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Strategic ways to approach searching for a job

Roy Cohen, Career Coach, joins Yahoo Finance’s Alexis Christoforous to discuss tips on how to stand out when looking for a job.

Video Transcript

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: We want to recap our top story for you now. And that is the February Jobs Report. The economy added 379,000 jobs last month, much more than expected, and the second straight month of gains. The unemployment rate ticked down to 6.2%. Nearly all of those job gains came in the leisure and hospitality industry, which includes restaurants and bars.

Joining me now is Roy Cohen. He is career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide." Roy, good to see you. Before we get to some of your tips about job hunting during the pandemic, what's your reaction to that jobs report this morning?

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ROY COHEN: It's a reason for us to have some optimism about the job market. It's a turning point. And it feels like we've begun to reemerge from what has been a very dark period. So I'm excited.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: All right, I want to talk about things people could do, practical things people can do if they are looking for a job during this time, or looking to transition from one job to another. Give us some tips. I know that you're saying networking is perhaps more important now than ever before.

ROY COHEN: Absolutely. What I'd actually like to begin with are the areas where I see most job growth. You know, unemployment is still 6.2%. So there are a lot of folks who are still out of work. And there are three broad areas where there's robust activity. Data and digital, that's, artificial intelligence, analytics, biotech, tech in general. And it's transforming our world.

And I really do believe that that's where folks should be focusing their attention in terms of job search. Distress across a number of industries, hospitality, restaurants, retail, real estate, and infrastructure. So we're seeing some frothy activity there as well. And then, last but not least, distribution. You know, COVID was like an adrenaline shot to online retail. So in terms of getting out into the marketplace, I see people really kind of looking at those areas and seeing some positive activity.

So networking is essential. It's more important now than ever before. Social distancing is not social isolation. More than ever, people now need to connect. And make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date, that it demonstrates why you're a terrific, a fabulous candidate. We've got to do that. Because that's what's going to make people want to spend time with us, the more that we're able to get them excited about who we are and to look like we can offer them something in return.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: And, of course, during this time, lots of interviews and jobs are being offered virtually. So what are some things we should be thinking about if we're doing interviews and meeting teammates online?

ROY COHEN: Well, you know, technology is driving job search. It's not necessarily outside recruiters. We have to make sure that we exhaust every job posting board, that we don't just go through the motions. And we need to make sure that we are comfortable with technology, that we can demonstrate that we're comfortable both interviewing online and working with people via technology. Because this situation is going to continue for the indefinite future, where we are working remotely. So the more practice we can get interfacing in this way, the more comfortable we're going to be in terms of both working with people and demonstrating our ability to work with people.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: And you say, go above and beyond to make a difference. And I know that matters whether we're in a pandemic or not.

ROY COHEN: Absolutely. You know, after the interview nowadays, don't just send a thank you note. Everyone does that, does that nowadays. That's sort of standard operating procedure. The goal is to stand out, to stand apart from all of the other folks who are competing with you for the job. Show that you listened in the interview, that you'll add value from day one. Offer insights and suggestions.

Every hiring manager nowadays is looking for solutions. They're overworked. They've got too much that they've got to deliver on. If you can help them to ease some of that burden, it's going to go a long way in terms of getting them excited about you and seeing you as a member of their team.

ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Still trying to stand out from the crowd. That's what it comes down to. Roy Cohen, career coach, thanks so much for passing along those helpful tips.