Being jobless is an experience most people need to go through in their journey towards making a career for themselves. While it is inevitable, the process itself might not be that pleasant especially if it goes on for a long time. It affects the unemployed individual not only with respect to income but also with respect to health and mortality. The longer the unemployment goes on the more severe the health effects which include depression. Unemployed people also find themselves losing friends as well as their own self-respect and the more prolonged it becomes the harder it is for them to find employment again which is partly due to the loss of skill over time.
Some people choose to be unemployed voluntarily as they had saved enough money that enables them to quit their unfulfilling jobs and live comfortably while searching for a new one. While others are forced into joblessness due to circumstances such as technological advancement which displaces human labor and demand-deficiency in the market where there are fewer jobs available. Graduates fresh from school who newly want to enter the workforce, as well as people who seek to re-enter the workforce after leaving end up facing the woes of unemployment.
Unless you are one of the lucky few who work in a high-demand career, finding a new job can be a challenging and frustrating experience. While searching for a job you normally end up getting tons of advice on what to do but unfortunately most of them turn out ineffective. Well, it is no surprise since job searching isn’t just about applying for jobs and hoping to get called for an interview anymore. Few people are able to simply put in an application, get an interview, and land a job in today’s competitive, network-driven job market. The most successful job seekers utilize a variety of strategies, from establishing a social presence to targeting companies, to help them stand out from the crowd. In today’s video practical wisdom brings you effective strategies that you can employ to enable you to job hunt like a pro.
Customize your resume and cover letter
Your resume is the main weapon for your job hunt. It is important to take your time and write a concise resume and cover letter. A resume is used to make a favorable impression on a prospective employer and is often the first impression a potential employer has of you. Without a favorable initial impression, a prospective employer is likely to stop considering you as a suitable candidate for the job on offer and move on to other candidates who have provided better resumes.
When creating your resume, purpose to create a targeted resume or an achievement-oriented resume that highlights your accomplishments that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Ask a friend, family member, coworker, career counselor, or other professional to proofread your resume and cover letter for errors, as well as to offer advice. This will save you the embarrassment of formatting or grammatical mistakes that may go unnoticed to you. You should also refer to resume templates online or even resume builders which will help you customize your resume
Know your career goals
Start by identifying what type of career you want. Be clear on what you want, why you want it, and what qualifies you. This is particularly important for people entering the workforce for the first time or those changing careers. Ensure you have a clear realistic goal, plan how you intend to reach it, and note what qualifies you for that career path. The better you know yourself, the more likely you are to find a new job that provides you with greater satisfaction.
Create a plan
Job hunting is a full-time job in itself. As a matter of 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. It is therefore important to organize yourself and your schedule for job hunting. Identify key points such as your ideal time frame for finding a new job, what are the types of companies you’d like to work for, and when you will perform job searches.
Search for the right jobs
After you have identified your career goals, you should look for job openings that are tailored to your interests and use the job search engines to find jobs by using keywords that match them. By doing this you are narrowing the range of your search criteria which will save you time. Rather than limiting yourself to manual online searches, take advantage of all job search options including reaching out to companies or hiring managers in person, attending career fairs, searching social media or using a career counseling service.
Research your target companies
As you find job listings that interest you, follow up by researching the hiring companies before you apply. Researching the hiring company will enable you to know if you would want to work with them as it will provide you with information about their company culture, benefits and salary range, products and services, work environment, and more. It will also enable you to tailor and customize your resume and cover letter to meet the demands of the post offered.
Use your network
Networking is about establishing and nurturing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with the people you meet. A large and strong network of contacts results in more job opportunities.
Networking – in person and online – is essential to your success in your job search. No matter the age, it is still the most prominent means by which people find jobs. In fact, experts agree that the most connected people are often the most successful. The right employee referral can increase your chances tenfold of landing the job. And, if you’re looking to make a career change, your professional network can support you by helping you find in the industry you are trying to break into or helping you find leads for jobs at specific companies. You can also join LinkedIn Groups that will enable you to have access to job listings posted for Group members.
Apply with confidence
Most job seekers normally underestimate their value and tend to be insecure of the value they can bring to an organization. Hiring managers normally look for people who will be quickly deployable to do the work and usually the tasks you need to complete on a regular basis are learned or refined on the job. If you meet the majority of the qualifications for a job you are interested in and are confident you can quickly learn the remainder, apply for that job, but make sure your resume demonstrates your past success in learning new skills.
Try informational interviews
An informational interview refers to a casual conversation between a job applicant and someone who works at a company that they want to be a part of. It is usually the result of a successful networking opportunity, allowing you to learn more about a particular job from someone who is already working in the industry. The informational interview provides information that can also help you determine what opportunities are available.
It may be a casual conversation, but if you handle it correctly, you may be one step closer to the job that you want. The first step is to reach out to someone you already know. In such away, it’s easier to set up an interview since both parties are familiar with each other. Rather than the ‘hard sell’ of ‘I’m looking for a job, do you know of anything,’ this informational meeting takes the ‘soft-sell’ approach of asking for information and for them to share their story as you gain advice for your job search and career journey.
Ace the Interview
A job interview, of course, is what will or will not grant you the job offer. Therefore you should take the time
to prepare yourself well. Before the interview, develop responses for common interview questions, and then practice them — ideally using the mock-interviewing technique with a friend, network contact, or interview coach. The more prepared you are for the interview, the more comfortable you’ll be – and the more likely you’ll succeed. Dress smartly during the actual day and wow the interviewer with your skills, experience, confidence, and expertise. It’s also advisable to follow up post-interview with a thank you note. Use your thank-you note as an opportunity to emphasize why you’re the best candidate for the position. If you flubbed an answer during the interview, you can also use your thank you note to clarify.
Continue following up with the hiring manager
When you are selected for a job interview, it means that you’re a serious contender for the job. That’s why it’s important to take the time to follow up after every single job interview, including in-person and phone interviews, as well as second interviews. If possible, collect business cards from everyone you meet during your interview.
That way, you’ll have people’s contact information on hand. In the follow-up email or letter, promote your candidacy, tell the interviewer why you are qualified, what you forgot to say, and include your contact information to make it easy for the interviewer to get back in touch by including your phone number and email address.
Be patient in your search
The search for a job may take longer than you expect. In fact even after you go for interviews the results will take time before you get them and Glassdoor reports that the job with the fastest interview process is a waiter at 8 days, while the slowest is a professor at 60.3 days. Patience is therefore essential in the long process of job hunting.
Understand that it’s a process and while you are job searching, grab a notebook, and keep track of everything you do. It doesn’t have to be extremely detailed, but keeping some type of record will help you stay motivated. Rewarding yourself is also a good way to get motivation. As you are tracking your job-hunting activities, you can set mini-milestones to create rewards for.
While finding a job is important, it can’t be your focus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’re going to drive yourself crazy if you do that. You need to find ways to recharge your mental, physical and emotional batteries. Sit down, watch some television, and relax. You don’t have to spend money to relax and have a good time.
