How to get a job by using your smartphone

If you’re like most people, your phone has almost become an extra limb. It’s always with you, and without it, you’d feel incomplete. It’s your communicator, your scheduler, your alarm clock, your meal planner, your TV remote control, and everything in between. For a growing number of people, it’s also becoming an increasingly big part of their job searches: Over the last 10 months, mobile job searching has grown 108 percent*.

Yet there are still job seekers who are skeptical about what really can be accomplished on a smartphone. Never fear, cynical cellphone users — below you’ll find three effective ways to use your phone to help you get a job.

For research
During a job search, a large amount of time is spent on research — researching fields of interest, researching job opportunities, researching a company before an interview. Busy schedules make it tough to devote time to sitting in front of a computer for said research. So when you’re on the go, you should take advantage of your phone’s search functions. Most browsers on your phone should let you bookmark pages just as you would on a computer, so you can save relevant websites or interesting job postings to specifically marked folders, and then go back and review at a later date.  

Additionally, a lot of job sites offer mobile applications, which makes it that much easier to browse jobs on your phone. For example, the Jobs by CareerBuilder app allows you to search its jobs database by keyword, location, company and employment type, among others. You can use your phone’s GPS to identify jobs near you, apply for jobs and receive personalized job recommendations.

To apply for jobs
Sure, doing some research on your phone seems simple enough, but when it comes to applying for jobs, you’re probably thinking it’s not worth the trouble. You may have tried to apply for a job via your phone but gave up once you realized the application was nine pages long. You’re not alone — according to CareerBuilder research, 40 percent of mobile job seekers abandon an application when the mobile-apply process is too lengthy or there isn’t one at all.

Knowing the frustrations mobile job seekers often face, CareerBuilder recently enhanced its mobile-apply process, so the vast majority of its jobs are now mobile optimized.

The new mobile-friendly features include:

• Ability to apply via your phone using either the CareerBuilder app or the Web.
• Instant sign in, so you don’t have to re-enter your information each time you search.
• Option to only see jobs that you can apply to using your phone.
• “Mobile” designation next to postings, making it easier to identify mobile-apply enabled jobs.
• Ability to use a résumé already saved in the CareerBuilder database.
• “Apply without a résumé” option for those who aren’t a CareerBuilder user or don’t have an applicable résumé, leading you instead to a brief form with questions about your background and experience.

To network
Attending networking events can be very beneficial to your job search — that is, if you actually make connections and follow up with them afterwards. But with a bunch of business cards stuffed into your pocket or purse, you’re almost guaranteed to lose a few before you even get home. Avoid missing out on a potential job lead by using a phone app that lets you capture someone’s information easily. Apps such as Business Card Reader and CardMunch take a snapshot of a business card, transcribe the information and add it to your address book. The Bump app lets you bump phones with someone else and share contact information between phones. Now you really don’t have an excuse to not set up a coffee meeting with that recruiter you just met.

For the networking you do online, your phone allows you to make updates and connections in real time. Just met someone at a party who works at a company you’d like to join? Find out if she has a professional profile on a social network. Just got a promotion? Update your social profiles on the train ride home from work. Reading an article about a new technology being embraced by those in your field? Post commentary about it to that Facebook group you joined, to show that you’re well-versed on industry trends.

These are just a few examples of how your phone can be an asset in your job search. While it won’t be the only tool you use – computers are still necessary and in-person interactions are still crucial – it can make your search more efficient, thorough and convenient.

*Source: comScore MobileMetrix 2.0, January 2013