Job Searching, iOS and I... My Experience with Searching for a Job on iOS

Introduction

This post will offer you an account of my experience with conducting the job search on iOS. I will begin with a little information concerning the pre-requisites to beginning the job search, and the changing trends regarding how businesses advertise vacant positions.

The current post will then consider the 3 primary iOS applications which I used during my job search, and I will also inform you as to the services offered by recruitment agencies and the possibility of other iOS applications specific to your location.

After covering the above material, I will summarise the key points put forward and offer some suggestions as to what you should do next to start your very own job search.

Overview

After you attain a given level of education, I believe securing employment in your chosen field is a natural progression, and this is the approach I took after completing my MSc.

Before beginning your job search, the number 1 task for you should be to put together the best Curriculum Vitae and Covering Letter possible. This sounds easier than it actually is, but thankfully there are numerous resources available on the internet to help you. 1 example of the said available resources is this Career Advice site provided by Monster which offers templates for your CV and Covering Letter. Once you have your CV and Covering Letter perfected, you are all set to start searching for that ideal job.

Traditionally, the job search consisted of rifling through the local and/or national newspapers, and hearing about employment opportunities through word of mouth. Although the latter method of finding employment persists today, newspapers are no longer the primary method used by employers to advertise vacant positions.

Today, a lot of businesses post job advertisements via Social Media, Mailing Lists, Company Websites, Other Career Websites and through Recruitment Agencies. It is important to note that certain positions will only be advertised on specialised sites. For example, in Ireland vacant positions in the Public Sector are only advertised on the website of the Public Recruitment Service.

If you would like to read a little more regarding the merits of traditional and modern recruitment methods, you can read this short blog post.

While the afore mentioned changes in advertising trends have not taken place solely for the benefit of the Visually Impaired and Blind community, it is nevertheless a very welcome alteration which makes the job search more accessible to those who have difficulty accessing printed materials.

The iOS Application Job Search Trinity

There are a myriad of iOS applications available which enable you to search for employment opportunities, and like all other applications on the App Store, VoiceOver accessibility varies and depends on the application’s developer. Thankfully, the applications I have used, and would consider to be the most prominent and efficient, are either fully accessible or accessible enough to be deemed usable.

It is important to remember that the applications discussed below are a very small sample of those which are available, and you may be able to find another application which is more suited to your area of study and/or expertise.

1. Indeed Job Search

Indeed was one of the first iOS applications I used during my job search, and this was primarily because it is advertised all the time at the top of Google Search Results regarding Job Searches. Indeed has a vast number of job advertisements, and it makes applying for jobs very easy through an online in-app application process involving submitting your Indeed profile.

The said profile can be created when you are signing up to Indeed, and you can either complete the process manually online or upload an up-to-date version of your CV. When the sign up is complete, Indeed will generate a virtual CV you can use to apply for jobs which include an “Apply with Indeed” link.

A common feature in applications specialising in job searches is the ability to change the country that you are currently searching within. Indeed is no exception, and this can be very useful if you are considering moving to another country and/or if you would like to assess the employment opportunities of another country in your chosen field.

You can download Indeed from the App Store here.

2. LinkedIn Job Search

You may already be aware of LinkedIn as a professional Social Network, but did you know that they have an iOS application designed specifically for searching and applying for jobs? The application in question is called LinkedIn Job Search, and you will be happy to hear it is fully accessible with VoiceOver at the time of writing.

The functionality of LinkedIn Jobs is similar to Indeed, but you have the added benefit of being able to use your existing LinkedIn profile to apply for jobs and track the progress of the said application. For example, you can access status updates such as Mr. Smith has viewed your application for Administrator in ABC Ltd.

I think it is a good idea for anyone beginning a job search to have a LinkedIn profile. This is because said profiles are commonly viewed by employers, or their staff, during recruitment and selection campaigns. Have a read of this Washington Post Article to understand how LinkedIn is being used in the real-world.

I have noticed that the jobs advertised on LinkedIn Jobs are not always present on other applications, but then other applications have job advertisements which LinkedIN Jobs does not. Therefore, it is very important that you use multiple iOS applications when conducting your job search.

This link will allow you to download LinkedIn Jobs from the App Store.

3. Monster.com Job Search

Monster is an extremely popular website and iOS application in the job search sphere. In my opinion, the Monster application is accessible enough to be usable, but has unlabelled buttons that you need to activate before you understand what they do. This is a little frustrating, but once you use the application for a while it is a surmountable issue.

Features such as changing the search location and applying with a virtual CV/Profile are also present in the Monster application. Similar to Indeed and LinkedIn Jobs you do have to be signed up to Monster in order to undertake the “Apply with Your Profile” feature, but you can sign up in the application.

This is just an observation from my experience, but a lot of the positions advertised on Monster appear to be posted by Recruitment Agencies. This is not a bad thing at all, but sometimes it is better to have direct contact with the perspective employer if you can at all. This is so that you have an opportunity to speak with the employer and create a rapport that cannot be created virtually. Communicating directly also gives you a chance to highlight how you could be of benefit to the organisation in question.

You can download Monster from the App Store at this link.

Recruitment Agency

On a basic level, businesses request that a recruitment agency advertise any vacant positions they may have at a given time, and in exchange for a fee the agency advertises the said positions and may help with other aspects of the recruitment and selection process.

Recruitment agencies are generally larger organisations, and due to their size, some agencies offer iOS applications which advertise the vacancies they have been informed of via businesses.

The availability of such applications is very much dependant on each recruitment agency and your location. However, if an iOS application is not available, the agency in question is very likely to have a website where their current job advertisements are posted and kept up-to-date.

During my job search I engaged with at least 3 recruitment agencies, and I would have to say they were more than approachable when I informed them about my status as Registered as Blind. In particular, a local recruitment agency asked me was there anything they could do to make the assessment process more accessible, and they implemented all the feedback I supplied.

Geographically Specific

As you may or may not know, the content available on the App Store varies from country to country, and the job search applications I have access to in Ireland will differ to those in other countries. For example, when I search the Ireland App Store for “Job Search”, I get 553 results. This number may rise or fall in your country’s App Store, but you will have access to the applications considered above as they have an almost global presence.

Applications which are geographically specific should not be ignored as they could be as effective as Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, and/or Monster.

As mentioned earlier, it is really important that you conduct your job search on multiple iOS applications and other services. By taking a multi-channel approach to the job search you can increase your chance of finding the best employment opportunity for you.

The Bottom Line

The process involved in beginning your job search is very doable, but as with any other activity, you need to prepare before you begin and commit to what you have undertaken. You can take care of the preparation required by creating your CV and Cover Letter, and maintaining commitment is a necessary aspect that you will have to take personal responsibility for.

To assist you with beginning your very own job search, I have put together a checklist which includes the key tasks you need to complete before you can apply for a position which is of interest to you. The checklist is below the next piece of text.

I hope the above information is of benefit to you, or someone you know. It would be great if you would consider sharing your experience with using iOS to search for a job in your chosen field. Also, if you have any question about the information discussed, or something not covered regard job searching, please feel free to comment and I will be sure to reply.

Checklist for Your Job Search

1. Create and Perfect your Curriculum Vitae and Covering Letter.
2. Create and Update a Professional LinkedIn Profile which may be Viewed by Employers.
3. Download and Sign-UP to multiple iOS Applications relevant to the Job Search.
4. Do not restrict yourself to using the iOS Applications mentioned above.
5. Contact any and all Recruitment Agencies which host employment opportunities relevant to you.
6. Make sure you don’t ignore iOS Applications which may advertise vacancies in your local area.
7. Ensure that you Check the iOS Applications you are using on a very regular basis for that ideal job.
8. Commit to your Job Search until you find the Position which is best suited for you.