Remember the good old days when you would open up a newspaper’s classified section, flip through the job section and have a face to face meeting to inquire about an open role? Thanks to the online world, those analog days are long gone. Online however has its perks: greater range of listings, increased accessibility to job and employer information and ease of application. With the help of video conferencing, such as Skype, you may never physically meet your employer until your very first day.
Despite the many advantages the internet can bring you during your job hunt, the overload of information can make you lose your way in the process with just one click. Here are 5 tips to ensure you stay on point.
The Execution:
- Focus on careers that match your skills and strengths.
Understanding who you are as a candidate involves honest reflection of your strengths, skills, and interests. Knowing these aspects will help minimize the amount of time you waste applying for roles that are not a natural fit and will maximize the findings of mutually beneficial roles.
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- Create a plan.
Once you’ve had a chance to reflect, create a plan of all the job types that make sense for you to pursue, i.e. the realistic but fair salary range you’re willing to accept and the daily commute time you’re willing to undergo. Having some filters in mind helps narrow your search and prevents it from becoming that overload on information we’re trying to avoid.
3. Trust your gut.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that instinct is a powerful feeling that ultimately should be embraced. If you already know what type of job you’d like or which company is your first choice, go for it!
Tip: don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, rather try to identify similar jobs or companies that may also fit your criteria as backup.
- Be realistic.
Don’t underestimate your skills. On that same token, don’t over estimate yourself too much either. Take the time to read job descriptions to ensure that the overall role isn’t too much of a stretch, i.e. if you’ve only been a Junior Account Manager, applying for a Regional Manager role is likely not the best fit. It’s not to discourage you, but be mindful of what you can give and what you can grow to deliver after a few more years of experience.
- Pick jobs and career industries that you are genuinely interested in.
One of the most important steps is finding yourself jobs that you are genuinely interested in. Take your true skills and experience and find industries potentially containing jobs that you see yourself developing in for years to come.
Plan of Action:
– After ensuring you’re on the right track with these 5 tips, the main focus from this point forward is to produce a list containing specific companies or organizations in which your qualified talents and passions potentially apply: rather than waiting for random companies you have never heard of to contact you about an advertised position, you are being proactive!
– Another way to stay on top of things is to network online by using resourceful tools such as LinkedIn or even everyday social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. By introducing yourself or being introduced to the right person, you never know when you might come across the perfect opportunity for your dream job! Steps to do this are:
- Research who currently works at your dream job.
- Introduce yourself to them in a friendly manner.
- Strike up a conversation that will leave them intrigued by you.
This type of approach, nonetheless, has the misfortunate history of rarely working right away. Therefore:
- Patience
- Determination
- Persistence
are key to successful and positive networking experiences! In the meantime continue to network in your desired, and specific, circles. Keeping in touch with a larger pool of potential places, and continuing to target areas within reason however will aid you in the long run, therefore, do not limit yourself by stopping at one or two options. Eventually, you will be tipped off about a relevant job opening that you’re probably interested in!
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