Month: May 2021

 

How hard is it to find a job? And what makes it hard?

As with any important step in our life, finding a good job seems to be an insurmountable problem. However, if we divide this task into smaller parts and tackle upcoming challenges step by step, things won’t look dramatic anymore. Yes, the job search is rather a marathon where patience and consistency prevail over speed.

There are many reasons why it takes us so long to find a good workplace. The problem largely depends on the industry, salary expectations, candidate’s experience and skills, economic situation in the country. These factors should determine the strategies for job hunting. We would like to share some tips that help ease the job search process and make it more productive.

Imagine yourself in the long-term perspective

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? No worries, this question irritates us too. The world has become too changeable, so even the most reasonable plans can now look more like sandcastles. Although no one has a crystal ball to predict the future, identifying your ambitions serves as the first real step to a successful job search.

At the end of the day, people spend about one-third of their life at work! On one hand, it should motivate us to be more selective and careful while choosing strategies for job hunting. On the other hand, the amount of responsibility makes us believe that there is no room for a mistake. Let’s admit the fact that an idea of the long-term perspective scares us. To overcome the fear of the future, think of things you find important, inspirational, and entertaining. Being honest with your preferences is a good first step.

List things you enjoy

Imagine, you will have to perform them for a long time. Are you interested in developing yourself in these spheres? Go through activities you find exciting. Due to the lack of personal and professional experience, this task could be hard at first. As an alternative, ask people you admire and respect about their career path. Fresh ideas and thoughts can help you figure out what could grab and keep your attention for a long time.

If the mission is still hard to accomplish, then write down the tasks boring you to tears. Are you ready to endure them for your future career? Since an average working day lasts for 8 hours, we strongly encourage candidates (even for entry positions) to look for jobs they find inspiring. All joking aside, the short philosophical session “what I actually want to do in my life” underlies the whole search process and determines possible strategies for job hunting.

However, life is changeable. So, if feel that the current occupation doesn’t inspire you anymore, don’t be afraid of the career change. With the right strategy, you will be able to switch effectively and start doing things that truly inspire you.

Schedule your job hunt

The labour market has low and high seasons. They may slightly differ depending on the country or an industry, but main trends remain unchanged. Revival of economic activity right after the Christmas season and summer vacation increases your chances to find a good job. In winter hiring managers obtain budgets for the year. In early autumn they come back from holiday.

Don’t forget about thousands of freshly graduated candidates who start bombing companies with their CVs in May/June.

Show respect to HR specialists from foreign companies and check if you send the application on the regular working day, not on the national holiday. Friday isn’t the best day to send the documents because on Monday morning they will appear at the bottom of the email box. If the company you want to work with is located in another time zone, consider this factor as well. Don’t send anything in the middle of the night. These subtleties help make the job search process less frustrating and let you focus on the quality of your CV.

Keep an eye on internships and apprenticeships. Their schedule may vary from the regular job postings. However, even if the vacancy is closed, the company can still consider you, but for temporary employment. Don’t brush off the opportunity to add valuable experience to your CV.

Sum up what you know and can

If there is no plan on how to organize the whole job search process, looking for vacancies turns into a disaster. What does the candidate have to bear in mind before submitting applications?

Let’s start by writing down everything about your previous experience. Make a detailed description of the tasks your team completed, cases you solved, and software you dealt with. HR specialists appreciate brief applications with some quantitative metrics. The latter allows them to evaluate a candidate’s potential faster. Try to summarize your achievements and convert them into clear numbers.

Once you accomplished the magnum opus of your professional experience (and felt proud of yourself), use it as the main resource for the next applications. Needless to say, good candidates always adjust their CVs and cover letters to the requirements of the particular employer. You don’t have to mention everything, rather focus on the most relevant points. However, having a full picture of your achievements doesn’t only make you feel more confident, but also helps extract the necessary professional traits.

Prefer quality over quantity

Sending thousands of similar applications is a doubtful strategy. To be honest, it shows the lack of any strategy in the first place. Don’t try to knock on all the doors at the same time, but choose the right keys for the ones you really want to open. Prioritize companies or positions where you see yourself the most clearly. Your applications have to reflect this aspiration. Brief research of the company’s activities, goals, and values is the shortest way to represent yourself as a serious candidate who respects her own and the recruiter’s time.

Since such in-depth analysis requires lots of effort, keep track of the application process. Make sure to know when you wrote the first letter and when the follow-up should be sent. Set the reminder for interviews and calls. First of all, you will not get confused by sudden letters or meetings (you are unprepared for). Secondly, it decreases your anxiety and helps feel in control of the situation.

Submitting one but thought-out application per day during the week is better than sending five offhand semi-drafts with typos on a Friday evening. Remember, that the world is small. The wrong first impression due to the poorly made CV may affect you along the professional path later on.

Learn what you have to know

While on the hunt for the job, you will constantly face different employers’ requirements. They will help you understand what skills (especially hard ones) you have to gain and improve. Understanding modern tools, software, or methods, highly appreciated in your sphere increases the chances to get the dream job. However, there is a fine line between understanding and possessing.

So does it mean, you have to freeze the whole job search process and start studying again? Definitely no. Quite rarely do candidates meet all the requirements listed by the employer. May this situation not confuse you. Showing aspiration to learn fast and explore new things can be as beneficial as the necessary skills themselves. The reason is simple. Less experienced employees pay more attention to their tasks and stay excited by the work longer. Knowledge gained during thematic lectures and webinars can compensate for the lack of experience sometimes. No one knows everything, so live and learn.

As we see, before sending the first CV, you need to have a couple of job searching strategies. First of all, try to get a deeper understanding, what you want (and don’t want) to do in this life. Then make a career plan, when to start looking for new opportunities and how to keep track of the whole process. Don’t send thousands of similar applications. Make you letter and resume different each time. Doing the same things over and over won’t lead you to brand new results. Make the most of professional networks and social media. Learn the most common interview questions.

Looking for a job opportunities is a marathon where patience prevails over speed. To get a job offer means to prove you are the best. So, adjust your strategies for job hunting to the industry, economic situation, and your aspirations. Use job description and employers requirements as your professional navigator to understand what skills and knowledge you have to possess. However, sometimes showing readiness to challenges gives you an advantage over experience.