Four online tools to help you get ahead in your job search
Job hunting is hard work, isn’t it? Between writing cover letters, and customising your CV, to researching organisations and preparing for interviews, it’s time consuming, stressful, and requires a lot of effort.
The good news is, there are a wealth of free, online tools you can utilise to save time and optimise your chances of success.
Let’s get into it.
1. Grammarly
During the initial screening process, recruiters spend an average of just 6-8 seconds scanning CV’s.
This means you have precious seconds to make a solid first impression.
If your CV is poorly written, unfocused, or littered with spelling and grammar mistakes, it could cost you the job before you’ve made it past the first hurdle.
But don’t fret. If your English skills aren’t up to scratch, help is at hand.
Enter Grammarly.
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that flags potential issues with grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, tone, and writing style.
As you write, it underlines issues, suggests alternatives, and explains how the corrections will improve your writing.
The basic version is free to use. You can either download the app (doing this will ensure Grammarly checks everything you write automatically), or cut and paste your text into the programme online.
2. Word cloud generator
With the rise of applicant tracking systems, it's more important than ever to include the right keywords in your CV.
For the unfamiliar, keywords are ideas/topics that define what a piece of copy is about. They're the words and phrases people type into search engines to discover content.
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) qualify candidates by scanning CVs online for keywords provided by the hirer. If you use the right words to describe your skills and experience in your CV, the ATS will spot it and forward your details on to the hiring manager.
How do you know which keywords to incorporate?
This is where a word cloud generator can come in handy.
To figure out your keywords, take three job listings for positions you want to apply for and paste them into the generator. The resulting image will show you which words occur most frequently in those listings.
These are the terms you should highlight in your CV to get past the hiring bots.
Tip: The bigger the word, the more important it is.
3. Yoodli Speech Coach
Do you fall apart in interviews? Do presentations make your knees quake? Get some coaching from Yoodli!
This clever AI-enabled communication coach can help you hone your speaking skills without the pressure of an interview panel.
How does it work?
You can either upload a pre-recorded clip of your presentation/interview answers to the app or record them in real-time. You then click a button, and the software analyses your delivery.
It will point out filler words (such as “um” or “ah”), repetitive phrases, hedging words (like, “you know”), non-inclusive words (such as saying “guys” instead of “folks”) and whether you’re talking too fast or too hesitantly.
At the end, the app will give you a confidence score, along with tips for improvement.
There are also a series of fun games to help you improve your impromptu speaking and manage your public speaking anxiety. For example, one of the games will challenge you to see how long you can talk without, um, saying a filler word. While another will feed you seemingly random words to work into a real-time conversation.
Tip: This video gives you the lowdown on how to use it.
4. LinkedIn interview prep tool
You probably use LinkedIn to search and apply for jobs. The likelihood is you use it to research organisations you’re interviewing with. But did you it can help you ace your interview?
LinkedIn’s interview preparation tool gives you access to a long list of commonly asked interview questions, such as ‘what is your greatest strength’ along with sample answers from professionals, and video tips from hiring managers on how to best answer them.
While the questions aren’t specific to the fundraising sector, the tool will give you a good idea of the sort of information to include in your own answers.
You can also practice your responses to interview questions by recording them on video. Your answers will only be visible to you and can be reviewed at any time.
Tip: You can view some of the content as a basic member, but to make the most of the feature, you need to be a premium member. Check out how you can try Premium for free.
Final Word
Ready to find your next fundraising role? Why not take advantage of these tools to get ahead?
If you’d prefer some good old fashioned face-to-face interview coaching, we can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.