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How to Start a Job Board Business

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Are you thinking about starting a job board business? In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know to get your job board up and running.

Online job boards are platforms that allow job seekers to search for open positions and employers to advertise their vacancies. For a more in-depth definition and examples check out our post on what is a job board .

We'll start by discussing the importance of identifying your target audience and niche. Next, we'll explain how to choose a niche for your job board, and we'll discuss the different options to create a niche job board .

Finally, we'll cover some key strategies for launching and promoting your job board, as well as some tips for managing risks and challenges.

By the end of this article, you'll have a solid foundation for launching and growing your job board business.

Identify Your Target Audience and Niche

Identifying your target audience and niche is an essential part of launching a successful job board business.

The Benefits of Choosing a Niche for Your Business

Choosing a niche can be an effective way to reach more people and grow your business. By specializing in a specific area, you can create tailored marketing campaigns that are more relevant to your target audience, which can help to increase brand awareness and attract more qualified leads. Additionally, by focusing on a specific niche, you can become a thought leader in your industry, which can help to boost your credibility and reputation. This can make it easier for you to connect with potential customers, as well as establish partnerships and collaborations with other businesses in your niche. Overall, choosing a niche can help you to reach more people and grow your business by focusing your efforts and resources on a specific group of customers.

By carefully selecting the types of job seekers and employers you want to help, as well as choosing a specific niche or industry for your platform, you can focus your efforts and resources on a specific group of customers, which can help to increase your chances of success.

How to Choose a Niche for Your Job Board

When it comes to choosing a niche for a job board business, there are a few key factors to consider. First and foremost, it’s important to identify the types of job seekers and employers you want to help.

This can include looking at the job market in your local area and identifying areas of high demand, as well as considering your own interests and expertise. For example, if you have a background in healthcare, you may want to focus on helping job seekers and employers in the healthcare industry.

Once you have identified the types of job seekers and employers you want to help, it’s important to conduct market research to assess the potential demand for your job board. This can include surveying potential customers to see if there is interest in your platform, as well as looking at competitors to see how they are positioning themselves in the market. By conducting thorough market research, you can gain valuable insights that can help you to refine your business plan and choose a niche that is well-suited to your target audience.

In addition to considering demand and competition, it’s also important to choose a niche that aligns with your personal interests and expertise. This can help to make your job board more enjoyable to run, as well as give you an edge over competitors who may not have the same level of knowledge and experience in your chosen niche.

Overall, choosing a niche for your job board business requires a combination of market research, strategic planning, and personal alignment. By carefully considering these factors, you can select a niche that is well-suited to your target audience and has the potential to grow and succeed.

By carefully selecting the types of job seekers and employers you want to help, and choosing a specific niche or industry for your platform, you can focus your efforts and resources on a specific group of customers, which can help to increase your chances of success.

Build a Job Board Website

Creating a website for your job board business is an essential step in launching and growing your platform. There are several options for creating a website, including choosing a job board software , using a website builder with a job board plugin, using a job board theme, or hiring a development team. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to carefully consider your specific needs and goals before making a decision.

When To Use Job Board Software

If you choose to use job board software, you can take advantage of pre-built features and functionality that are specifically designed for job boards. This can save you time and money, as you won’t have to build everything from scratch.

When To Use a Generic Website Builder

Using a website builder can be a more affordable option, and it allows you to easily create a basic job board website if you have enough technical expertise. Many website builders also offer pre-built templates and features that are specifically designed for job boards, which can save you time and effort. However, website builders can be limited in terms of customization, are troublesome to maintain, and don’t offer as many advanced features as job board software.

When To Hire a Software Development Team

Hiring a development team can be the most expensive option , but it also gives you the most control over the design and functionality of your website. A development team can create a custom website that is tailored to your specific needs and goals, and they can also help you to add advanced features and functionality. However, hiring a development team can be time-consuming and may require a significant investment.

What Makes a Good Job Board Website?

Regardless of the option you choose, it’s important to design a user-friendly and professional-looking website. This can include using clean, modern design elements, as well as making sure that your website is easy to navigate and use.

Additionally, you’ll want to add necessary features that are essential for job boards, such as:

• SEO and Google for Jobs integration : One important feature of a job board is robust search engine optimization (SEO) and integration with Google for Jobs. This means that your job board is designed to be easily discoverable by search engines, which can help to increase its visibility and reach. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and phrases, you can improve its ranking in search results, which can help more job seekers and employers to find your platform. Additionally, by integrating with Google for Jobs, you can make your job postings more discoverable on the world's largest search engine. This can help to drive more traffic to your website and increase engagement and retention on your platform. Overall, robust SEO and integration with Google for Jobs is an important feature for any job board, as it can help to improve its visibility and reach, and ultimately drive more success for your business.
• Modern, easy to use, and remote-friendly job search experience : A modern, easy to use, and remote-friendly job search experience is a key feature of any job board. This means that job seekers can easily and quickly find relevant job postings that fit their preferences and qualifications, regardless of whether they are looking for in-person or remote positions. By providing a user-friendly and intuitive search experience, you can help job seekers to find the right opportunities more quickly, which can increase engagement and retention on your platform. Additionally, by making it easy for job seekers to find remote positions, you can help to meet the growing demand for flexible and remote work opportunities.
• Talent network : A talent network is a feature that helps employers discover and connect with job seekers. This can include tools and resources that allow employers to search for job seekers with specific skills and experience, as well as tools that help job seekers to showcase their skills and qualifications. By providing a talent network, you can help employers to easily find and connect with potential candidates, and you can provide job seekers with a platform to showcase their abilities and stand out to potential employers. This can help to improve engagement and retention on your job board.
• Employer and job seeker communication : A way for employers and job seekers to communicate within the job board is an important feature that can help to improve engagement and retention on your platform. This can include tools and resources that allow employers and job seekers to easily connect and communicate in real-time, such as messaging and chat functions. By providing a way for employers and job seekers to communicate within your job board, you can make it easier for them to schedule interviews and discuss job opportunities, which can save them time and effort and ultimately improve the overall user experience. Additionally, by facilitating communication between employers and job seekers, you can increase engagement and retention on your job board.
• Customizable applicant tracking system for employers : A customizable applicant tracking system allows employers to easily track and manage the job application process, from posting a job to reviewing and interviewing candidates. By providing a customizable applicant tracking system, you can give employers the ability to tailor the system to their specific needs and preferences making them more efficient and effective. This can help to improve the overall user experience for employers, and make your job board more appealing and useful for them, which can save them time and effort.
• Flexible job taxonomy and filters : This can include options for categorizing jobs by category, location, type, salary, and any other relevant factors you can imagine. By taking advantage of flexible job taxonomy, you can make it easier for job seekers to find jobs that are relevant to their interests and qualifications, and you can make it easier for employers to find candidates who are a good fit for their job postings.
• Customizable fields for company and job seeker profiles : Decide what info employers and job seekers can fill out on their profiles, what's required, what's visible publicly, and what's searchable. This can include things like job seeker skills and experience, company size and industry, and more. By giving employers and job seekers the ability to tailor their profiles, you can make the job search experience on your platform more personal and relevant. It can also make it easier for employers and job seekers to connect and communicate.
• Ability to scrape and aggregate relevant jobs : Automatically collect and populate your job board with job postings from external sources, such as other job boards, company websites, and job search engines. This can save you time and effort, as you won’t have to manually enter job postings onto your job board. Additionally, by scraping and importing relevant jobs from other sources, you can make your job board more comprehensive and up-to-date, which can improve the user experience and make it more appealing to both job seekers and employers. Overall, the ability to scrape and import jobs from other sources is a valuable feature for any job board, as it can help to save time, improve the user experience, and keep job seekers coming back.
• Sophisticated monetization capabilities : Maximize revenue by selling and upselling high-margin recurring revenue products to employers at the right time. This can include offering sponsored job listings, as well as premium features and services that employers can purchase to enhance their job postings and attract more qualified candidates. By taking advantage of sophisticated monetization capabilities, you can give employers the ability to easily and conveniently purchase products and services that are relevant to their needs and goals, which can help to drive more revenue for your business. Additionally, by offering high-margin recurring revenue products, you can create a steady stream of income for your business, which can help to improve its financial stability and growth potential. Be sure to choose a solution that can support your business model.

Creating a website for your job board business requires careful consideration and planning. By choosing the right platform or development team, and designing a user-friendly and professional-looking website, you can create a website that is effective and successful in helping job seekers and employers connect.

Looking for all of the above, plus platform extensibility, customizability, and stellar support at every step of your job board journey? Check out our job board software .

Create a Pricing Model

Creating a pricing model for a job board business can be a complex task, as you need to balance the need to generate revenue with the need to provide value and remain competitive in your industry. One key factor to consider when creating a pricing model is analyzing the competitive landscape in your industry to offer comparable prices. This means researching the prices and pricing models of other job boards in your market and using this information to inform your own pricing decisions.

Once you have a good understanding of the competitive landscape, you can start thinking about how to price and sell your core products and services. This can include pricing and selling individual job posts, as well as pricing and selling job post packages that allow employers to purchase multiple job posts at a discounted rate. You can also consider selling services, such as resume and cover letter building tools, that can help job seekers to improve their job application materials.

Another key aspect of your pricing model is upselling featured listings. This means offering employers the option to purchase additional features and services, such as highlighted job posts or priority placement in search results, that can help their job postings to stand out and attract more qualified candidates. By offering these options as add-ons, you can increase the value of your core products and services, and generate additional revenue for your business.

In addition to selling job posts and featured listings, you can also consider selling access to your talent network. This can include offering employers the ability to search for and connect with job seekers who have specific skills and experience, as well as offering job seekers the ability to showcase their abilities and qualifications to potential employers. By selling access to your talent network, you can provide value to both employers and job seekers, and generate additional revenue for your business.

One way to generate high-margin recurring revenue is by selling any of these products and services as subscriptions. This means offering employers the ability to purchase job posts, featured listings, and talent network access on a recurring basis, such as monthly or annually. By offering subscriptions, you can create a steady stream of revenue for your business, and improve its financial stability and growth potential.

Overall, creating a pricing model for a job board business requires careful consideration of the competitive landscape, the value of your products and services, and the needs and preferences of your target audience. By offering comparable prices, selling core products and services, upselling featured listings, selling access to your talent network, and selling subscriptions, you can create a pricing model that generates revenue and drives success for your business.

Create a Marketing Plan

Creating a marketing plan for a job board business is essential for promoting your platform and attracting job seekers and employers. A comprehensive marketing plan can help you to develop a clear and effective strategy for reaching your target audience, and it can provide a roadmap for implementing and managing your marketing efforts.

One key step in creating a marketing plan is identifying the most effective marketing channels and tactics for reaching your target audience. This can include researching your target audience and understanding their needs, preferences, and behavior, as well as assessing the effectiveness and feasibility of different marketing channels and tactics.

Some popular job board marketing channels, tactics, and strategies include:

Content Marketing

Content marketing is an effective way to promote a job board business, as it allows you to provide valuable and engaging information to job seekers and employers, and establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. To use content marketing to promote your job board, you can follow these steps:

Develop a content marketing strategy : To effectively use content marketing to promote your job board, you need to develop a content marketing strategy that outlines your goals, target audience, content themes, distribution channels, and measurement methods. By developing a content marketing strategy, you can create a roadmap for your content marketing efforts, and ensure that they are aligned with your business goals and your target audience.

Create and publish content : Once you have developed a content marketing strategy, you can start creating and publishing content that provides value and engages your target audience. This can include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, and other types of content that are relevant to your target audience and your industry. By creating and publishing valuable and engaging content, you can build trust and credibility with your audience, and encourage them to visit your job board and engage with your content.

Promote your content : To maximize the impact of your content marketing efforts, it’s important to promote your content and make it visible to your target audience. This can include sharing your content on social networks, email marketing, and other distribution channels, as well as using search engine optimization and paid advertising to increase its visibility and reach. By promoting your content, you can increase its visibility and engagement, and drive more traffic and engagement to your job board.

Monitor and analyze your content performance : To effectively use content marketing to promote your job board, it’s important to monitor and analyze your performance. This can include tracking metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, and conversion rates, as well as conducting surveys and focus groups to gather feedback from your audience. By monitoring and analyzing your content performance, you can identify what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments to your content marketing strategy to improve its effectiveness.

Overall, content marketing is a powerful tool for promoting a job board business, as it allows you to provide valuable and engaging information to job seekers and employers, and establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry. By developing a content marketing strategy, creating and publishing content, promoting your content, and monitoring and analyzing your performance, you can use content marketing to increase brand awareness, attract job seekers and employers, and drive traffic and engagement with your job board.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is an effective way to promote a job board business, as it can help to increase brand awareness, attract job seekers and employers, and drive engagement and traffic to your platform. To use social media marketing to promote your job board, you can follow these steps:

Choose the right social media platforms : There are many different social media platforms to choose from, and it’s important to select the ones that are most relevant to your target audience and your marketing goals. For example, if your job board focuses on a specific industry or location, you might want to focus on platforms that are popular among job seekers and employers in that industry or location.

Develop a social media content strategy : To effectively promote your job board on social media, you need to develop a content strategy that provides value and engages your target audience. This can include sharing job postings, industry news and trends, career advice, and other relevant and interesting content. By providing valuable and engaging content, you can build trust and credibility with your audience, and encourage them to visit your job board and engage with your content.

Use social media advertising : In addition to organic content, you can also use social media advertising to promote your job board and reach a wider audience. This can include running sponsored posts, sponsored stories, and other types of paid advertisements that are targeted to your target audience. By using social media advertising, you can increase the visibility and reach of your job board, and drive more traffic and engagement with your platform.

Monitor and analyze your social media performance: To effectively use social media marketing to promote your job board, it’s important to monitor and analyze your performance on social media. This can include tracking metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and clicks.

Community-led Marketing

Community-led marketing is an effective way to promote a job board business, as it allows you to leverage the power of your community to promote your platform and attract job seekers and employers. To use community-led marketing to promote your job board, you can follow these steps:

Identify and engage with your community : The first step in using community-led marketing to promote your job board is to identify and engage with your community. This can include identifying groups and individuals who are interested in your job board, and engaging with them through social media, forums, events, and other channels. By engaging with your community, you can build relationships, gather feedback and insights, and create a supportive and engaged group of individuals who can help to promote your job board.

Encourage community involvement : To effectively use community-led marketing to promote your job board, you need to encourage community involvement and participation. This can include providing incentives, rewards, and recognition to community members who contribute to your job board and promote it to others, as well as creating opportunities for community members to collaborate, share ideas, and support each other. By encouraging community involvement, you can create a dynamic and engaged community that can help to promote your job board and attract job seekers and employers.

Leverage community content and reviews : Another way to use community-led marketing to promote your job board is to leverage community content and reviews. This can include featuring community-generated content, such as blog posts, videos, and photos, on your website and social media channels, as well as sharing community reviews and testimonials to showcase the value and benefits of your job board. By leveraging community content and reviews, you can increase the credibility and trustworthiness of your job board, and encourage more job seekers and employers to engage with your platform.

Overall, community-led marketing is a powerful tool for promoting a job board business, as it allows you to leverage the power of your community to promote your platform and attract job seekers and employers.

By identifying and engaging with your community, encouraging community involvement, leveraging community content and reviews, and monitoring and engaging with your community, you can use community-led marketing to increase brand awareness, attract job seekers and employers, and drive traffic and engagement with your job board.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective way to promote a job board business, as it allows you to directly target and engage with job seekers and employers who have expressed an interest in your platform. To use email marketing to promote your job board, you can follow these steps:

Build an email list : The first step in using email marketing to promote your job board is to build an email list of job seekers and employers who have expressed an interest in your platform. This can include collecting email addresses through sign-up forms on your website, registration forms at job fairs or networking events, or other methods. By building an email list, you can create a group of individuals who are interested in your job board and are more likely to engage with your emails.

Develop email templates : Once you have built an email list, you can start developing email templates that you can use to promote your job board. This can include templates for newsletters, job alerts, special offers, and other types of emails that are relevant to your target audience. By developing email templates, you can create a consistent and professional look and feel for your emails, and save time and effort when sending them to your email list.

Create and send emails : Once you have developed email templates, you can start creating and sending emails to your email list. This can include sending newsletters that provide updates and news about your job board, job alerts that notify job seekers of new job postings that match their interests and qualifications, special offers that provide discounts or incentives to job seekers and employers, and other types of emails that provide value and engage your audience.

Monitor and analyze your email performance : To effectively use email marketing to promote your job board, it’s important to monitor and analyze your performance. This can include tracking metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, as well as conducting surveys to gather feedback from your audience. By monitoring and analyzing your email performance, you can identify what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments to your email marketing strategy to improve its effectiveness.

By building an email list, developing email templates, creating and sending emails, and monitoring and analyzing your performance, you can use email marketing to increase brand awareness, attract job seekers and employers, and drive traffic and engagement with your job board. By implementing an effective email marketing strategy, you can create another valuable and engaging marketing channe for your job board businessl.

Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is an effective way to promote a job board business, as it allows you to reach a wider audience and drive more traffic and engagement to your platform. To use paid advertising to promote your job board, you can follow these steps:

Choose the right advertising channels : There are many different advertising channels to choose from, and it’s important to select the ones that are most relevant to your target audience and your marketing goals. For example, if your job board focuses on a specific industry or location, you might want to focus on channels that are popular among job seekers and employers in that industry or location.

Develop an advertising strategy : To effectively use paid advertising to promote your job board, you need to develop an advertising strategy that outlines your goals, target audience, ad formats, budget, and measurement methods. By developing an advertising strategy, you can create a roadmap for your advertising efforts, and ensure that they are aligned with your business goals and your target audience.

Create and run ads : Once you have developed an advertising strategy, you can start creating and running ads that promote your job board and attract job seekers and employers. This can include running display ads, search ads, social media ads, and other types of ads that are targeted to your target audience. By creating and running ads, you can increase the visibility and reach of your job board, and drive more traffic and engagement with your platform.

Monitor and analyze your advertising performance : To effectively use paid advertising to promote your job board, it’s important to monitor and analyze your performance. This can include tracking metrics such as impressions, clicks, and conversions, as well as conducting surveys and focus groups to gather feedback from your audience. By monitoring and analyzing your advertising performance, you can identify what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments to your advertising strategy to improve its effectiveness.

By identifying your target audience, choosing the right advertising channels, developing an advertising strategy, creating and running ads, and monitoring and analyzing your performance, you can use paid advertising to increase brand awareness, attract job seekers and employers, and drive traffic and engagement with your job board.

Once you have identified the most effective marketing channels and tactics for your niche, you can start implementing and managing your marketing plan.

By developing a comprehensive marketing plan, identifying the most effective marketing channels and tactics, and implementing and managing your marketing plan, you can drive traffic and engagement with your job board.

Develop Relationships With Employers

Developing relationships and partnerships with employers is an important part of running a successful job board business, as it allows you to build trust and credibility with your clients, and provide value and support to help them achieve their hiring goals. To develop relationships and partnerships with employers, you can follow these steps:

Identify and engage with potential employers : The first step in developing relationships and partnerships with employers is to identify and engage with potential clients. This can include researching employers in your target industries and locations, and reaching out to them through social media, email, phone, and other channels. By engaging with potential employers, you can learn more about their hiring needs and goals, and assess whether your job board can provide value and support to help them achieve their objectives.

Offer value and support : To effectively develop relationships and partnerships with employers, you need to offer value and support to help them achieve their hiring goals. This can include providing job posting and applicant tracking services, offering advice and guidance on hiring and recruiting, and sharing insights and trends to help employers stay up-to-date on the latest developments in their industry. By offering value and support, you can build trust and credibility with employers, and establish yourself as a valuable partner who can help them succeed.

Develop personalized solutions : To build strong relationships and partnerships with employers, you need to develop personalized solutions that are tailored to their specific needs and goals. This can include creating custom job posting packages, offering specialized applicant tracking systems, and providing training and support to help employers use your job board effectively. By developing personalized solutions, you can demonstrate your understanding of employers’ unique needs, and create a tailored and effective offering that can help them achieve their objectives.

Establish a relationship-building process : To effectively develop relationships and partnerships with employers, it’s important to establish a relationship-building process that outlines the steps you will take to connect with potential clients, offer value and support, and develop personalized solutions. By establishing a relationship-building process, you can create a systematic and effective approach that can help you to build strong and sustainable relationships and partnerships with employers. This can include creating a schedule for reaching out to potential employers, setting up regular check-ins to assess their needs and goals, and providing ongoing support and guidance to help them achieve their objectives. By implementing a relationship-building process, you can ensure that you are building relationships and partnerships with employers in a consistent and effective way, and providing value and support to help them succeed.

Create a Customer Service Plan

Developing a customer service plan is an essential part of running a successful job board business. With the right plan in place, you can ensure that your customers – both job seekers and employers – have a positive experience with your platform, which can help to improve customer satisfaction and increase retention.

One key aspect of a customer service plan for a job board business is creating a system for responding to job seeker and employer inquiries. This can include setting up dedicated email addresses or phone lines for customers to contact, as well as establishing clear guidelines for how and when inquiries should be responded to. For example, you may decide to prioritize urgent inquiries from employers who are looking to fill a position quickly, or from job seekers who are seeking assistance with their job search.

Another important aspect of a customer service plan is developing a plan for resolving customer complaints or issues. This can include creating a process for handling complaints, such as documenting the issue and working with the customer to find a resolution. It may also involve training your customer service team on how to handle different types of complaints and issues, as well as how to escalate them to management if necessary.

Finally, implementing a feedback and review system can help to improve the customer experience on your job board. This can include soliciting feedback from customers through surveys or other means, as well as encouraging customers to leave reviews on your platform or on third-party review sites. By regularly reviewing and responding to customer feedback, you can identify areas for improvement and make changes to your platform to better meet the needs of your customers.

Overall, a well-developed customer service plan is crucial for a successful job board business. By creating a system for responding to inquiries, developing a plan for resolving customer complaints, and implementing a feedback and review system, you can improve the customer experience and increase satisfaction with your platform.

Analyze and Improve Your Performance

To effectively analyze and improve the performance of your job board business, you need to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that can help you to measure and assess the success of your platform. Some possible KPIs for a job board business can include:

Average number of applications per job posting : This metric measures the average number of applications received for each job posting on your job board, and can help you to assess the quality and relevance of job seekers to a job posting.

Average time to fill a job posting : This metric measures the average amount of time it takes for a job posting to be successfully filled, and can help you to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of your job board in connecting job seekers with employers.

Candidate retention rate : This metric measures the percentage of candidates who are successfully hired and remain with the company for a defined period of time, and can help you to assess the effectiveness of your job board in helping employers find and retain top talent.

Employer churn rate : This metric measures the percentage of employers who stop using your job board within a defined period of time, and can help you to assess the satisfaction and loyalty of your employer clients.

Job seeker churn rate : This metric measures the percentage of job seekers who stop using your job board within a defined period of time, and can help you to assess the satisfaction and loyalty of your job seeker audience.

Job posting engagement rate : This metric measures the level of engagement of job seekers with a job posting, and can include metrics such as clicks, views, and shares. This can help you to assess the popularity and relevance of a job posting, and identify areas for improvement.

Employer engagement rate : This metric measures the level of engagement of employers with your job board, and can include metrics such as job postings, applicant tracking, and other services and products. This can help you to assess the value and effectiveness of your job board, and identify areas for improvement.

Job seeker engagement rate : This metric measures the level of engagement of job seekers with your job board, and can include metrics such as job searches, applications, and other services and products. This can help you to assess the value and effectiveness of your job board, and identify areas for improvement.

Customer lifetime value : This metric measures the total value of a customer over the course of their relationship with your job board, and can help you to assess the long-term value and potential of your audience. By tracking and analyzing this KPI, you can gain insights into the long-term potential of your job board business, and identify areas for improvement and growth.

Once you have identified your KPIs , you can analyze your metrics to identify areas for improvement, and implement changes and improvements to increase the effectiveness of your job board. This can include improving the user experience of your website, adding new features and services, and implementing a customer feedback and review system to gather feedback from your audience. By analyzing and improving the performance of your job board, you can ensure that your platform is providing value and support to your target audience.

Manage Risks and Challenges

Running a job board business can be a rewarding and challenging experience, and managing the risks and challenges that come with it is an essential part of success. Some common risks and challenges of running a job board business can include:

• Competition : To manage competitive risk you can conduct market research to assess the competitive landscape, identify your unique value proposition, and implement strategies to differentiate your job board from others.
• Technology : Job boards rely on technology to function, and technical issues can disrupt your platform and impact your audience. To manage this risk, you can implement robust technology infrastructure, regularly test and update your systems, and have contingency plans in place for unexpected issues. Job board software providers like Job Board Fire help ease the burden of managing your own technology platform so you can focus on growing your job board business.
• Customer satisfaction : Job seekers and employers are the core of your job board business, and their satisfaction is essential to your success. To manage this risk, you can implement a customer feedback and review system, regularly assess customer satisfaction, and implement strategies to address any issues or concerns.

Overall, managing the risks and challenges of running a job board business requires a proactive and strategic approach, and it’s important to regularly assess and address potential risks and challenges to ensure the success and sustainability of your platform.

Stay up to Date with Industry Trends and Best Practices

Staying up to date with the latest trends and best practices in the job board business is key to staying ahead of the competition.

To do this, you can join industry organizations, attend conferences and events, follow industry publications and blogs, and connect with peers and experts. This will give you access to important news, insights, and analysis, and can help you to stay on top of the latest developments in the field.

It's important to regularly engage with industry resources and networks to gain valuable knowledge and stay up to date.

An easy way to stay up to date on job board related news and trends is to subscribe to the Job Board Academy by Job Board Fire.

Starting a job board business can be a rewarding and lucrative venture. By carefully identifying your target audience and choosing a niche, you can focus your efforts on a specific group of customers and increase your chances of success. Building a user-friendly and professional-looking website, adding necessary features, and creating a comprehensive marketing plan are all key steps in launching and promoting your job board. Additionally, developing relationships and partnerships with employers, analyzing and improving your performance, and staying up to date with industry trends and best practices can help you to manage risks and challenges, and ensure the long-term success of your job board business.

Ready to kick off your job board business? Get a demo of our job board platform .

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How to Start an Online Job Board Business

The search for a job has moved to the internet. A Pew Research Center poll from 2015 found that 79 percent of job seekers had searched online, and that percent has likely only increased since then. When people search for jobs online, they frequently look on job boards.

Online job boards list open positions that employers have. Unlike job search engines , job boards don’t usually compile listings by searching other websites. Instead, listings are entered directly by a manager or employer. This helps ensure that listings are accurate, relevant, and concise (i.e. no duplicates).

According to IBISWorld , the online recruitment sites in the United States bring in $4 billion annually and are growing at an average rate of 14.6 percent. For online job boards that find successful niches, there is plenty of potential available.

Learn how to start your own Online Job Board Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start an online job board business by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Online Job Board Business
• Form your Online Job Board Business into a Legal Entity
• Register your Online Job Board Business for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Online Job Board Business
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Online Job Board Business
• Get Online Job Board Business Insurance
• Define your Online Job Board Business Brand
• Create your Online Job Board Business Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your online job board business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Online Job Board Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your online job board business?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening an online job board business.

The startup expenses for an online job board business are minimal. They primarily consist of domain registration, web hosting, website design and software expenses. While businesses can build their own software, there’s little reason to because many good options are already available.

Most business owners end up selecting an existing software-as-a-solution (SaaS) option that bundles software expenses with the other website startup costs. These solutions have multiple benefits:

• Business owners don’t need coding knowledge to use the available templates
• Business owners save time because they don’t need to code and debug
• Initial expenses are kept minimal because SaaS providers charge monthly fees instead of large one-time payments

The Job Board Software Buyers Guide details the many different SaaS options that are available.

What are the ongoing expenses for an online job board business?

Since most business owners sign up for an SaaS solution, the main ongoing expense is normally the SaaS provider’s monthly subscription fee. SmartJobBoard’s rates of $79, $179 and $299 per month are similar to what other SaaS providers charge.

Who is the target market?

An online job board needs between 5,000 and 10,000 monthly visitors who are searching for jobs to begin charging employers for listings. With this amount of traffic, employers will begin asking about placing listings because their listings will provide applicants. With fewer job seekers visiting each month, listings may not get any applications.

How does an online job board business make money?

The majority of an online job board’s revenue comes from selling job listings. Employers pay to post their open positions, purchasing listings either individually or in bulk packages.

SmartJobBoard reports that many job boards supplement this primary revenue with several additional sources of revenue: traditional ads (10 to 20 percent of revenue), resume access for employers (5 to 8 percent once established) and commissions from job search sites (less than 5 percent).

Online job board businesses frequently charge between $50 and $500 for a 30-day listing. Where within this range a job board falls depends on the size of the job board, the industry it’s in, and other factors.

How much profit can an online job board business make?

Even a small online job board business can make a nice profit. ProBlogger charges $70 per listings and had 16 listings in March 2017. That equated to a revenue of $1,120 for the month.

For a job board that’s a side business, ProBlogger’s brings in a decent supplemental revenue. Larger boards that have a few dozen or hundred monthly listings can make much more.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Established online job board businesses can slowly grow their revenue by expanding into related fields. A job board that listed openings for coffee baristas might add a coffee roaster section, for instance.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your online job board business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate an online job board business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Services Contract

Online job board businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and so on.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Online Job Board Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Online Job Board Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market an online job board business

Business owners can employ several strategies to attract job-seeking visitors. Search engine optimization, pay-per-click ad campaigns, and social media feeds can all be useful.

How to keep customers coming back

Focusing on a specific niche will help keep job seekers visiting an online job board. The board will be distinct from small boards in other niches, and it’ll be able to provide a level of relevancy and precision that generic boards can’t attain.

Some of the most successful small job boards have chosen very specific, and even obscure, niches. For example, ProBlogger lists jobs specifically for online bloggers.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Anyone who is interested in running a web-based business might like owning an online job board that’s related to a subject they’re interested in. Little technical knowledge is required, but it helps to be interested in a board’s field because part of the work involves building a community around the industry (see How to Keep Customers Coming Back).

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at an online job board business?

A typical day running an online job board business includes confirming new listings, collecting new listing payments and responding to inquiries. Business owners may also need to review marketing campaigns. Confirming a listing takes 2 to 3 minutes . Finding businesses to post ads and running marketing campaigns can be time-consuming when a job board is new, though.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful online job board business?

While running an online job board business doesn’t require much advanced knowledge in a particular area, but business owners should familiarize themselves with all aspects of online job boards. Job Board Secrets and Job Board Doctor both have ebooks that discuss relevant topics.

What is the growth potential for an online job board business?

An online job board business might remain a small site or it can grow to be a large site that has millions of visitors each month. Monster.com and CareerBuilder are two lager job boards. A couple of smaller boards are JournalismJobs.com and Problogger’s Jobs .

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an online job board business?

Employers usually won’t submit or pay for listings until an online job board is established, so business owners must find and create listings themselves when starting out. Business owners can find position openings on relevant employers’ websites and link to those sites directly at first. If more listings are needed, they can be sourced from a job search engine like Indeed .

Once an online job board is established, these free and self-sourced listings can be replaced with employer-submitted, paid ones.

How and when to build a team

Online job board business owners can start out running their job boards themselves. As the workload becomes too time-consuming, an employee can be hired to help check and manage listings.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• Discover more Unique Business Ideas

Real World Examples

• Zip Recruiter
• Monster Jobs

Further Reading

• How to Create a Job Board Website Like Glassdoor
• Steps to Launch a Successful Niche Job Board in Your Community

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

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• Small Business
• How to Start a Business

Starting an Online Business: A Step-by-Step Guide

Crafting a Winning Business Plan: Setting Goals and Strategies

Katie Miller is a consumer financial services expert. She worked for almost two decades as an executive, leading multi-billion dollar mortgage, credit card, and savings portfolios with operations worldwide and a unique focus on the consumer. Her mortgage expertise was honed post-2008 crisis as she implemented the significant changes resulting from Dodd-Frank required regulations.

If you want to get into the online business game, it’s a good time to start. The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped online consumer spending, including how people shop online and how they research products.

Today, 76% of Americans buy products online. Furthermore, roughly a third of people purchase items online weekly. From setting up an ecommerce business to offering web design services, there are countless avenues to explore as an entrepreneur.

Below, we’ll walk through each step to building an online business.

Key Takeaways

• When starting an online business, comprehensive market research is critical for identifying your target audience and learning how to resonate with your customers and understand their needs.
• Creating a business plan is an important step for outlining your business goals. It also includes your product description, target market, and financial projections, among other core components.
• Building your website involves setting up a domain name, finding a hosting company, and designing a strong website with consistent branding that allows your customers to navigate it intuitively.
• Choosing the right product or service to sell is essential. It’s important to think about how you’re addressing an unmet need.
• Several digital marketing strategies can be utilized, from content marketing to paid advertising, to help your business grow.

Market Research

Successful online entrepreneurs study hard in order to have a thorough understanding of their market. This is important for knowing exactly how to reach your target market , because these are the people who will buy your products and drive your business growth.

At its core, market research is about understanding your customers’ needs, pain points, and solutions. It is designed to help your business better meet these needs.

Steps to Conduct Market Research

Market research involves understanding key aspects of your current and future customers. To get a clear sense of your target market, outline the characteristics of your audience—for example, age, location, gender, income, job title, and key pain points.

Once you have identified your target audience, conduct research on the following topics, which will tell you about how they make decisions and how you can better position your business:

• What are the challenges that your target market faces?
• Where do they research a given product or service?
• What are their views on pricing for this product or service?
• What factors influence their decision to make a purchase?
• Who are your competitors?

To put this market research into action, there are a number of different avenues you can take:

• Focus groups
• Competitive analysis
• Brand awareness research
• Market segmentation research

Consider the following questions that may be asked in an interview or focus group to learn more about your audience:

• “How do you search for that product?”
• “How useful was it?”
• “What words do you use when you search on Google?”

When you have completed your market research, identify what you have learned as well as your next steps based on these insights.

Business Planning

Creating a business plan is a key first step for all business owners . It is important for companies looking to secure funding resources. It also serves as a blueprint to summarize your key business objectives and goals.

To write a business plan , incorporate these eight main sections, which are often found in traditional templates:

• Executive summary : This is typically a one-page section that explains your objectives and includes your mission statement, core team, and why your company is positioned for success.
• Company description : This describes what you offer, your competitive advantages, and your business goals.
• Market analysis : This is where you explain your target market, market size, market trends, and competitive landscape.
• Organization and management : Explain who is working on your team and their professional background and experience.
• Service or product line : Describe the product or service you are offering, including any copyright or plans for patenting.
• Marketing and sales : Discuss your marketing and sales strategy. Discuss your pricing, key metrics, and sales plan.
• Funding request : If you are a company looking for funding, here is where you outline the capital you are requesting and where it will be allocated.
• Financial projections : Include projections for your company’s revenue and expenses. Consider including an income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement in this section.

A business plan is important because it helps clarify your action points, who you are, and what you offer, all in a coherent template.

Website Development

Getting your business online is the next key step. In an ever-changing environment, it is important to know the tools, trends, and strategies for building a strong online presence to allow your business to grow.

Registering Your Domain

The first step is registering your name, or your website address. This can be in the form of your business name “.com.” To purchase your domain name, you can go to sites like GoDaddy or Namecheap . If you decide to build your website using WordPress, you will need to use a site such as these to host your website.

Web Hosting Companies

Alternatively, you can buy your domain name at a hosting company. These are companies like Shopify , Wix , or Amazon Web Services , that may also offer tools to build your website and release content on them. 

Website Design

A well-designed website is important for many reasons. Using a website builder, such as Mailchimp or Squarespace , can allow you to choose a theme, customize your pages, create relevant content, and set up a payment page.

Other key aspects of your website design include its functionality, simplicity, and ease of use. Allowing your potential customers to navigate the site intuitively will be key to their experience. Brand consistency—in your logo, colors, and typeface, for example—is also key to creating a unified brand.

Another essential part of website design is its mobile application. You’ll want to ensure that your website runs smoothly on mobile, that images load properly, that the text is legible, and that buttons are intuitive to click.

Product or Service Selection

This step focuses on how to choose the right product or service to sell. At the heart of this choice is the goal of solving a customer’s problem. But there are a number of strategies you can use to identify your product idea.

For example, you might consider analyzing companies with high-profit margins, products that align with your passion, burgeoning trends, items trending on online marketplaces, and/or customer reviews.

With this in mind, analyze how this product will get to your customers. Additionally, you may consider products that are not available in stores in your local market but are offered in communities such as Europe or Japan, for example.

Marketing and Promotion

Marketing strategy and promotion is an essential driver of business growth. As the digital landscape evolves, it’s important to have an effective marketing plan that resonates with changing consumer preferences and needs.

Here are questions that companies can consider as they create their marketing strategy, navigating today’s environment:

• Impact, value, and growth : What are the goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure success for your business? How will you explain the value that the business provides to its customers and/or society? Create an “elevator speech”—a 30-second description of what you offer and why it’s special.
• Customer need and brand promise : How does the brand meet a customer’s need through its products and services?
• Customer experience : How will the business deliver the best experiences at each stage of the customer journey?
• Organizational model : How will the business operate to serve the customer with the most impact?

These will help you understand what types of strategies can have real impact.

Types of Marketing Strategies

Consider the following digital marketing strategies that can be used for your online business:

• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Paid advertising
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Content marketing
• Influencer marketing

Each of these presents a different way to reach your target audience, drive conversions, or build brand awareness, depending on your marketing goals.

Is It a Good Idea to Start an Online Business?

You need to determine that for yourself. But before starting an online business, it’s important to assess the time, investment, and resources you’ll need to get it off the ground. While the barrier to entry can be quite low, it’s worth considering your goals and strategies for making it a reality.

However, compared with starting up a traditional brick-and-mortar business, the risks of launching an online business may be reduced due to lower upfront costs such as rent, staff, and materials, among others.

Can I Start an Online Business with $100?

The short answer: yes. While it depends on the type of business you hope to pursue, there are many ways to set up an online business at very little cost. For example, you could offer your services doing freelance work, photography, bookkeeping, or personal training. The primary costs involved include setting up your business website, which can cost as little as $2 to $20 each year with companies such as GoDaddy.

What Are Different Types of Online Marketing Strategies?

There are a number of digital marketing strategies that online businesses can use, such as content marketing, email marketing, paid advertising, SEO, and influencer marketing. Each of these strategies can be useful, depending on your product and goals.

The Bottom Line

Starting an online business can be a powerful way to launch a new product or service while reaching a wider audience. With market research, a solid business plan, a strong website, and a digital marketing strategy, you can get started in growing your company effectively. As customers increasingly make decisions virtually, building an online business is vital to any business owner’s success.

Pew Research Center. “ For Shopping, Phones Are Common and Influencers Have Become a Factor—Especially for Young Adults .”

U.S. Small Business Administration. “ Market Research and Competitive Analysis .”

U.S. Small Business Administration. “ Write Your Business Plan .”

Ogilvy. “ Getting Future Ready with Marketing Transformation ,” Page 15.

GoDaddy. “ How Much Does a Domain Name Cost? Find Out! ”

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How to Create a Strategic Job Search Plan in 2024

3 Key takeaways

• What a job search plan is
• Why it's important to have a plan before you start your job search
• How you can integrate tools like Teal into your strategic job search plan

A strategic job search plan is a crucial tool for any job seeker who wants to stand out in today's highly competitive job market. By taking a thoughtful and proactive approach to find suitable employment opportunities, job seekers can increase their chances of securing a job that aligns with their career goals and aspirations.

A well-crafted job search plan is a powerful tool for job seekers who want to take control of their careers and achieve their professional goals. In this article, we’ll dive into the steps you need to take to create a strategic job search plan that will help you land your dream job.

What is a job search plan? 

Simply put, a job search plan is a roadmap or a strategy that you create to help you find a job while employed or unemployed. It typically involves steps and actions to identify and apply for job opportunities that match your skills, experience, and career goals.

A job search plan can include a variety of activities, such as networking, searching job boards, being active on social media, and following up with hiring managers. It can also include specific timelines and goals for each activity. 

The goal of having a one? To stay organized and focused, increase your chances of finding a job that's a good fit for you and ultimately land the job of your dreams.

Why is it important to create a job search plan?

Without a strategic job search plan, job searching is like throwing a dart at a board without aiming for a target. You're just hoping it goes in the right direction. Sure, you may luck out and strike a bullseye, but the throw itself lacks intention and focus.

Teal data from 2023 on how to job search highlights those who successfully job searched saved around 50 jobs and applied to a smaller subset of 26 jobs. This implies a more deliberate approach.

Ultimately, this more intentional plan meant in 2023, it took 7 strategic, targeted applications to land an interview.

Here are three additional reasons every job seeker should have a job search plan in place:

It helps you set clear goals.

Having a job search plan empowers you to approach your job search with confidence and clarity so you're better set up for success in the long run. By identifying your strengths, interests , skills , and values , you'll better understand what jobs are worth your time applying to and which you can skip. 

Instead of submitting applications to every job that matches your LinkedIn profile, you can run a more targeted search and be intentional about the roles you apply for and the applications you submit. 

It keeps you on schedule.

Setting goals and breaking those goals down into manageable chunks is key.

Saying, "I need to find a new job"—while relatable—is vague and doesn't help you work toward your ultimate goal.

Saying, "I'm going to reach out to two former classmates at Acme Company this week and see if they're open to a coffee chat," instead, is a tangible, proactive step you can take toward your career change.

Review your progress weekly to ensure you're moving in the right direction and meeting the job search goals you've set for yourself; if not, you can adjust as you go.

It enables you to track your job search activities

Tracking is another benefit of creating a job search plan: doing so allows you to keep tabs on and manage all your job search activities in one place, staying organized through every step of the job search process. 

With free resources like Teal , you can track:

• All of the jobs you're interested in, whether it's a part-time or full-time job (saved from all the job boards you use: LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and 40+ more job boards ).
• The job description for each job posting, with keywords highlighted to identify the most important hard and soft skills to include on your resume.
• All of your professional achievements, accomplishments , professional summaries, and target titles. By keeping track of your career milestones in one place, you can quickly and easily tailor your resume to the specific job you're interested in.
• Multiple versions of your resume, named and organized based on the jobs you're applying for. We've hand-picked some fantastic resume samples for inspiration.
• Any company you're interested in learning more about.
• People you'd like to network with, talk to informally, or schedule an informational interview or job interview with.
• Follow-up reminders for each step of the job search process, from checking in on the status of an application to reaching out to the hiring manager to thank them for an interview.
• Notes from each job interview, including research about the company and hiring manager and any work you've done to prepare answers to the most common interview questions ahead of time.

How to develop a strategic job search plan

Determine your target job title.

First, list out five roles, job titles, and/or functions you're interested in, along with five industries you’re interested in pursuing.

Maybe it looks something like this:

Make a list of companies you are interested in working for

Brainstorm a list of 20 companies you might want to work for or companies that interest you.

Consider their size, industry, location, remote-work policies, and company culture. (You can jot down the details in Teal's Company Tracker.)

Next, see if you can spot any common themes:

• Do they align with your personal interests?
• Do they have a robust careers page on their website with information about benefits, company culture, open job postings, and who the point person is to reach out to when you submit your application?

Set a realistic timeline for your job search goals

Let's work backward here. Finding a new job takes time—up to 89 days, according to research by Teal—but having a concrete target start date in mind can help you stay motivated.

You can set a target date in your Teal dashboard . Then, decide how much time you want to spend each week (on average) applying for jobs.

While there's no hard and fast rule about how many jobs you should apply to, having a to-do list of sorts can lend structure to an often structureless process.

Update your job search assets

Before you start applying to new roles, you'll need to update your resume and cover letter. The ideal resume should be one page and contains:

• Your city and state
• Contact information (email, phone, or both)
• A target title
• A professional summary
• Work history (with bullet points summarizing your main achievements and responsibilities at each role) 
• Educational background 
• Relevant keywords in your bullet points and skill sections

Including each element above will increase the odds of your resume being prioritized in the applicant tracking systems (ATS) and give hiring managers a better idea of how you'd be a great fit.

You can update your resume using basic word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Or, you can employ AI tools like ChatGPT to write a new resume or cover letter for you.

To save even more time, Teal's Resume Builder helps you design, format, and create custom resumes for each job you apply to in one place. The Resume Builder automatically gives you pointers on how to improve your resume to give you a competitive edge over most job seekers.

It even has AI technology built into the tool to create customized resume bullet points, professional summaries, and even cover letters using your work history and the job requisite you’re applying for.

Develop a job application strategy

Once you've pinpointed your timeline, target companies, and titles and updated your materials, it's time to develop your job application strategy. How and where are you going to find jobs to apply to?

Some avenues to explore include but are not limited to:

• Referrals. If you have a friend or former colleague who works at a company you're interested in, you can kindly ask them for a referral. Referrals are bumped up in the hiring process and are a great way to get in the door faster than you would if you applied online.
• Contacting internal recruiters. Internal recruiters are salaried employees of a specific company. They're usually very active on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed.
• Contacting external recruiters. External recruiters, also known as headhunters, work for outside agencies. External recruiters typically work for more than one company and are usually looking for available talent to call upon when they receive open roles.
• Cold emailing. Reaching out to someone you don't know might feel daunting, but if done politely, it can help you build valuable connections. Use a free tool to find the email addresses of people you'd like to speak to, whether they're a recruiter, founder, or someone who is currently in your dream role.
• Applying online. If you're unable to get a referral or connect with a recruiter, you can apply directly to an online job listing. No matter the company's size, online applicants are still screened by a human. 
• Networking. Great places to network include professional organizations, Facebook and LinkedIn groups, job fairs, and social clubs.

Communication templates for different situations throughout the entire hiring process are located within Teal's Job Tracker . You'll find templates for referrals, contacting recruiters, cold outreach, networking, and more. Use these templates as a starting point, and tweak them to match your tone and demonstrate your professional brand .

Within Teal’s Job Tracker, use templates to stay professional and timely in all of your communications.

After you understand where you will look for roles, circle back to your timeline goal and determine how many roles you want to apply for per day, week, etc.

For example, set SMART goals for yourself like:

• Text Robert, a former colleague who now works at Acme Corp, to ask for a referral on Monday
• Send three cold emails to startup founders on Tuesday
• Send connection requests to at least five internal recruiters on LinkedIn by the end of the week
• Reach out to two industry professionals in your field of interest requesting informational interviews by the end of the week
• Optimize my LinkedIn profile using Teal’s LinkedIn Review Tool as my guide by the end of the day

Tailor your job search assets to each role you apply to

Each job you apply to will have a unique description with certain soft skills, hard skills, and keywords listed throughout. Your resume and short cover letter should be tailored to address all of the above. 

To give an example, if a job listing states that the company wants a candidate who "is comfortable using VLOOKUP and creating pivot tables in Microsoft Excel," your materials should mention "VLOOKUP," "pivot tables," and "Microsoft Excel." (So long as you truly have that experience.)

Teal's AI Resume Builder will let you do this quickly, easily, and accurately. You can save and import any job listing you find on the web directly into your Teal account and check your resume against its keywords to ensure you speak to what's being looked for.

Keep track of the jobs you apply for 

As you apply for jobs, keeping track of which applications you’ve sent in and where you are in each interview process is essential.

You can build your own job tracking spreadsheet in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel with columns that track:

• The jobs themselves (with links to the original job descriptions)
• Whether they're remote, in-office, or hybrid
• Hiring manager contact information
• The date you sent in your initial application
• Which stage you are at in the process (application sent, actively interviewing, negotiating, rejected, etc.)
• Salary ranges
• Notes on your impressions and feelings throughout the process

You'll need to update your job tracking spreadsheet accordingly throughout your job hunt. We recommend allotting time to update it each day, either first thing in the morning or at the end of the day.

A more dynamic way to keep track of your jobs, however, is through a job tracker. 

Teal's Job Application Tracker helps you import job listings with a single click so you can save and monitor their progress. It even suggests how best to handle each phase of your job search process.

The Job Tracker also lets you generate follow-up emails so you can be proactive and stand out to the hiring team. More on that next!

Follow up with each hiring manager throughout the process

Sending follow-ups throughout the hiring process shows you're diligent, motivated, and highly interested in working for the company. They also help you gain more transparency into how you're progressing through each stage.

The best way to follow up with the hiring manager after an interview is through email. After your interview ends, send an initial thank you to the person you spoke to within 24 hours.

Then, if you do not hear from anyone at the company after a week (or earlier, if, say, the recruiter said you would expect to hear back in three days), send a follow-up email to kindly remind the team that you're still interested in the role. 

And remember—just because you didn’t hear back when sending a follow-up doesn’t mean the team is not interested in you—if anything, it means the hiring team is likely very busy. 

Here's a sample follow-up email that you could send to your interviewer:

Dear [Interviewer's Name], I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to speak with me during the first round of interviews for the [Position] role at [Company Name]. It was a pleasure to learn more about the company and the responsibilities of the role. After our conversation, I remain enthusiastic about the opportunity to join the team at [Company Name]. I am particularly excited about [specific aspects of the job or company culture discussed in the interview]. I would like to reiterate my interest in the position and my qualifications for it. Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide or if there are any next steps in the hiring process that I should be aware of. Thank you again for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best regards, [Your Name]

Final thoughts on creating a strategic plan for your job search

Planning for your job hunt is hard work—no doubt about it. But taking the time to identify and write down your job search goals, do some soul-searching, and break down the job search process into more manageable chunks will help speed up the process and help you land a job you love faster.

Create an account here to track your job search using Teal's free resources and tools.

Here's to landing a job you love in 2024!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key components of a job search plan template for 2024, how can i adapt my job search strategy template to the changing job market in 2024, what are some effective ways to network during my job search in 2024.

Emily Polner

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The Ultimate Job Search Plan Guide: Tips and Strategy

There are so many steps to a job search and so many things that you can go wrong. If you’re looking for a new job and want to avoid making mistakes, we highly recommend that you create a job search plan. 

A good plan will help you stay organized, focus on the right opportunities , and give yourself the best chance of success in your search.

In this post we’ll explain everything from why creating a job hunting plan is important all the way down to how to plan a job search for yourself step by step.  And as creating an effective resume is a key step on this plan, we recommend you use our free online resume builder to make the process easier!

What Is a Job Hunting Plan?

A job hunting plan is a detailed strategy for how to find a job and build your career . It includes everything from the types of jobs you’ll apply for, to what you should send in an application to land an interview.  You could make a flow diagram, a list, a calendar, whatever format works for you.

A good job hunting strategy helps you avoid making mistakes, or missing things out that could cost you the chance at landing a dream position. And if the perfect job does come along and all goes according to plan? Well then, all the work was worth it!

Why Create a Job Search Action Plan?

Creating a job search action plan will help you stay focused and on track. It will give you a clear list of things to do that will hopefully get your foot in the door at your dream job.

A successful job search action plan keeps you from wasting time on unnecessary actions, like sending out hundreds or even thousands of resumes with no results.

If you’re having trouble finding a job , want to get a new position fast , and make sure it’s the right one for you, then making a plan is key. If you need to know what does an effective job search plan include, follow the next steps.

How to Create a Job Search Plan Step by Step

There are a few steps to follow when creating your job search strategy :

• Make a list or spider diagram of career goals, and determine the skills you need to get them
• Create a schedule that works for you, including how long you’ll spend on each task
• Review your strengths and skills
• Research those companies or positions that interest you most
• Block out time for networking
• Send out applications and resumes tailored to each position that interests you

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these steps.

Step 1: Determine your career goals

The first step to creating a job search strategy is to determine your career goals. Write down the following:

• What do you want from your career?
• Why have you chosen this specific goal?
• How will achieving this goal make your life better? Will your work be better? Can it make your community/world better?

Your answers to these questions are the foundation for making smart choices about where and what kind of job you look for. You want to make sure your goals are clear, measurable, and achievable.

Step 2: Define your Strengths and Skills

Now that you’ve got a good idea of what jobs are available, it’s time to figure out what skills and strengths you can bring to the table. It’s important to take your past employment and skills gained to date into account.

Most employers will want to see that you have certain skills and abilities before they’ll consider hiring you. So how do they know if your skills are relevant?

Well, they check your resume!

And what do they look for? Well…you guessed it: Your experience! They want to see that you have a history of success in similar situations. Recruitment professionals recommend resources like O*NET online to research specific types of work and the skills/abilities associated with them. So now is a great time to think about all those experiences where you demonstrated these.

Employers might be able to tell right away whether or not someone has what it takes based on their past work history alone. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your resume is up to date at the start of the search – although you should also tweak and tailor it to each position you apply to later on. 

Step 3: Set a Schedule

It’s no secret that time management is a skill coveted by most employers, and it’s also an essential ability if you want to be successful in your job search.

It’s crucial that you set aside time each week to work the steps of your plan and stay on track with your goals. It’s estimated that you should try to spend at least 15 hours a week on the activities that make up your job search in order to ensure success. 

However, this may not always be do-able, so just spend as much time as possible each week, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t always meet your goals!

You’ll also want to set some goals or milestones so that your job search strategy doesn’t stretch on into infinity and beyond. You might want to decide on a goal of landing employment within 90 days.  You can then set benchmarks for achievements you want to reach before this time.

Step 4: Identify Employers and the Position You’d Like to Work in

Now you know what industries you want to work in, so it’s time to identify employers that interest you. You may have a particular company in mind or there may be several companies that are looking for people with your skills and experience.

If there’s a specific job title that interests you then use sites like LinkedIn or Glassdoor to research the role. You should also look into the company and what their corporate culture looks like.

Look at the job description, pay rate and expectations of the position as well as how many people apply for each role. If there is no formal job description available then ask yourself questions such as: 

• What does this company do? 
• Who are their clients? 
• What values do they promote? 
• Why would I want to work here? 
• What type of person do they hire (e.g., personality type)?

You can also go straight to the source and read reviews from employees who have worked there . If there’s someone who works at one of those companies whose profile really stands out then reach out directly via email or LinkedIn. 

Step 5: Reach out and Network

If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to someone out of the blue to enquire about work, try to build your network up first. You could do this by making new contacts on sites like LinkedIn, or attending career fairs in person. 

If you’ve done your research and you’re applying for a job in your industry , it’s likely that you know who can help give you advice. This can be helpful as well as encouraging.

If this is not an option at this point in time, it might still be worth reaching out to other current employees anyway – just don’t ask them “for a job.” Instead ask them what they think the best way would be for you to get into the field/business. You could also ask them how long their own career path took them and what mistakes they made along the way . Or about some of their favorite aspects about working where they do now vs. other jobs they held previously.

Step 6: Tailor your Resume to Each Application

Aside from the standard requirements of a resume, you should be sure to tailor your resume to each application. Make sure it is clear and concise, using keywords that are relevant to the job in question. 

Keep it consistent—think about what information you want potential employers to know about you, and then organize it in a way that makes sense for each position .

Use our free Resume Builder

Tailor your resume for each application and with our help. Start and customize as many resumes as you need with our free resume builder .

Step 7: Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help!

You’re not the only one going through a job search. There are lots of people who can help you and your future employers understand what you bring to the table. 

You might be surprised to learn that many people have been in your shoes before, even if it may be hard to imagine!

If you’re stuck on perfecting your resume or cover letter, Resume Giants can help too! You can take a look at our wide library of resume examples and make use of our resume builder to get you started!

Best Practices when Creating a Job Search Plan

In conclusion, when it comes to job searching, having a plan is crucial. Without one, you’re likely to waste time and energy on fruitless activities. 

Having said that, you should also be flexible enough to adjust your strategy according to what works best for you.

A couple of key rules of thumb to keep in mind:

• Make sure your plan is realistic and achievable—but still ambitious.
• Set milestones along the way so that when you reach them you know whether or not it’s time for another round of networking or research into new companies / positions / industries before moving on again.
• Don’t forget to reward yourself for your hard work – even if you don’t land your dream job straight away, every new contact or reply from a recruiter is a win!

We hope this guide has been useful to you. Remember, a job search plan doesn’t need to be set in stone from the start.   You should always be looking for ways to improve your plan. 

This may mean learning how to write a resume effectively or getting feedback on your resume from friends and family members! Creating a plan is just the first step of what will hopefully be many successes in your career journey.

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The Reasons Why You Can’t Find a Job You’ve tried and tried, but you’ve still not got that dream job. What are the reasons why? Here’s some possible explanations…and solutions! Updated on May 3, 2024 The Reasons Why You Can’t Find a Job

The Ultimate Guide for Virtual Job Fairs Want the top tips to succeed at a virtual hiring event? Check out our expert advice to prepare and guarantee that you stand out at a virtual job fair. Updated on March 30, 2023 The Ultimate Guide for Virtual Job Fairs

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How to Create an Effective Job-Search Plan

17 min read · Updated on December 16, 2021

TopResume's career advice expert explains how to create an effective job-search plan — and stick to it.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our latest edition of #OfficeHours, presented by TopResume! You asked some great job-search questions, and it was a privilege to share my job tips and career advice.

Below is a link to the video of our Live Chat, a summary of my tips on how to create an effective job-search plan, and my responses to your job-search questions. For more career advice and information about upcoming events, please like us on Facebook and sign up for our free weekly newsletter .

#OfficeHours Live Chat: How to Create a Job-Search Plan

5 steps to make your job-search goals a reality

Below are five steps to keep your job search on track and make your resolution to land a new job a reality.

1. Clarify your job goals — and write them down

A clear set of job goals is the foundation of a solid job-search strategy. All your job-search efforts — from how you position your resume and online presence to how you prioritize your networking contacts — will depend on the goals you establish. Simply stating “I want a new job” is too vague. Evaluate your work history to identify the underlying skills, core values, and work environment that are best for you. The more targeted your goals, the easier it will be to develop the right plan. Click on the following link for more tips on defining your job goals .

Once you know what type of job you want to pursue, write it down. You are 10 times more likely to accomplish your goals when you do this. Think beyond the job title and write down what your role would look like and the skills you'd get to leverage in your next job position. Document the industry or industries you're interested in and for which you are a good fit. Also, consider what you're looking for in your next employer and the company culture. For example, are you hoping to work for a small startup in a collaborative work environment or would you be more comfortable working at a large, established organization that's known for its employee perks? Ask yourself how far are you willing to commute to your job. This information will help you focus your job-search plan and create a list of top employers to target .

Download your free job-search action plan today!

2. Set a schedule to keep your job-search plan on track

Searching for a new job is a full-time job in itself. In fact, experts estimate that employed job seekers should spend at least 15 hours a week on their job-search activities and unemployed job searchers should dedicate double that amount of time. While these guidelines may sound great on paper, I'll be the first to admit that they are not necessarily realistic for everyone. To make the most of the time you have available for your job search, I recommend setting up a schedule. Block time on your calendar every day and dedicate it to a particular job-search activity.

I find that most job seekers are more efficient when they focus on one type of task at a time, rather than trying to multitask. For instance, you may use Sunday nights to go through recent job listings, weed out the ones worth applying for, and customize your resume for each of those applications . Then, you may use early Monday mornings, particularly between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. in the employers' time zone, to submit your online job applications. Studies have shown this early-morning job application window (in the employer's time zone) increases your odds of getting an interview by 5x! Tuesday mornings may be dedicated to following up on your applications from the previous week, and Wednesdays may be reserved for networking activities, such as reaching out to valuable connections in your existing network to set up informational interviews and vetting upcoming events.

Related: The Best Questions to Ask in an Informational Interview

3. Define your workspace

When you treat your job search like a job, you're more likely to stick to your plan and be successful. Find a place that you'd like to dedicate to your job hunt. It may be a certain table at your local coffee shop, a WeWork space, a study room at the local library, or a particular room in your home. If you're using a space in your home to conduct your job search, be sure to share your “work” schedule with your family or roommates so they know when you'll be unavailable.

4. Establish milestones in your job search  — and reward yourself

We all know the job search can be quite a long journey, chock full of ups and down. To keep yourself motivated and your job search on track, break down your job goal into smaller, more digestible milestones. Make a list of the activities, tasks, and deadlines associated with each milestone.

For instance, you may give yourself the goal of updating your resume and LinkedIn profile to support your new job goal before you begin applying for jobs. Once you achieve a goal or reach a milestone, reward yourself. The rewards don't have to be extravagant  — it could be as simple as a luxurious bubble bath, a nice glass of scotch or wine at your favorite bar, or a night out with friends.

By dividing your goal into more manageable chunks of work — and rewarding yourself once you complete the work — you're less likely to get overwhelmed and discouraged. This can be the difference between giving up and remaining committed to your job-search plan.

5. Ask for help

The job search can be very lonely. However, it's important to remember that you're not alone. If you're feeling stuck, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of services out there that can help. For example, TopResume offers a variety of free resources from our free resume critique to our free, downloadable job-search plan and personal branding checklist .

Related: Free Job-Search Tools Every Job Seeker Needs

Q1: What can I do to make my resume more impactful for my job search?

“I've sent out HUNDREDS of resumes and have never gotten a call back . How do I shape my resume to make it more impactful?” — Walter

If your resume isn't working for you, one of your first actions should be to take a step back and clarify your job goals. When we aren't getting responses, there is a tendency to cast a wider net and start applying to things that don't actually fit your goals and skills. Check in with your job goals and make sure your resume is written with those in mind.

Widening your job-search net isn't always a bad thing, though — oftentimes skills are transferable and can apply to a variety of jobs. Consider opening up to new fields that your skills and experience may have prepared you for. If you need some guidance, there may be people in your network who can help you. Do you know anyone with a skill set similar to yours who went on to do something completely different? How did they do that? While it's important to keep your job search specific to your goals and skills, keep in mind that you may be qualified for more than you think.

Still, even if you are applying for all the right jobs, there is another hurdle to get over: the ATS. If your resume is not optimized with important keywords and correct formatting, it will never even reach a recruiter's desk. TopResume offers a free resume critique that will tell you how your resume stacks up against the ATS. Click on the following link to submit your resume for a free review .

Related: How Can I Make My Resume Beat the ATS?

Q2: How do I handle employment gaps on my resume?

“I stopped working for a while to care for a sick parent. How do I explain this on my resume?” — Christopher

While taking a work hiatus is not necessarily a bad thing, it's not something you want to draw too much attention to on your resume — leave that explanation for your cover letter. As for your resume, you can put this role in your work experience just as if it was another job. Something like “Caregiver” and the time period, along with a short explanation that you took a work sabbatical to care for an ailing parent, will explain your employment gap without drawing negative attention. If you did any freelance work during that time, list yourself as a freelancer as well and show the projects that you completed. Click on the following link for more information about handling employment gaps during your job search .

Q3: How do I know when it's the right time to change careers?

“I have over 15 years of experience in one field but want to change careers. How do I know when it's the right time to make that full-time leap? — Amanda

Changing careers can be a scary thing, especially if you're considering leaving a secure job behind. Before you take the big leap into a new industry or profession, test it out to make sure it's right for you. Maybe there are small freelance projects you can get involved in so you can get a feel for what this type of work will be like.

Seeking a mentor who works in the field in which you're interested can also be extremely helpful. A mentor can help guide you into your new career by telling you what steps you need to take and what skills you'll need to be successful. Click here to see more of advice about mentoring .

Unfortunately, one of the biggest things to consider when looking to a career change is your financial situation, because there is no guarantee that you'll have a consistent paycheck as you transition. Can you do freelance work in the interim to sustain yourself? Do you have a way to stay secure? Make sure that you're prepared for whatever the career-change process may bring before you take that big leap.

We tackled this topic during another #OfficeHours Live Chat awhile back. Click on the following links to check out our #OfficeHours on how to make a successful career and our blog for additional advice on changing careers .

Q4: Should I water down my resume during my job search if I'm overqualified for a job?

“I've been turned down from jobs due to being overqualified. Should I weaken my resume to find that in-between job?” — David

If employers are turning you down for being overqualified, it usually means one of two things. First, they expect your desired salary to be more than what they've budgeted for the role. Second, they may fear that, because the role is too junior for you, you'll get bored quickly and leave. There's a great article on Quora by my friend and fellow career expert Vicki Salemi that talks a lot about what it means to be overqualified in the job search .

Before you apply for another job, take a closer look at the requirements listed for the job post. If the employer is asking for 5-7 years of experience and you have 10 or more years of relevant experience, you can expect the recruiter to consider you overqualified for the role.

Look at the job description for the position you're applying for and craft your resume based on the qualifications stated. If the company wants six years of experience, focus your resume on the six most recent years of your career. Avoid adding numbers and dates, especially in your professional summary — stick to relevant information and skills without pushing experience. If you make it to the interview, address upfront that you are changing the way you want to go about your career. Emphasize that for this role, because of all your experience, you're actually a steal!

Q5: What can I do to prepare for an internal interview?

“I've been in my position for nine years and am looking to change roles within my company. What can I do to prepare?” — LaSheia

It's been a while since your last job interview, so it's a good idea to brush up on your interview skills. TopResume's sister brand, TopInterview , can help you by providing professional interview-coaching services that will help you walk into any job interview with confidence. We also did another #OfficeHours on how to ace your next job interview , so check it out to find lots of links, articles, and more helpful interview tips.

There is an advantage to interviewing with the company you work for because you already have the inside scoop. Use your resources within the company to find out as much as you can about the position and the people who will be conducting the interview. If you weren't given a formal job description, ask for one — it will help you figure out which of your skills are transferable. You should highlight these the most.

Ask yourself how the work you've been doing has prepared you for this new role. Whenever possible, draw parallels between what you already do and what you will be doing to show your interviewer that you are qualified for the position. Also, be prepared to share how your work has provided value for the company. This is where keeping a career brag book of your professional highlights comes in handy. By showing them how you have positively affected the company's bottom line, they will understand what a valuable asset you could be.

Finally, it is important to approach this internal interview the same way you would treat an interview at another organization. Just because you already work for the company does not mean this interview will be casual, so be prepared to tackle the difficult interview questions you'd expect from any other interview.

Q6: How can I expand my network beyond my current company?

“I work at a privately-owned company so most of my contacts are connected to my current employer. How do I expand my network to different companies? — Juliane

Your No. 1 task here is to network like crazy. Use LinkedIn to connect with childhood friends, former classmates, and family to start growing your personal network. Then expand to other people you deal with in a professional environment like vendors and clients.

There are also many resources you can use to find like-minded people in both your professional industry and for personal interests. Check out the Directory of Associations to find groups that you can join and sites like Meetup and 10times for events to attend. Even informal events found on Facebook and Eventbrite can be great ways to meet new people.

As always, have a set of business cards with you to hand out to the people you meet at these events or group meetings. If you don't want to be automatically associated with your company, get a second set of business cards that don't have your company information on them (that includes a personal email address, not a company one).

If you don't want your current employer to know about your new networking endeavor, there are privacy settings on LinkedIn you can change so that people cannot see who you are connected to. That way, someone in your company won't notice when your number of connections suddenly skyrockets.

Related: Networking Tips to Help You Thrive at Your Next Event

Q7: I'm making a career change from independent contractor to full-time employee. How should I prepare for the interview?

“I am an independent contractor in construction, but I have an interview tomorrow for a forklift operator position. What are some tips to help me feel comfortable?” — Blake

What's great about your situation is that this is your industry, so you have a good idea of what to expect in your interview. That's comforting!

When making the transition from working as an independent contractor to working as a full-time employee at a company, the main concern on an employer's mind is often whether or not you can be a team player. After all, you've been working for yourself for so long, so how can someone be sure that you'll work well with others? Because of this, you'll want to use your interview as a chance to emphasize how excited you are by the prospect of being part of a team. Of course, you'll need to highlight your technical knowledge and experience in the field as well. However, to ease the interviewer's mind, the main sentiment you want to get across is that you will be a positive addition to a team.

Q8: How can I overcome age barriers in the job search?

“I have 32 years of customer service experience and am looking for a job. I am 58 years old. Do you have any tips to help overcome age barriers?” — Diane

When writing your resume, focus on the last 10–15 years of experience. You can include a small section of “Earlier Career History” that lists other earlier positions that fall outside the 15-year timeframe -- just list the job title, company name, and location (no dates). Alternatively, you can include a "Career Note" at the end of your work experience section that says, "Earlier experience includes work in [type of roles] for companies such as [Company Name 1] and [Company Name 2]. Additional details available upon request." Also, remove dates for degrees or certifications that are older than 15 years. You don't want to highlight your age with numbers, but you still want to showcase your experience.

Your cover letter is a great opportunity to emphasize your passion for and proficiency at your job. While you don't want to dwell on your years of experience, you can say that you've been in this industry for most of your career and emphasize the reasons why you are committed to working in such a position. Play up your customer focus and the other skills you know the employer cares about.

It may sound silly, but also make sure your email service provider is modern: Gmail is your safest bet. By keeping your email up to date, you avoid giving the impression that you aren't tech savvy.

Finally, you've probably developed a large network over your years in the workforce. Use it during your job search!

Q9: What are some things that recruiters hate in a resume?

“What do you think are the top things to avoid when writing a resume?” — Levan

One resume mistake that always turns off recruiters and hiring managers are those fluffy, overused phrases like “team player,” “motivated,” and “thrives in a fast-paced environment.” These statements may sound great, but when it comes down to it, they aren't actually saying anything — they're pretty empty. Instead of saying on your resume that you have these qualities, show that you have them with evidence from your career history. Back up your claims with the things you've accomplished throughout your career, and a recruiter will be much more impressed. Click on the following link for more resume tips on how to sell yourself without sounding arrogant .

Also, join us for next month's #OfficeHours Live Chat, where I will be joined by recruiting expert David Gaspin to share our latest survey results on the top resume mistakes that make recruiters cringe, and what you can do to avoid these resume deal-breakers. Click on the following link to learn more and RSVP .

Need more help setting your job search up for success? Download our free job-search plan today.

Recommended Reading:

How to Get a Stalled Job Search Back on Track

Discover Your Dream Job in 3 Simple Steps

How Can I Make My Resume Beat the ATS?

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I moved to the US for a tech job. Here's 3 observations I have about America's work culture.

• Yaroslav Zubko moved to New York in 2017 after building up his tech career in Ukraine. 
• He's noticed key differences in the US and Ukraine tech work culture. 
• Zubko said people in the US overwork more and place more emphasis on idea generation.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 34-year-old Yaroslav Zubko, who lives in New York, about his experience moving to the US for a tech job. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2015, I traveled to New York for a two-week business trip. It was the first time I'd ever left Ukraine , where I grew up. I looked at all the huge buildings in the city and couldn't believe my eyes. New York was even more impressive than it seemed in the movies.

I made a promise to myself that I was going to move to New York .

In 2016, I was offered a role as a director of product design at a New York tech startup called UpTop. I hadn't been actively applying for US jobs at the time. They supported me in getting a visa, and I moved to NYC in June 2017.

Moving to America has been the biggest adventure of my life. But the tech culture is very different in the US than in Ukraine. I've had to navigate these differences and assimilate into the work culture.

How I got a job at a New York tech startup

I studied business law at college in Ukraine but decided I wanted to follow my passion and become a designer. I started studying graphic design online and taught myself how to use design tools. I landed my first job as a web designer in 2012, working for a sporting goods website.

I worked at three other companies in Ukraine before moving to the US, doing UX and product design. I felt that every role I had added to my arsenal of skills. My last role before moving was as a product designer for SoftServe, a tech giant in the country.

When UpTop gave me an offer, we discussed visa options for my move to the US. Because I didn't have a formal education in the tech field, I wasn't eligible for a H1-B visa . The company decided to apply for an O-1 visa for "extraordinary" professionals on my behalf.

They hired an immigration attorney who talked me through the documents I'd need for the process. I gathered proof of my professional competency, including awards, media interviews, and letters from previous managers. I launched my own design project, Interaction Library, in 2016, which had already gotten attention online. I think this also helped me secure the visa.

I worked at UpTop for around a year and then moved to Tinder in 2018 as a lead product designer. I left in September 2019 and started focusing on my own design agency, Zubko Studio.

People are more attached to their work in the US

The US is a great place to work with many opportunities. I love that it's progressive and more culturally diverse than Ukraine. When I arrived, I wanted to immerse myself in the community and get a feel for living here.

Related stories

In Ukraine, the tech sector is more consultancy-based. Money comes from overseas, from companies who outsource their IT needs to us. In the US, I feel that big companies are developing original ideas and patents, while in Ukraine, the biggest tech companies provide consultancy services.

I feel that people are much more attached to their work in the US because they are working on their ideas. In Ukraine, I worked with overseas clients, executing tasks for other companies and people.

At SoftServe, I was placed on a project for Deloitte. They had established brand guidelines, which presented limitations for me as a designer. I couldn't create many new user interface elements from scratch and had to use the ones from the guide. I felt less ownership over the work.

Meanwhile, I've worked on projects and products I've felt more ownership of in the US. As a product design director at UpTop, I could choose which features to research and test and decide how a certain feature would be implemented.

I loved the responsibility, but it's been much more challenging not to take my work home. There were nights when I couldn't fall asleep because I was thinking about ideas for the product.

In the US, ideas and pitching are prioritized over execution

In Ukraine, my work was about execution. Because my work was in consulting, ideas came from our clients, and I focused on implementing them.

In the US, ideation is more important than execution in the startup world, particularly because the tech scene is more saturated. Big ideas sell. They're how you sell to investors and raise funds. I think this is a positive difference — a great product should start with an idea, which you test over and over to make sure it's worth investing in.

At Tinder, most of my time was spent on idea generation and testing. I animated and presented over 20 versions of Tinder's app, and used A/B testing methods to understand what ideas were worth implementing. I worked on several products that made the user experience more seamless, including Tinder U, Tinder Gold Home, and Super Boost.

People skills are highly valued in US companies. Having spoken in Russian and Ukrainian at my previous jobs in Ukraine, I struggled with self-expression and making jokes in English when I moved to New York .

I initially found it challenging to think about structuring my thoughts when selling my ideas. It would take me a while to think of the right combination of words and I felt people around me didn't have the time to think through my convoluted explanations.

People overwork in the US

In general, I think efficiency is put on a pedestal in American culture. People value working as much as possible and making as much money as possible.

When I first joined Tinder, I would stay late in the office to finish some of my work. I witnessed people staying until 9 or 10 p.m. to finish their commitments. In Ukraine, there were times when the office would be empty at 4 or 5 p.m. Sticking to my hours and going home whenever I wanted felt easier. But the projects were more fun in the US, so I was more motivated to work longer hours.

I plan to live between the US and Ukraine when the war is over

Ukraine will always be my home, but I'm staying in the US for the foreseeable future. I wasn't in Ukraine when Russia's invasion happened in 2022. Growing up, I had nightmares about war, but I was still taken aback when it happened.

After the war, I see myself returning to Ukraine and living between the US and Ukraine. I'd like to use my skills to help rebuild the country, like a phoenix coming from the ashes.

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Tuesday, May 21, 2024

2:00pm to 3:30pm

Resume Workshop - Boise

Boise, Idaho

Resume Workshop – Boise

Event summary.

An engaging interactive workshop to help you effectively market your skills and experience.

Description

• View resumes from the employer’s perspective
• Target your resume to the job you want
• Avoid common resume mistakes
• Be your own effective marketer

No need to RSVP.

Anthony de Ville (208) 332-3575 ext.3270 [email protected]

3:00pm to 4:00pm

Practice Interviewing-Pocatello

Pocatello, Idaho

Learn how to successfully prepare for an interview and present yourself through this interactive workshop.  Participants have an opportunity to participate in a mock interview, and receive professional feedback and pointers.

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Interviewing Workshop - Lewiston

Lewiston, Idaho

• Learn effective interview techniques
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• Practice interactive interviews

Please call, email or stop by the Lewiston local office to reserve a seat.

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Should I tell my current employer I am looking for a new job? Ask HR

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

Have a question? Submit it here .

Question: I’ve developed close ties with our clients in six years as a consultant. One recently floated the idea of bringing me on as a direct employee. Though interested, I’m concerned about navigating my candidacy process and how it might impact my relationship with my current company and our client. What is the best way to explore this opportunity without damaging my professional relationships? – Vince

Answer: Navigating potential career transitions, especially when they involve valued clients, requires careful consideration and communication to ensure that professional relationships remain intact. Here’s how you can explore this opportunity without jeopardizing these important connections:

• Check agreements: Begin by reviewing any noncompete or nonsolicitation agreements you have with your current employer. These deals may restrict your ability to work directly for clients or competitors for a certain period. If there are no such restrictions, you can proceed with exploring the opportunity.
• Confidential conversations: Keep your discussions about the potential transition confidential with your client and current employer. Request the same level of discretion from your client to avoid any premature disruptions or misunderstandings.
• Candid discussion: If you accept the new opportunity, have an open and honest conversation with your current employer. Inform your manager of your decision, discuss your transition plan and express your gratitude for the opportunities you’ve had with the company.
• Smooth transition: Plan how to transition your responsibilities to ensure a seamless handoff. Connect your clients with the appropriate contacts at your current company to maintain continuity in their service.
• Remaining with current employer: If you choose to stay with your current employer, communicate openly with your client about your decision. Express appreciation for their interest and reaffirm your commitment to continuing your positive working relationship, even if it remains an indirect one.

Throughout this process, prioritize maintaining professionalism and fostering positive relationships with your current employer and client. Embrace the opportunity to deepen your connections and ensure that your decisions contribute positively to your future career endeavors.

Job relocation: What recourse do I have if my employer moves my job? Ask HR

I’m confused by some of the HSA and FSA benefits offered at the new job I’m starting. As a single person without dependents, is there an advantage to either option? What should I consider when deciding between the two? – Nasira

Congratulations on your new job! Navigating the differences between Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) can indeed be confusing, but understanding their respective advantages can help you make an informed decision.

HSAs and FSAs offer tax advantages by allowing you to contribute pretax dollars to cover eligible medical expenses. However, there are key differences to consider:

• Availability of funds: HSAs offer more flexibility regarding fund availability. You own and control your HSA, and unused funds roll over from year to year. Plus, you can take your HSA with you if you change jobs. FSAs are employer-owned, and funds typically don’t roll over at the end of the plan year, though some plans may allow a limited carryover or grace period.
• Eligibility requirements: HSAs are only available to individuals enrolled in High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). These plans usually have lower premiums but higher deductibles. FSAs, however, can be used with both traditional health plans and HDHPs.
• Contribution limits: The maximum contribution limits for HSAs and FSAs can vary. For 2024, FSAs have a limit of $3,200 for individuals, while HSAs have a limit of $4,150 for self-only coverage and $8,300 for family coverage. These limits may change annually, so it’s essential to stay informed.
• Investment opportunities: HSAs offer the additional advantage of serving as a retirement savings vehicle. Any contributions made to an HSA by you and your employer can accumulate over time and be invested in the stock market to potentially generate additional income.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your individual circumstances, including your expected medical expenses, risk tolerance and long-term financial goals. It’s a good idea to consult with your HR professional to fully understand your employer's benefit options and how they align with your needs.

By considering these factors and seeking guidance from your HR department, you can make a well-informed decision that best suits your lifestyle and financial objectives. Best of luck with your new job and benefits selection process!

Hired online: How to navigate the virtual hiring landscape and land a job: Ask HR

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Research: Negotiating Is Unlikely to Jeopardize Your Job Offer

• Einav Hart,
• Julia Bear,
• Zhiying (Bella) Ren

A series of seven studies found that candidates have more power than they assume.

Job seekers worry about negotiating an offer for many reasons, including the worst-case scenario that the offer will be rescinded. Across a series of seven studies, researchers found that these fears are consistently exaggerated: Candidates think they are much more likely to jeopardize a deal than managers report they are. This fear can lead candidates to avoid negotiating altogether. The authors explore two reasons driving this fear and offer research-backed advice on how anxious candidates can approach job negotiations.

Imagine that you just received a job offer for a position you are excited about. Now what? You might consider negotiating for a higher salary, job flexibility, or other benefits , but you’re apprehensive. You can’t help thinking: What if I don’t get what I ask for? Or, in the worst-case scenario, what if the hiring manager decides to withdraw the offer?

• Einav Hart is an assistant professor of management at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business, and a visiting scholar at the Wharton School. Her research interests include conflict management, negotiations, and organizational behavior.
• Julia Bear is a professor of organizational behavior at the College of Business at Stony Brook University (SUNY). Her research interests include the influence of gender on negotiation, as well as understanding gender gaps in organizations more broadly.
• Zhiying (Bella) Ren is a doctoral student at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on conversational dynamics in organizations and negotiations.

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Head, business development & donor compliance.

• Plan International

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity

Plan International has been working in Uganda since 1992, supporting vulnerable children, young people, and their families to break the cycle of poverty. The current strategy, which will end in 2027, is focusing on the following main areas of programming 1) Inclusive Quality Education which programme hosts ECD programming, school WASH and YEE, 2) Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights which programme focuses on adolescent health and school health which are major priorities of the government of Uganda. This programme also hosts our work on gender-transformative child protection. The strategy further has key crosscutting areas, and these include lead under which Plan International's Youth engagement work is undertaken, climate change and humanitarian assistance. Plan International Uganda’s country office is located in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda and we have three sponsorship-supported Programme Implementation areas located in eastern Uganda, Northern Uganda and West Nile.

The Head of Business Development and Donor Compliance is a member of the Country Leadership Team and manages the Business Development Unit (BDU) as well as overall Donor Compliance and in particular timely donor reporting working cross functionally with other departmental leads under Finance and Programmes. The Head of Business Development and Donor Compliance is responsible for leading all of Plan International Uganda’s Programme development mandate as per the approved country strategy. The role among other critical roles is entrusted with the mandate of building strong donor relationships in the country, fostering strategic relationships among development partners, the Private Sector, INGOs and local NGOs to ensure Plan International is a go-to partner in Uganda.

You will be a values-based and feminist leader, deeply comfortable with purpose-driven resource mobilisation and fundraising, and with a demonstrable commitment to gender equality, equity, diversity, and inclusion. You have extensive demonstrable experience in senior leadership with a track record of supporting leadership in international development. You have experience in the development of resource mobilisation strategies and plans. Experience in risk assessment working with diversified donor portfolios and appropriately guiding management.

Only applications in English will be considered.

Location: We will be recruiting globally for this role, but the individual must be based in Kampala, Uganda, and therefore support with relocation is available.

Type of Role:

Reports to: Country Director

Closing Date: 31st May 2024

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.

How to apply

Head, Business Development & Donor Compliance (plan-international.org)

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Fact sheet: president biden takes action to protect american workers and businesses from china’s unfair trade practices, office of public affairs.

President Biden’s economic plan is supporting investments and creating good jobs in key sectors that are vital for America’s economic future and national security. China’s unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports. In response to China’s unfair trade practices and to counteract the resulting harms, today, President Biden is directing his Trade Representative to increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 on $18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses.   The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has already catalyzed more than $860 billion in business investments through smart, public incentives in industries of the future like electric vehicles (EVs), clean energy, and semiconductors. With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, these investments are creating new American jobs in manufacturing and clean energy and helping communities that have been left behind make a comeback.   As President Biden says, American workers and businesses can outcompete anyone—as long as they have fair competition. But for too long, China’s government has used unfair, non-market practices. China’s forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft have contributed to its control of 70, 80, and even 90 percent of global production for the critical inputs necessary for our technologies, infrastructure, energy, and health care—creating unacceptable risks to America’s supply chains and economic security. Furthermore, these same non-market policies and practices contribute to China’s growing overcapacity and export surges that threaten to significantly harm American workers, businesses, and communities.   Today’s actions to counter China’s unfair trade practices are carefully targeted at strategic sectors—the same sectors where the United States is making historic investments under President Biden to create and sustain good-paying jobs—unlike recent proposals by Congressional Republicans that would threaten jobs and raise costs across the board. The previous administration’s trade deal with China  failed  to increase American exports or boost American manufacturing as it had promised. Under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created and new factory construction has doubled after both fell under the previous administration, and the trade deficit with China is the lowest in a decade—lower than any year under the last administration.   We will continue to work with our partners around the world to strengthen cooperation to address shared concerns about China’s unfair practices—rather than undermining our alliances or applying indiscriminate 10 percent tariffs that raise prices on all imports from all countries, regardless whether they are engaged in unfair trade. The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the benefits for our workers and businesses from strong alliances and a rules-based international trade system based on fair competition.   Following an in-depth review by the United States Trade Representative, President Biden is taking action to protect American workers and American companies from China’s unfair trade practices. To encourage China to eliminate its unfair trade practices regarding technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation, the President is directing increases in tariffs across strategic sectors such as steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and medical products.   Steel and Aluminum   The tariff rate on certain steel and aluminum products under Section 301 will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024.   Steel is a vital sector for the American economy, and American companies are leading the future of clean steel. Recently, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $6 billion for 33 clean manufacturing projects including for steel and aluminum, including the first new primary aluminum smelter in four decades, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments will make the United States one of the first nations in the world to convert clean hydrogen into clean steel, bolstering the U.S. steel industry’s competitiveness as the world’s cleanest major steel producer.   American workers continue to face unfair competition from China’s non-market overcapacity in steel and aluminum, which are among the world’s most carbon-intensive. China’s policies and subsidies for their domestic steel and aluminum industries mean high-quality, low-emissions U.S. products are undercut by artificially low-priced Chinese alternatives produced with higher emissions. Today’s actions will shield the U.S. steel and aluminum industries from China’s unfair trade practices.   Semiconductors   The tariff rate on semiconductors will increase from 25% to 50% by 2025.   China’s policies in the legacy semiconductor sector have led to growing market share and rapid capacity expansion that risks driving out investment by market-driven firms. Over the next three to five years, China is expected to account for almost half of all new capacity coming online to manufacture certain legacy semiconductor wafers. During the pandemic, disruptions to the supply chain, including legacy chips, led to price spikes in a wide variety of products, including automobiles, consumer appliances, and medical devices, underscoring the risks of overreliance on a few markets.   Through the CHIPS and Science Act, President Biden is making a nearly $53 billion investment in American semiconductor manufacturing capacity, research, innovation, and workforce. This will help counteract decades of disinvestment and offshoring that has reduced the United States’ capacity to manufacture semiconductors domestically. The CHIPS and Science Act includes $39 billion in direct incentives to build, modernize, and expand semiconductor manufacturing fabrication facilities as well as a 25% investment tax credit for semiconductor companies. Raising the tariff rate on semiconductors is an important initial step to promote the sustainability of these investments.   Electric Vehicles (EVs)   The tariff rate on electric vehicles under Section 301 will increase from 25% to 100% in 2024.   With extensive subsidies and non-market practices leading to substantial risks of overcapacity, China’s exports of EVs grew by 70% from 2022 to 2023—jeopardizing productive investments elsewhere. A 100% tariff rate on EVs will protect American manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices.   This action advances President Biden’s vision of ensuring the future of the auto industry will be made in America by American workers. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration is incentivizing the development of a robust EV market through business tax credits for manufacturing of batteries and production of critical minerals, consumer tax credits for EV adoption, smart standards, federal investments in EV charging infrastructure, and grants to supply EV and battery manufacturing. The increase in the tariff rate on electric vehicles will protect these investments and jobs from unfairly priced Chinese imports.   Batteries, Battery Components and Parts, and Critical Minerals   The tariff rate on lithium-ion EV batteries will increase from 7.5%% to 25% in 2024, while the tariff rate on lithium-ion non-EV batteries will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate on battery parts will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2024.   The tariff rate on natural graphite and permanent magnets will increase from zero to 25% in 2026. The tariff rate for certain other critical minerals will increase from zero to 25% in 2024.   Despite rapid and recent progress in U.S. onshoring, China currently controls over 80 percent of certain segments of the EV battery supply chain, particularly upstream nodes such as critical minerals mining, processing, and refining. Concentration of critical minerals mining and refining capacity in China leaves our supply chains vulnerable and our national security and clean energy goals at risk. In order to improve U.S. and global resiliency in these supply chains, President Biden has invested across the U.S. battery supply chain to build a sufficient domestic industrial base. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Defense Production Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested nearly $20 billion in grants and loans to expand domestic production capacity of advanced batteries and battery materials. The Inflation Reduction Act also contains manufacturing tax credits to incentivize investment in battery and battery material production in the United States. The President has also established the American Battery Materials Initiative, which will mobilize an all-of-government approach to secure a dependable, robust supply chain for batteries and their inputs.   Solar Cells   The tariff rate on solar cells (whether or not assembled into modules) will increase from 25% to 50% in 2024.   The tariff increase will protect against China’s policy-driven overcapacity that depresses prices and inhibits the development of solar capacity outside of China. China has used unfair practices to dominate upwards of 80 to 90% of certain parts of the global solar supply chain, and is trying to maintain that status quo. Chinese policies and nonmarket practices are flooding global markets with artificially cheap solar modules and panels, undermining investment in solar manufacturing outside of China.   The Biden-Harris Administration has made historic investments in the U.S. solar supply chain, building on early U.S. government-enabled research and development that helped create solar cell technologies. The Inflation Reduction Act provides supply-side tax incentives for solar components, including polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules, and backsheet material, as well as tax credits and grant and loan programs supporting deployment of utility-scale and residential solar energy projects. As a result of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, solar manufacturers have already announced nearly $17 billion in planned investment under his Administration—an 8-fold increase in U.S. manufacturing capacity, enough to supply panels for millions of homes each year by 2030.   Ship-to-Shore Cranes   The tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will increase from 0% to 25% in 2024.   The Administration continues to deliver for the American people by rebuilding the United States’ industrial capacity to produce port cranes with trusted partners. A 25% tariff rate on ship-to-shore cranes will help protect U.S. manufacturers from China’s unfair trade practices that have led to excessive concentration in the market. Port cranes are essential pieces of infrastructure that enable the continuous movement and flow of critical goods to, from, and within the United States, and the Administration is taking action to mitigate risks that could disrupt American supply chains. This action also builds off of ongoing work to invest in U.S. port infrastructure through the President’s Investing in America Agenda. This port security initiative includes bringing port crane manufacturing capabilities back to the United States to support U.S. supply chain security and encourages ports across the country and around the world to use trusted vendors when sourcing cranes or other heavy equipment.   Medical Products   The tariff rates on syringes and needles will increase from 0% to 50% in 2024. For certain personal protective equipment (PPE), including certain respirators and face masks, the tariff rates will increase from 0–7.5% to 25% in 2024. Tariffs on rubber medical and surgical gloves will increase from 7.5% to 25% in 2026.   These tariff rate increases will help support and sustain a strong domestic industrial base for medical supplies that were essential to the COVID-19 pandemic response, and continue to be used daily in every hospital across the country to deliver essential care. The federal government and the private sector have made substantial investments to build domestic manufacturing for these and other medical products to ensure American health care workers and patients have access to critical medical products when they need them. American businesses are now struggling to compete with underpriced Chinese-made supplies dumped on the market, sometimes of such poor quality that they may raise safety concerns for health care workers and patients.   Today’s announcement reflects President Biden’s commitment to always have the back of American workers. When faced with anticompetitive, unfair practices from abroad, the President will deploy any and all tools necessary to protect American workers and industry.