How to prepare the ground for a successful job searchWrite down your objectives. Be clear about the type of job you are looking for and write it down. Are you trying to find someone who works at the company where you would like to interview? Are you hoping to meet someone who might be a good mentor? The six-step job search process gives you tactics to get from where you are to your next job. It is based on the mechanics of the labour market between employers and candidates.
This is important because job seekers often don't know what to do to get a job. They may know how to do the job, i.e. they have the sales and communication skills and experience for the sales job itself, but getting the job, convincing someone to hire you, is different from doing the actual job. It's the difference between being a good driver and being able to pass the driving test.
You need to prepare for the road test (in this case, the job search process) to get the chance to drive. Echoing Green has developed some additional questions for self-reflection and self-assessments, such as the MBTI, can also provide useful information. Many schools' career centres can provide access to these resources and help in interpreting the results. Ultimately, you should be able to describe your goal in one or two sentences with key examples.
Contrary to popular belief, being flexible and open to everything is likely to decrease your chances of hitting on something great and make it harder to make a decision. Network with your current network and talk to others outside your network who are working in jobs related to your goal. The Net Impact Career Community can help you connect with working professionals through informational interviews. Don't forget to attend relevant conferences and events; learn five tips to help you navigate your next networking event with ease.
Make relevant contacts appear through Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media channels. These people will be instrumental in uncovering opportunities that may not be posted online. This is known by some as structured mass networking, but we think of it simply as relationship building. These relationships can help you in your search, and will remain part of your network for years to come.
Use these conversations to learn more about each other's jobs, which will help you confirm (or adjust) your target and signal that you are interested in their field. Don't ask them for a job directly, but make a good impression and ask them to consider you if a relevant opportunity comes up. Ask them if they would be willing to introduce you to other people you could talk to as part of your learning process. After all the self-reflection and research, you should be well positioned for your interviews, but there is still work to do to prepare.
Before you start preparing, be sure to congratulate yourself for being invited to an interview. Acknowledging the small victories along the way is important to stay motivated during what can be a long process. Our top job search tip? Introspect. Looking inward can be incredibly valuable when job hunting.
Take a close look at your unique combination of skills, attributes, work history, credentials, academic profile, interests, volunteer activities, values, priorities and more. Put them all under the microscope. Consider also your work ethic, your attitude towards collaboration, your interest in working independently, as well as your personal principles. Each of these traits or factors is important in determining which career opportunities are a good fit.
Be able to explain what you have done (use concrete and measurable results whenever possible), why you have included it on your CV and how it relates to the job you are applying for. The six-step job search process provides a consistent structure that works for a variety of life situations, including students looking for an internship or full-time job, career changers, job relocators, or those returning to work after unemployment or a leave of absence. If you are careless with your job search communication, leaving rambling voicemails, sending emails with typos or grammatical errors, you are likely to do so at work. The best way to ensure future job search success is to excel in your current job, but there are also other best practices to keep in mind.
In addition to the six steps of the job search, you need to have a foundation for job search success, including confidence that you can get a job, strong communication skills, professional poise and presence, and the physical resources to support your search. Employers not only check your page after you apply, but recruiters also specifically look for potential candidates for jobs they have available through LinkedIn. Visual CV is a website you can use to create an online professional profile designed specifically for job seekers. With input from career experts and industry professionals, we have developed the following six-step process designed to help you land an impactful job.
Whether it's an internship, a full-time job or a career change, every successful search goes through these three stages. Once you have clearly defined your job needs, identify the positions that best fit your list. If you are looking for jobs in the education sector, specifically non-teaching jobs, WorkMonger is a good way to receive job offers for a variety of non-teaching jobs that match your career preferences. Check your track record to see your strengths and weaknesses in communication, so you know what to focus on when preparing for your job search.
But once you have done this, feel free to go home satisfied in the knowledge that your efforts have been a success.
