Top 5 General tips for job seekers
Top 5 General tips for job seekers
When you spend half of your waking hours at work, it is important to be happy in your job. Job hunting however can be stressful, especially if you are being rejected for opportunities you are interested in. Below are our top 5 general tips for job seekers to make the whole process easier, less stressful and more successful:
#1 – Create a great CV
If you don’t have a good CV, you significantly reduce the chances that you will be shortlisted for interviews. As such, your CV is one of the most important documents you will write in your lifetime. You should format your CV so that it looks professional, clean and easy to read. Most importantly though, you should create a document that makes an immediate impact, ticking as many boxes as possible (that relate to the role you are applying) in the first few seconds. Ordering your CV correctly and using bullet points will make a difference to the number of interviews you are offered. For more detailed CV writing tips visit the Candidate Support area on our website.
#2 – Put yourself on the market
You can proactively look for a new role, but you can also let new opportunities come to you. There are many ways that you can put yourself visible in the market. Let LinkedIn know that you are interested in a new role. Contact a local recruiter that specialises in the type of work you are interested in, and upload your profile and CV to one (or more) of the major job boards.
To enable yourself to be found by a recruiter (internal recruitment or agency) you need to make yourself searchable. This means considering the search terms that recruiters might use when searching for suitable candidates on various platforms. You then need to ensure that these terms, qualifications and phrases appear in your profile and throughout your CV.
#3 – Manage your online presence
In a digital world, your ‘personal life’ is more public than you might realise! Over 80% of recruiters check candidate’s social media profiles when deciding whether or not to offer roles, or even interviews, so managing your social media presence is very important. Have you ever googled yourself? Are photo’s you might not want public visible on your social media accounts?
#4 – Do your research
Do not apply for anything and everything. Start by researching the company. Visit their website to find out what they do and how they do it. Is it a company that you would be interested in working for? Does the company provide a service or create a product that interests you?
Read the job description thoroughly! Not only will this help you decide whether or not to apply for the role, but it will help you create the best application, increase the chances of being invited to interview.
#5 – Spend time preparing for interview
You wouldn’t turn up to an exam and just expect to get the highest score in the room if you have not done any revision. So why would attending an interview be any different? If you have done your research on the company and reviewed the job description you should be able to think of examples when you have completed the tasks or demonstrated the traits that they are looking for in potential employees. Preparing a list of questions that you may want to ask will demonstrate organisation and preparation on your part and avoid your mind going blank when you are asked.
Being prepared will reduce your nerves and allow you to give the very best account of yourself. Preparation prevents poor performance!
