part-time, contract, temporary or internship.
- Experience Level: You can filter jobs based on the level of experience required, such as entry-level, mid-level or senior-level roles.
- Company: This filter allows you to search for jobs from specific companies.
- Distance: This filter allows you to set a radius (in miles or kilometers) within your chosen location to limit how far you’d have to travel for the job.
- Date Posted: You can choose to view jobs that were posted within a specific time frame, such as within the last day, three days, seven days or 14 days.
In the treasure hunt of job searching, features like seeing recent searches, saving searches and signing up for job alerts are valuable tools that enhance navigation and speed up the journey.
Indeed’s Company Reviews
Indeed’s company reviews feature can act as your trusty compass on the job/treasure hunt. These reviews include insights shared by people who are or were employed at the companies.
The reviews can provide a wealth of information, including details about the company culture, management style, work-life balance, benefits and potential challenges.
You can use the Indeed’s company review feature in the following ways:
- Get the Real Picture: Reviews can give you an inside look at a company, helping you understand what it’s truly like to work there. This insight can help you decide if a company aligns with your values and work style.
- Avoid Bad Experiences: A company with many negative reviews is like a warning sign on your treasure map. It suggests that you steer clear of that path.
- Ask the Right Questions: Reviews can also help you prepare for interviews by highlighting issues you might want to ask about. For example, if several reviews mention a lack of growth opportunities, ask your interviewer how the company supports employee development.
- Negotiate Better: Positive reviews about a company’s benefits or work culture can be benchmarks during your negotiation process. Suppose the company is known for providing good health benefits or flexible work hours, which are essential to you. In that case, you can leverage this information in your discussions.
It is good to remember that while reviews can be beneficial, they are also subjective. Just like different treasure hunters might have different experiences on the same path, employees’ experiences at a company can vary widely. I recommend reading various reviews to get a balanced perspective on any company you are considering.
Indeed’s Salary Guide
The salary data feature is like a spyglass. This spyglass gives you a closer look at the potential ‘treasure’ you could earn. It helps you glimpse the salary range you can expect, thus helping you decide if the ‘treasure’ is worth the journey.
Here are some other ways that Indeed’s salary data can be helpful:
- Set Expectations: Salary data can give you a range of what you can earn in a particular job or industry.
- Compare Opportunities: The feature allows you to compare salaries for similar positions across different companies or locations. This can be helpful if you are comparing multiple opportunities or locations.
- Negotiate Better: Knowing the average salary for a role can give you an edge in salary negotiations. You will have critical data to be prepared.
- Prioritize Applications: You might focus on roles that offer a salary range matching your needs. When looking at salary data, an important consideration is whether certain positions will meet your budget needs.
- Career Planning: If you’re planning your career path or are considering a career change, salary data can provide insights into the earning potential of different roles and industries.
Like any journey, the more knowledge you gather, the brighter your chances of success.
Indeed’s Résumé Builder
Indeed’s résumé builder is another tool for your job treasure hunt. It aids you in constructing a résumé that showcases your skills, qualifications and experience to employers.
Take a look below at how the résumé builder can be helpful:
- Easy to Use: Indeed’s résumé builder is user-friendly. You don’t need expert skills to create a good-looking résumé. It guides you step-by-step in making a résumé.
- Customizable Templates: The résumé builder offers various templates. This means you can choose a design that best fits your industry or the type of job you’re seeking.
- Highlighting Your Skills: The résumé builder helps you showcase your skills and achievements effectively. This can make your ‘treasure’ — your skills and experiences — shine brighter to potential employers.
- Saving and Updating: Indeed saves your résumé so you can quickly come back to update it as you gain skills and experience. This ensures your résumé stays relevant and current.
- Easy Application: With your résumé saved on Indeed, you can quickly apply to jobs on the platform, making your job hunt more efficient.
While the résumé builder is helpful, please remember that one résumé does not fit all jobs. You may need to tailor your résumé to feature skills and experience specific to each job you apply for.
Just as every successful treasure hunt requires the right tools, your job hunt requires well-crafted resources. So, gear up with Indeed’s tools and resources and set sail on your job-hunting adventure.
Happy hunting!!
