Searching for job is not easy now a days. Whether you’ve never searched for a job before, perhaps you’re a new college graduate, may be it’s been so long since you’ve applied to a position, or you interested in doing the same job for a different employer, you want to change career paths that you don’t know where to begin, have no fear, dear job seeker, this guide will take you through every step you need to take to snag your dream job, from how to prepare to the best days to search.
Its true that now a days job hunting is tough, applying for jobs is all about selling yourself to a potential employer. If you’ve had nothing but bad jobs in the past, you know there’s a difference between getting any job and getting a good job. Why should any employer pick you over other applicants? Think about how you can stand out from the crowd.
Following these 10 job search rules will not guarantee your job-hunting success, but will reduce your frustrations and time wasted on fruitless activities, while directing you to the best and most efficient job search techniques.
1. Utilize time intelligently
For most job-seekers, finding a new job takes significant time, effort, and hard work. Some job-seekers, though, waste valuable time by mistakenly using weak and ineffective job-search techniques. The most important source of job leads is people in your network, the weakest sources are general job boards (many of whom have misleading or outdated job postings). Do not waste your time engaged in useless activities for the sake of doing something. Instead, follow the other rules in this article for the best uses of your time.
2. Understand your unique brand
It’s critical that you understand the key characteristics that make you unique on the job market that make you stand above other similar job-seekers. (These characteristics could include your past experience, education, training, skills, and traits.) Not only must you be able to understand what makes you an attractive prospective employee (from the employer’s prospective), but you also must be able to communicate these attributes in your job-search correspondence and in the job interview. Do you know the value of your career brand? Take Our Career Branding Quiz and learn more in our article, Building Your Brand: Tactics for Successful Career Branding.
3. Have a specific job goal
If you don’t know the type of job(s) you seek and how you’re qualified for them, how will any prospective employer? Take time to research the jobs you are qualified for — jobs that also interest you — and carefully document your qualifications (previous work experience, education, certifications, skills, and the like) you have that meet or exceed what each job requires. Once you have identified your job goal, develop a plan to achieve it. (See Rule #4.)
4. Develop a plan to achieve your job goal
It’s one thing to have a goal, but without a plan on how to achieve that goal, you may never reach it. Your plan should include detailed steps for how you will work at your job-search to identify, apply, interview, and accept the ideal job for you. If you must, put your plan on paper so that you review it regularly, making positive steps toward your goal. Read our article, For Job-Hunting Success, Develop a Detailed Job-Search Plan.
5. Work on your job search daily
After developing a plan, your next step should be to pull out your calendar and set a daily job-search agenda. No day should pass that you do not achieve something related to your job-search. Possibilities include attending a networking function, applying to a job opening, going on a job interview, following up a job lead or after a job interview, attending a job fair, requesting or going on an informational interview, researching prospective employers, catching up with a network contact, attending a job-club meeting, seeking advice from a mentor or former professor/boss/co-worker, updating your resume.
6. Create, edit, polish basic resume
While you will rarely use your basic in-customized resume as part of your job-search, you must have a good resume before you modify it for each job opening, as discussed in rule #8. Virtually every resume could use some tweaking — and because the resume is the key that opens doors to the interview — take a hard look at your resume, making adjustments as necessary. If you have not needed to update your resume — or you never written a resume — carefully review current trends and rules of resumes. Review (or start) your resume using some of the resources we offer in the resume section of Quintessential Careers.
7. Explore your network – friends, family & co-workers
Repeat this mantra to yourself and use it to motivate you to strengthen and expand your network of contacts: “Networking is the BEST tool for helping me find a new job.” All the other job-search tools combined do not equal the power of networking in helping you find that next great job opportunity. Traditional face-to-face networking is still the best method for building and maintaining valuable relationships, but don’t ignore online networking opportunities, such as with LinkedIn and Facebook, among others. Read more in our articles, Networking Your Way to a New Job and Frequently Asked Questions About Career Networking.
8. Apply to job openings using targeted resume and cover letter
The cover letter and resume combination that will help you get noticed by a prospective employer is one that is clearly tailored to the job opening and employer. Every resume and cover letter you submit to an employer must show your unique fit to the position and the employer. Use keywords the employer uses to describe the ideal candidate, as well as words the organization uses to describe itself. Read our article, FAKTSA: An Acronym for Remembering Key Resume Enhancers.
9. Interview strategically
Never go into a job interview unprepared, and whenever possible, ask your employer contact about what to expect at the interview. Even if you can’t obtain information about the type of interview or the people you’ll be interviewing with, you can prepare responses to the most common interview questions — using anecdotes and stories to illustrate your points. When possible, research the employer and interviewers — and show that information in the interview. At the interview, remember to gather contact information (including correct spelling of names) on each person who interviews you so that you can follow up with a thank-you note. Take a look at our collection of Job Interviewing Articles for Job-Seekers.
10. Never stop following up
The hiring cycle is often unpredictable — and sometimes extremely drawn out — and the job-seeker who stays in contact with the prospective employer is one who will be remembered when the time for hiring finally arrives. Many job-seekers say they don’t follow up because they are afraid of being seen as pushy or too aggressive, but as long as you are professional in your follow-up, these should not be concerns. Following up with employers shows your continued interest and gives you an opportunity to provide more information and make your case to be hired. Learn more in our article, Job Interview Follow-Up Do’s and Don’ts for Job-Seekers.
Apart from following above steps, here are 15 tips to be considered before hunting good job
- It’s actually relatively common to quit your current job before finding new work, but before you hand in your resignation, you should make sure that you’re in a position to stay financially afloat while you search for a new source of income.
- If you hate your current job, it’s better to quit sooner rather than later.
- Brush up on the basics of making your resume before doing anything else.
- In case, you don’t have a current job or already quit your old one, consider looking for temporary work while you continue looking for permanent work.
- Skip generic job sites. Gor for sites that target your desired field or job type will give you a higher volume of higher-quality results.
- There is difference between good job and any job, so search for a good company. A good work environment can be just as important as the tasks you’ll perform at work.
- Do not hesitate re-locating to other cities, the right position might exist somewhere outside your current city.
- As a general rule, you should apply for a job the same day you hear about the opening.
- If you’re fortunate enough to get called in for an interview, business casual is usually a safe bet, but it’s better to call the company beforehand and specifically ask about the dress code for the interview.
- You should follow up with a company twice after the interview. Express your gratitude the first time and inquire about the position during the second time.
- Fortunaltely or unfortunately if you got rejected, instead of despairing and lowering your sights, keep pressing forward along the path you’ve set for yourself.
- Everyone has his or her own breaking point, but as a general rule, look for potential employers that stick to their promises and commitments.
- Focus on the positive qualities of a potential offer instead of fixating only on an absence of negative qualities.
- More money isn’t always a bad thing, of course, but you need to weigh it against other factors. For instance, you’ll probably be better off in a job that meets your financial needs at 40 hours a week than you would be with a job that pays 15% more but demands 60 hours a week, especially if the two jobs are similar in scope.
- Many jobs come with small perks that seem more significant than they actually are. When evaluating each supposed benefit, ask yourself if it’s truly important before factoring it into your decision.
Hope you like the article ” How to search for a good job“, share this with needy friends, family members and co-workers, and help them to find good job too.
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Credit: livecareer, wikihow