We know you want a job. Lots of people do. And a lot of people will apply for the same jobs as you, making your job, of getting a job, that much harder.
Competition in the job market has always been stiff and with the addition of social media making it easier to get a job, it’s important you learn how to properly conduct your job hunt. The mental aspect of getting a job is just as important as tangible things like a good resume or useful interview tips.
Clarity is the most important thing you can have going in to a job hunt. Sun tzu said “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
What this means is knowing your own motivations, wants and needs is just as important as having a fancy resume and reading different interview tips. You’ll never be satisfied with your job or job hunt if you don’t know what you want. How can you go about getting what you want if you don’t know what it is?
In order to get ready for your job hunt follow these tips:
Get clear on what you want and what you need
Everyone wants more money. You need to ask yourself why though. Simply saying you want a job that pays more isn’t enough.
Why do you want a job that pays more? Are you planning on having more bills? What are you willing to do to get paid more? What are you not willing to do?
When you have this type of clarity, even working a difficult job becomes easier because you have a clear reason/goal that your working towards. Employers love employees that work with a purpose. This purpose will fuel your energy on a daily basis and keep you in a good place mentally when it comes to your job.
Be honest with yourself and lay out your needs and goals.
What do you want to do?
Focus on the following three areas when asking yourself this question:
Type of work
Ask yourself how you want to be working. Do you want to be doing labour, administration, sales, marketing or human resources? Do you want to be working indoors or outdoors? Do you want to be working with people or in the background? The more specific you can be the better.
Industry
Ask your self what type of company you want to work for. If you are passionate about the environment look at green companies or if you love movies look at different production companies in your area. Make a list of companies that you would like to work for.
Location
This is a very important thing to consider. Employers don’t want to hear about your travel issues especially as a new employee.
Ask yourself if you’re willing to move. Look at the type of companies you want to work at and where there located compared to where you live. Ask yourself what type of transportation you’ll be taking to get there.
Depending on if you’re taking the bus or driving, you’ll need to calculate your daily transportation costs and the time it takes you to get to work. You also need to be able to tell if this transportation is feasible to get you to work on time. Ask yourself if your willing to travel long distances to get to work.
For example you may be willing to travel far to a job that is one of your top choices but if it’s a position just to tide you over financially, you need to consider how much time your willing to invest in traveling. Remember you must make this trek daily.
Remember to be firm with what you want but flexible in how you organize your options
Trying to get a job without a solid resume is like trying to swim without getting wet. If you try and get a job without putting in time on your resume, you’ll end up very disappointment.
Use the following articles to get your resume on track. Always customize your resume to the type of job/industry you’re applying for and make sure the design is clean & easy to read.
General tips for organizing your resume
Getting your resume past an applicant tracking system
Making sure your resume is professional enough
3 qualities you need to include on your resume
6 tips to beef up your resume if you’re still in college
Putting it all together
Once you secure an interview, it’s time to put all your knowledge together and execute. Being successful in interviews is a combination of being prepared and being confident. The more prepared & ready you feel the easier it is to be confident. The following is a general list of things you should consider before heading to an interview.
- Be on time – no employee wants to hear any excuse from a prospective employee on why they are late on the first day.
- Dress properly – always dress appropriately for the type of job/industry you are applying for.
- Being a copy of your resume & a pen and pad
- Know the place your applying at, their history, goals & most importantly their location and how long it will take you to get there
- Be very clear and flexible about your availability – you should have this prepared in advanced and not make decisions on the spot.
- Expect to be asked situational questions
- Bring solid concrete questions to ask
You may be thinking all of the things covered in this article seems like a lot of work. This is because looking for a job is a job in itself.
You have to be willing to put in the time and prepare if you want a job that satisfies your needs.
If you are clear on what you want and what you’re good at, you can orchestrate your job hunt that will allow you to get a job that truly suits your personality and skills.
