Many people
search for jobs virtually almost every minute or day. With the rise in global
unemployment, the trend has become a daily activity in the lives of every job
seeker. The task does easy on face value is more daunting than can ever be
imagined. As much as people continue to search for jobs, the greater the turn
over. Per OVEC the highest employment turn over as of June 2010, was 1,247. The
figures look scary and could almost throw off any would be job applicant.
What the new
job seeker has to realize is that in this high competitive market, one must
stand out from the various trends and must also be technical in order to land
that dream
job. Here, I present 5 rules that would ensure that a successful job
search is realized.
UPDATE CV/RESUME/COVER LETTER
this is the
first step every job seeker should take. Your CV and Resume talks much about
you; presenting your skills and abilities to your prospective employer. Also,
the cover letter briefly spell out your competencies for the desired job you
are applying for. Whether you are looking to change a job or career, or you are
a new entrant, preparing your CV, resume and cover letter to suit the type of
job or career change is very important. The mistake most people make is
presenting one resume or Cv to almost three or more job applications. Some even
go as far as presenting similar cover letters for more jobs. This is a serious
error and must be done away with if you are looking to land your dream job.
It is
imperative that all your particulars are curved to suit the exact position or
job you are applying for. For instance when applying for a teaching job, your
cover letter, CV or resume should be curved to suit the teaching position you
are applying for. In cases where you are not sure of how to present your
particulars or update your particulars, there are several companies online that
are specialized in writing such documents. One I have used at all times for
various reasons is mybestresumes.com, but there are equally good once out there
who can assist you to curve your documents to suit the exact position you are
applying for.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
Whether most
agree or not social media has become a giant industry with millions of
opportunities for job seekers and career changers. Almost everyone has a social
media account and businesses and organizations are not left out. What more, top
executives and business gurus also have social media accounts. What is the
catch? Well with these people using social media, the chances of selling
yourself to them is very high and not in a formal way. With the right approach,
you can create a relationship with a top executive who would most likely employ
you. Though several of these platforms exist, I would talk on only two which
are my personal favorites; LINKEDIN and PINTEREST.
LinkedIn is
a platform which provides you with several opportunities to link up with top
business executives and professionals. You get to create connections and
present your profile which when done well will attract the right people to you.
I have a rich experience in LinkedIn since it has served me well in diverse
ways. To make it more interesting, you get to interrupt and update yourself
with the latest trends in your career paths. I am a school administrator and I
would confess that I have enriched myself by learning from other top
administrators on LinkedIn. I have received job offers countless times and
still continue to do.
When used
properly, LinkedIn in a powerful tool that can make your job search more fruitful.
The catch is in your profile which is what everyone would see. So with a nicely
done profile, which you can have written for you at fiverr.com or if you can,
do it yourself to attract the right people to you.
Pinterest
like the name presupposes is a platform where you share your interest with
others. With over 25 million users, this platform is quickly gaining grounds
and also becoming ever popular with business people as well. With a combination
of these two platforms and a bit of professionalism you could well be on your
way to landing a job.
INTERNSHIP
Doing an
internship is simply requesting to work in a particular organization as a
temporal staff. This is a good strategy in your job search. You do not need to
have a permanent job before you can call yourself employed. But in most cases,
that is so. Many also detest being interns because they have never seen anything
good out of it. The strategy here is to apply to an organization as an intern,
put up your best performance, familiarize yourself with the day to day
activities of the organization and create connections with the permanent
employees as well.
This
strategy has helped many people to land their dream jobs almost within a month
or two. Remember the best attitude is a sales letter on its own.
CONNECTIONS
Some people
may call it referrals, networking or any other name but the point is everybody
knows some body. We all have friends and our friends have also got friends. The
essence here is to reach out to this network of friends, let them know your
current state (there is no shame in this) and asked them to hook you up when a
good opportunity comes up.
Calling on
school alumni is also another good step. This opens your job search to a whole
lot of people thereby improving your chances of finding your dream job. You can
hook up with people by attending events which are career based.
CHECK JOB BOARDS OR ONLINE CAREER
WEBSTES
Several
career websites and job boards that exist for the job seeker. These sites serve
as a platform where organizations post job openings. These sites are always
updated with fresh job openings and daily visits there could give you a dream
job.
To give you
these jobs right in your home or mail, most of these websites offer job alerts
as either mails or SMS. Simply subscribe to these services and you will be
furnished with new job postings. Aside from this, some of the websites serve as
recruitment sites or agencies. You submit your particulars to them, which is
stored in their database. They in turn send out applications for you. The good
thing about such sites is that they go the extra mile to ensure that you get a
job. But the downside is that you will be charged for their effort. This could
range from paying a monthly fee or they taking a percentage of your salary from
your new job for a limited time such as five months or one year. The decision
to use recruitment sites or agencies is wholly your choice to make after
weighing the pros and cons.
PAY A VISIT
This is a bold step but one worth taking. Paying a cursory
visit to the organization of your choice is an important step but you should be
always prepared for an interview when taking such visits. You must have your
documents pertaining to the position you want or an open application letter. On
your visit, show keen interest in the operations of the organization by asking
intelligent questions. Who knows you might grab the attention of the manager.
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