Let’s face it, most likely you dislike #jobsearching or perhaps you have not done it in a long time. You may not have conducted a search because you always got your jobs by knowing someone. Right now, the market looks good in most sectors but it will not always be this way. If you spent the past few months applying to many postings without receiving a positive response, or you have waited for the new year to start, here are recommendations to help you out.
IDENTIFY YOUR SKILLSET – Determine what you are good at and what you enjoyed doing in past jobs. Assess your background and examine how your experience aligns with various roles. Let's say you are good at numbers but have found that unappealing. Just because you are good at something, does not mean it has to be your primary job responsibility. Maybe you were asked to perform tasks outside of your role and found those more enjoyable. It takes time to clarify this, so if you can, allow yourself time.
CONSIDER UPGRADING YOUR SKILLS – Review job descriptions to determine if your skills are lacking. In some cases, you can attend bootcamps, enroll in online courses, or do self-learning using platform tutorials. Conduct research into courses and bootcamps that require you to pay.
STAND OUT AS A CANDIDATE – This does not mean creating a #resume with graphics, a picture, icons, and fancy fonts. Use a standard resume and avoid using templates. Many companies use software to review resumes. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) screen resumes, and most cannot process these elements. Unfortunately, gone are the days when you could assume a human would review your resume (if only that were true now). It is always best to err on the safe side and assume employers will use one of the approximately 200 ATS systems available.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS NEED 100% OF THE SKILLS LISTED ON JOB DESCRIPTIONS – If you have at least 85%, then feel free to apply. Obviously, this does not work if you are applying for jobs where minimum skills are required: i.e., knowledge of certain healthcare equipment, specific industry certifications, or IT requirements. Also, you will notice many job listings indicate 'required' or 'preferred,' so let this guide you as well.
PRACTICE YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS IN ADVANCE – You might be tempted to wait until you get the #jobinterview. However, what happens if the meeting is in a couple of days? Even if you feel you are a pro, it is ALWAYS necessary to practice, ideally using video to see and hear yourself. Since many questions will be related to your 'soft skills' (i.e., ability to be part of a team, interpersonal skills, etc.), prepare specific examples early. In addition, you must have questions for them, so this will be part of your prep work.
WHEN YOU LAND THE INTERVIEW, RESEARCH THE ORGANIZATION – This is crucial because one of their first questions might be, "What do you know about us"? Visit their website and social media accounts to learn about their products, services, customers, and mission statement. For example, are they publicly traded? How do they differ from their competitors? Is it a prominent company like Google or Facebook? You know what they do, but you can still review the latest company news and trending information.
The bottom line is your search should be more than uploading a resume and repeating the cycle. Methodically determine how your background matches what the employer seeks. This is more effective than listing your 'job description' on your application. It takes time so schedule tasks to make the process manageable.
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