Global employment statistics are bleak, with media reports of job ads dropping, unemployment on the rise, and daily news of financial doom and gloom. It’s unfortunate, but if you’re one of those currently job hunting, you’re faced with more competitors for that same role than ever before.

Added to this is the likelihood that many companies will have filled their next role with a referral or an internal applicants before the job has even been advertised.

So how do you tackle this? Here are six job hunting tips to help you land that dream job — despite the tough times:

Spell check

Ensure your resume is up to scratch. Check and double check that your CV is free from grammar or spelling errors. Work on keeping it short and succinct, but thorough. Avoid using TXT speak or acronyms unless you explain them.

There are some great resume templates on Canva, if it needs a redesign.

Make sure that you include your interests, and that there’s more than just your computer-based hobbies. Prospective employers want to see you have outside interests too.

Oh, and provide plenty of contact options, such as mobile phone and email address (see the next point though!).

For further resume tips, check out these handy articles:

Employer friendly email address

When you are job hunting, obtain a real email address. Hosting and domain names are so cheap nowadays, there’s no excuse to be without a professional email address.

An email address such as firstname@lastname.com looks a whole lot better than someUsername42716@freewebemailprovider.com.

Resume website

It is trivial nowadays to create a simple resume web site when you are job hunting. Now that you have a domain name and hosting, you can now put it to good use and create a one-page resume web site?

If you’ve yet to start a blog, you may want to create a one- or two-page “Looking for Work” web site.  If you do have one, make sure that you optimise your blog for SEO love. Check out One Page Love for some inspiring one-page web sites.

Announce you’re job hunting

Send your details out there! Tell the world you’re looking for a job. Email all your contacts with your resume attached, but make sure it’s as a PDF rather than in a word processing format that may be hard to open.

Make sure, though, that the emails are personalised, with just the one addressee per email. It’s amazing how many resumes I receive that include every other web company in my town in the To: field.

Google yourself

See what Google says about you. I’ve been known to Google applicant names prior to an interview. It may be a little time consuming, but it’s wise to deal with those Christmas party photos of you in that silly outfit (or worse) before a prospective employer researches your name on Google.

Stalk your target companies

Start engaging with your target companies and potential employers. Sign up to their email newsletters, comment on their blogs, reply and interact with their social media posts. You want them to recall your name when you finally send through an application or an enquiry email.

Get social

Speaking of social, make sure to embrace all the relevant social networks. You may think they’re all just fun and games, but networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and others can also help you find your next job. Try building connections on LinkedIn with people in your chosen industry, and research the companies they work for.

Take a look at Dan Schawbel’s great post on Mashable, 7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media.

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