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Job Search Tips To Help You Find the Best Opportunity Every Time

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| Updated:
October 13, 2020
Job Search Tips
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One thing you should understand, is that searching for a job, is a job on its own, hence the need for different job search tips.

Searching for a job is not something you leave to chance. You have to be strategic about your approach to the labor market and apply relevant job search tips. Especially, in a country where the unemployment rate is steadily on the rise.

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 Job Search Tips You Should Know

Since finding the right job opportunities can’t be left to chance, you need some job search tips to help you find the best opportunities out there. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and hacks that are built to help you find your dream job quicker.

1.) Have A Goal In Mind

What do you really want? Do you want a job in the meantime? Are you career-oriented or you’re just in for the paycheck? You have to approach the job search negotiating table with a goal in mind. This will help you through the process and in your job search journey. If you’re career-oriented, you have to know the industry that you want to play the long term game in. What role are you looking at? What are the requirements for those roles? All of these will position you for the task ahead.

2.) Do Your Homework

Research the industry where you want to work and build a career. Don’t make your goal or job search too vague and open-ended. Know the company you’re applying to, and the role you are applying for. Research about the company and keep abreast of their operations online.

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You don’t want to randomly send out applications with the hope that something clicks. Think about what would really make a position and a company a good fit. Explore whether you would be willing to relocate, the company’s values, and if the current employees are happy there. If you know someone who has worked there before, don’t be afraid to reach out.

See Also: Top online jobs for student and freelancers to explore.

3.) Get Your Curriculum Vitae Ready

Of all the job search tips, one thing that shouldn’t leave the back of your mind is that; you’re selling yourself, and your recruiters are buying what you’re selling. What irresistible offer can you give your prospective employer? Having this at the back of your mind helps you throughout the job search process.

Because you’re selling yourself, your curriculum vitae (CV) is like a proposal. How best can you sell yourself through your curriculum vitae (CV)? What are the dos and don’ts of your curriculum vitae?

As a value-focused job searcher, you really need to understand that your curriculum vitae should be tailor-made to the specific industry you’re targeting. There is nothing like a generic curriculum vitae. If you’re a fresh graduate or with less than 5 years of working experience, it should not be more than two pages.

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4.) Things To Leave Out Of Your CV

Make sure you hit your target by making it straight to the point. Focus more on your skills and experiences, while also using industry keywords to garnish your points. Avoid jargon; nobody cares about your state of origin, complexion, age, and date of birth. If your age doesn’t affect your ability to do the job you’re applying for, it has no place on your CV. Marital status, photograph, irrelevant work experiences, and references should only appear if required. 

5.) Run An applicant Tracking System Test

I know what it feels like to get a great job. You draft your curriculum vitae and write a winning cover letter, submit your application online and then hope for the best. However, you don’t know if your application will pass the infamous six-second resume review test. 

This test screens all curriculum vitae, and more often than not, most job applications are lost in this resume “black hole” because of not meeting certain criteria. As a job seeker, you should know that about 75% of job applications are rejected before they are even seen by real humans. Most times, the applicant tracking system (ATS) does the sorting before your curriculum vitae reaches the recruiter.

Make sure you run an ATS test on your curriculum vitae before applying. Especially, when you’re applying to multinationals and top companies. There are lots of ATS simulators online, where you can run a test on your curriculum vitae. 

Resunate is a web-based software that shows you how your resume would score on the applicant tracking system—and helps you improve it for every job you apply for.

See Also: Different personality types and how to sell to them.

6.) Update Your LinkedIn Profile

One professional social media platform that any job seeker and professional should not joke with is LinkedIn. Never underestimate the power of LinkedIn as a job seeker. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, open one. Take a professional mugshot and network based on your career needs.

LinkedIn makes sure that you stay on the radar and that you will be remembered when an opportunity that suits your interest comes up.

How do you do this without being annoying? Share an article, a quote, or a project you’re working on. Other ways of showing up in the LinkedIn newsfeed are by getting recommended, by adding a new connection, by joining a group, or by changing your photo.

Put these simple ‘hacks’ into practice, and you’ll quickly see an improvement in your job search results.

7.) Always Attach A Cover Letter To Your CV When Applying For A Job

One major thing that can give you an edge over the rest of the crowd is your cover letter. It makes your application stand out. The cover letter addresses the role you’re applying for and the company you’re applying to.

More so, it tells the recruiter why you’re the best candidate for the job. Make sure your cover letter tells the recruiter about your unique selling point.

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8.) Use Your Network 

Networking is still the way most people find jobs and the job search strategies you use need to include networking. Make use of your existing contact and connect with everyone you know. Let them know that you are in the job market and also be clear to them about the type of opportunity you’re looking for.  

Join LinkedIn groups so you’ll have access to more people and job listings posted for group members. Reach out to professionals in your target industry and let them know you’re available for opportunities.

9.) Ace Your Interview 

A job interview, of course, is what is going to get you a job offer – or not. Prepare for your job interview. Research the company before you go for the interview, dress appropriately, practice answering and asking interview questions, and make a concerted effort to impress the interviewer with your skills, experience, confidence, and expertise.

Conclusion: 

Job searching isn’t about applying for jobs and hoping to get called for an interview anymore. Few people are able to simply put in an application, get an interview, and land a job in today’s competitive, network-driven job market. The most successful job seekers utilize a variety of strategies, from establishing a social presence to targeting companies. These efforts help them stand out from the crowd.

These job search tips if followed accordingly will fetch you a great job. Have you ever applied any of these job search tips in your job search? Let us know in the comments section below.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank Fagbo

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