A job hunt, for most, is tough and stressful. Many face a time crunch, and others deal with little time to search. Because of this, it is vital to leverage whatever tools or devices available to save time AND to help you look as good as possible.
Below are 6 tools that can help without breaking the bank. Some may surprise you!
#1 Virtual Voice Assistant
While a look at the news and social media reveals many with whom I’ve had many spirited discussions, people who resolutely believe voice assistants like Cortana’s Microsoft, Apple’s Siri, Google’s Home or Amazon’s Alexa are an invasion of privacy – I’m of the opinion that they can make scheduling and research quite streamlined.
From allowing you to verbally set reminders for everything from phone calls to interviews, to checking on the weather or traffic before heading in for an in-person interview, these tools save you the step of opening up a search engine and typing in your question.
While the privacy or intrusion discussion is certainly worth exploring in the long-run, selfishly in the short-run it may save you valuable time.
#2 Standup of Sit-to-Stand Desks
There are several health benefits of working while standing according to Making Conversation Founder Peggy Wallace, from lowering your blood sugar to reducing back pain. 
For job seekers facing phone screens and online interviews, there are even more benefits. Wallace writes that standing helps to open up your diaphragm, which in turn increases how confident you sound to others – while adding a bit of professionalism to your tone.
She also notes that standing while speaking can increase your sense of control – which in turn can calms the nerves. Who doesn’t want that during an interview?
#3 Job Search Organizational System
Whether you keep track of your job search on an excel spreadsheet or in a good old-fashioned spiral notebook – if you don’t keep records, chances are that at some point in the process, you will forget the who, when and why. Share on X
Having ready access to information including who you reached out to and why is CRITICAL. For that reason, I recommend selecting a record-keeping system that ideally is mobile or at the very least is easily portable.
Consider downloading Google Sheets or the Microsoft Excel App to your phone, or look to job search solutions like JibberJobber – offering free and subscription options for mobile and desktop designed to help job seekers keep their job search and professional network organized and easily accessible.
#4 Ring/Halo Light
Halo lights are commonplace in fashion and beauty, medicine and dentistry because they offer strong illuminating lighting at a pinpointed source. Today, they are becoming increasingly commonplace among the world of social media influencers when making videos.
Job seekers can use halo lights to put their best foot (or in this case face) forward during online interviews. Halo’s bright lights are more flattering or forgiving when it comes to complexion and under eye circles. They also will help mitigate the harsh shadows commonly made by desk lamps and overhead room lights.
Fortunately, small, portable and affordable halo lights (a quick search reveals several models for & $30) are easy to find on most eCommerce platforms.
#5 Video Interviewing Software
Like phone screens, video interviewing is now a job hunt norm. Job seekers should expect them to take place once or twice after the initial phone screen.
In addition to investing in a halo light, I recommend practice, practice, practice. Sites like JoinMe, GoToWebinar and Skype are just a few video conferencing and screen sharing platforms that offer free accounts.
Camera-shy members can practice, and have a trusted colleague, friend or family member watch on the other end, via desktop or mobile.
#6 Boomerang
Boomerang for email (available for Gmail and Outlook, on Androids and iPhones), IMHO, may quite possibly be my favorite email productivity tool available on the market.
Similar to Gmail, you can snooze emails and schedule them for a later send. However, Boomerang’s added functionality allows users to schedule “reminders” to yourself with notes – invaluable when it comes to following up on important messages when you don’t hear back or you’re afraid you’ll forget.
It even includes intel on message opening, reading receipts, and notify you if your email was opened on a mobile device or desktop.
In my view, Boomerang lets you keep on top of one of the harder parts of job search for many – building and nurturing your professional network. I use the tool to remind myself at regular intervals to keep in touch with many in my network.
They make it easy! Just draft a message and before sending it set a date for it to “boomerang” back to you with a note to yourself to reconnect upon return.
Cost-Effective Job Hunt Efficiencies at Your Fingertips
A well-executed job search requires organization, preparation, follow through and time.
These 6 tools can help you make the most of your time, assist you in keeping tabs on all aspects of job search from outreach to networking to interviews, and help you put your best self forward – without breaking your bank.
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