There are many articles floating around the internet about how to conduct a successful job search, what tools to use and how to write a good CV and cover letter, so I wanted to address the issue of improving your job search through thorough planning and knowing exactly what you’re looking for before you begin your search.
Planning is key. By spending some time understanding what position you’re looking for and in what industry you would like to work (you can choose a couple of varying positions and industry’s, of course) you’ll be able to tackle the task of searching for the jobs that are best suited to you in the least time possible.
There are so many different channels from which to conduct your job search from, and with the introduction (and full stabilisation) of social media there are even more to utilise – job searching tools, job notification Apps, new jobs boards and much more. Choosing the right tools to aid in your job search will also help you to minimise the time it takes to pin point the best jobs for you to apply for.
The best way to tackle your job search is to start with a plan. Think about what job you’re interested in, what skills relating to it that you already have, why you think you would be well suited to it and so on. By doing this you’ll be able to narrow down the exact job and / or position that you’re looking for (or maybe a couple of jobs / positions) which will help you to make the next step: searching for a job.
From the point-of-view of a recruiter there’s nothing more daunting and time consuming than going through the job applications, because it’s highly likely that a large number of the applicants will not be suitable for the job. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with applying for a job that you feel might be a little out of reach for you at the moment, given your experience and skills, it’s not advisable to apply to a job that is way beyond your ability, because you’re just wasting your own time and that of the recruiter.
The purpose of planning and writing down what you’re looking for, what skills you currently have and so on, is to allow you to better understand what positions you really are suitable for. Therefore, during your job search, you can narrow down a selection of positions that you’re interested in from here you can shortlist the ones you have a very good shot at getting.
The number of jobs that you apply to is also crucial. Every application should take you some time as you need to write a new cover note and you should adapt your CV to suit each job application too.
By following these rather simple steps and investing time in the planning of your job search you’ll massively increase your chances of finding the best suited job for you and therefore you’ll increase your chances of landing a job!
