[FAQ]

Hi,

I’m starting to look for a new role and I’m trying to be as efficient as possible with my search. I know I can set up basic job alerts for titles, but I feel like I’m missing a trick.

Beyond just getting an email when a new ‘Marketing Manager’ role is posted, are there more strategic ways to use alerts? Can you create really specific, filtered alerts for certain companies or seniorities? My goal is to get a curated list of high-quality opportunities rather than just a flood of irrelevant jobs.

For those who’ve had success with their job search, how did you organise your alerts to make them a truly effective tool? Any ‘power user’ tips would be amazing.

[Jeff Bullas]

That’s the right mindset; job alerts should be a precision tool, not a firehose.

Short Answer: They make your search effective by automating it and giving you a speed advantage. Being one of the first to apply to a new, relevant role is a significant competitive edge.

A better way to see job alerts is as a personal research assistant, constantly scanning new text-based content for you.

The most common mistake is setting alerts that are too broad, which leads to a flood of irrelevant jobs that you end up ignoring. First, the main advantage is speed. Recruiters are often inundated with applicants, so being in the first batch of candidates for a quality role matters, and alerts deliver these opportunities to your inbox the moment they’re posted. Second, you must use specific filters to make them effective. Go beyond just a job title and create multiple, highly-targeted alerts. For example, create one for “Senior Product Manager” at five of your target companies, and another for “Product Lead” with the “remote” filter activated. Third, the alert is just the starting signal. When it delivers a new job description to you, your task is to tailor your application, which is your own collection of content. You should adjust the text of your resume and the examples in your portfolio to perfectly match the key requirements of the job description you’ve just received.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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