There are plenty of activities that spark joy and excitement at the beginning, only to have that excitement taper off after a few weeks. Starting a diet is great at the beginning, envisioning yourself dropping a few pounds and feeling great but after 10 days of broccoli, rice, and cycling, you’re ready to call it quits.
Looking for an apartment is another one. It’s great to browse through different apartments and imagine your life there. 70 million apartment visits later, and you’d accept a cardboard box on the side of the road.
Lastly, looking for a job may cause the same amount of excitement. At first, you are gung-ho as you jump into the job world, passing out resumes left and right. One week in and it’s just incredibly tiring. There’s nothing enjoyable about hitting “submit” anymore.
Below, we’re going to go over six different ways that you can improve your job search. This doesn’t mean guaranteeing you’ll be finding that original joy you had, but these tips will definitely help your mindset and job potential.
Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
One of the reasons the idea of job hunting may seem so exciting is because you see a couple of jobs that you think “this job is perfect for me!”. The requirements match your qualifications, they have three weeks of paid vacation, and it’s close to your house. You apply and are positive you’re going to hear back, and then…nothing.
It’s hard when you don’t receive even a reply back from a job you had pinpointed on your radar. Those first few failures shouldn’t define who you are or how you’re going to go about your job search. Remember, there are bound to be a lot of people applying for the same job and just because you weren’t chosen doesn’t mean that you’re unworthy.
So, be smart when managing expectations and play the numbers game.
Use A Tailored Resume And Cover Letter
When you’re scouring the job market, it may be tempting to use a one-size-fits-all resume and cover letter. While your resume will need less tailoring than your cover letter, it’s still vital you’re making each document job specific.
One way to do this is to use words from the job description in your resume and highlight any similar sounding skills. Also, be sure to talk about your relevant experiences and how they would relate to a job. 4 Tips To Make Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) Stand Out From The Rest
It might be tempting to simply copy and paste the letter while removing the company name, but that will often lead to more dead ends.
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Branch Out Of The Internet
Networking is an incredible tool for those who want to find work. While the easiest route is simply applying to as many jobs as possible online, networking is often a more valuable tool when it comes to finding a job.
Surprisingly, there are still a vast amount of jobs that are not posted online. While many of those jobs may stay in-company, there are still plenty of ways to work your way into those jobs.
Attend conferences, meet with friends of friends, or branch out via LinkedIn. Don’t limit yourself to the online world.
Speaking of LinkedIn…
Your Online Presence
Employers are often looking online for recruiting purposes but also to judge a person’s character. That means you should have a clean-looking online profile. It might be time to take those pictures of you having a bit too much of a good time at your friend’s birthday party last year.
LinkedIn is also a fantastic tool to let employers look at your resume and past experience. Many job application sites let you apply through LinkedIn while including a cover letter.
LinkedIn is also a fantastic place to network and reach out to others, helping you find work or connecting with someone who can lead you in the right direction.
Prepare For Interview And Post-Interview Steps
With nearly every employer, they tend to ask those impossible questions such as “what are your three biggest weaknesses”. These questions aren’t necessarily meant to judge you on your weaknesses, but judge how you react under pressure.
Go through a list of questions and think about how you would go about answering those.
You should also be preparing how you’re going to reach out to the business after the interview is completed. Thank you notes matter, either handwritten or email and it’s a great way to show your appreciation while keeping your name on their mind.
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