Let’s Make Your Job Hunt Go A Little Faster

Are you someone on the hunt for a new job? Maybe you need a quick change of scenery from your current position, because either the position is turning stale or you’re being forced out? Maybe you’ve been out of work for a while and want to get back into a career, but you know this gap is going to work against you? Whatever your circumstances are, the process for obtaining an interview can be a very long and drawn out process, and it can fail at any moment.

Don’t worry yourself too much, you’re not alone in this. Job searching is something a lot of people are stuck in a rut with these days. You have a lot of work to do to even pad out your CV, and then you’ve got make sure any employers or job center call you back, and only then can you go through with an interview. And if you’ve been the right kind of candidate up to that point, there’s still no saying whether or not you’ll get through to being hired!

It’s a very complicated process, and a lot of people do in fact fall at the first hurdle. But if there’s tips like these out there that you can rely on, why not bring them to the masses in an accessible and informational way? So read on if you’re looking for some tips on how to make your job hunt go just that little bit faster.

You never know, this could be you in a few weeks time…

Know What an Ad is Really Asking For
When you’re job hunting, the first thing you’re going to want to do is refine your search, to make sure you’re never wasting time on positions you’re either under or overqualified for, and to stop yourself getting your hopes up, only to have them dashed when you never get a callback. And if you’re not sure how to do this, make sure you’re paying attention to this section!

First of all, you’re going to want to head online, to all the various job boards and listing places there are out there. This is where you’re going to have the most variance and success in finding something perfectly suited to you, seeing as you can filter out any adverts that don’t meet your requirements, and save to your personal profile any ad that does.

So feel free to make an account with every single job site you come across! Be sure to use lists like these if you don’t have any keywords of your own already written neatly on a post it to dictate the positions you need. And then, you’re going to want to be able to decode what the adverts you’ve searched long and hard for are saying to you.

Make sure you know the job title you’re looking for, or something near enough to it, and that you know these titles can mean different things across different sectors. Stick to the sector you’re trained in to be sure you’re applying for the position you want, and you’re not accidentally throwing your CV at an employer who’s never heard of the qualifications you have.

Then you’re going to sift through the experience and responsibilities section, or make sure you meet all or most of the requirements, and that you’re going to be able to get on with the work once you do. Even if someone asks for a bachelor’s degree you don’t have, if you meet every other experience point, you’re still in with a chance! You also want to be able to enjoy the job you do, or failing that, at least be satisfied by the work you can get done by the end of every shift. No one does well in a job they find boring, and you probably won’t last long.

You’re also going to want to take a look at the salary they’re offering you, and how it compares to the last job you have, and to the people who already work in the sector you’re aiming for. You want to be paid the same as them, or at least be near enough on the finances scale… if it’s a minimum wage job that requires you to have a degree and at least three years experience in any skill it asks you for, it’s not worth your time and energy to apply to.

Make Sure Your CV is Right
Of course, this is a lot easier said than done, and there’s probably going to be quite a bit of padding you’re going to need to put in every section. Your CV is the main thing an employer is going to be looking at to make sure you fit the bill and are worth calling in for an interview… it does half the talking for you, and needs to build a great first impression.

And if you haven’t spent much time honing your CV, making it clear and concise to get through, as well as interesting enough within the first couple of lines without someone immediately throwing it in the reject pile, you’re going to need to change your tactic. Your CV matters a lot more than you might think, and often enough you or your family or your friends might not see anything wrong with it! But a hiring manager does.

First of all, you’re going to want to craft a different CV for every job you apply for, to make sure you have something personalized to fit a bill, instead of being generic enough to use for every application you go through. The same goes for a cover letter – not every employer needs one, but you can make a great impression if you type out a new one for every job you’re trying out for.

Say you have a personal trainer CV on your hands – what are you going to be writing on that cover letter, and how will it be different to that High School Coach position you tried out for? There are plenty of differences here, no matter how subtle they might be. And you need to make these subtle differences obvious, with plenty of key terms and phrases to immediately draw both the eye of an overworked hiring manager, and the algorithm of a scanning software.

You’ll need to be relevant, above all else. If you were a waitress at one point, and now you want to become an in-house writer of some kind, how can the two relate to one another? Maybe being a waitress taught you how to appreciate keeping to a deadline, or that you’ll be able to satisfy a customer’s needs, no matter how many times they call for a revision on one of your pieces? All of your experience can be relevant, if you just take a moment to think about how!

Be Sure Your Outfit is Correct
Do you think of yourself as a professional person? How do you think that comes across whenever you walk into a room, and haven’t even had the chance to open your mouth? It’s seen in the things you wear and the way you wear them. Of course you’re going to dress professionally if you make it through to the interview stage, but you’re going to need to keep a couple of things in mind before you head into the meeting room – mainly, what kind of outfit is best for the occasion. You don’t want to waste your time, or anyone else’s time, simply because you didn’t head out to buy something more professional than a dark pair of jeans!

First of all, you’re never going to want to dress down, which means you can easily rely on wearing a suit or a pencil skirt and blazer. But at the same time, you’re going to want to read the room. Are you applying to work in something like an art gallery or art house? What do the employees of this place typically wear? Would your straight cut trousers and buttoned shirt and tie make the best impression for you here? Maybe it’d be best to add some personality to your piece.

This can be done with badges, or cufflinks, or even just a bit of perfume or cologne – looking good, smelling good, as well as making someone want to smile as soon as they see you can leave the best impression with three simple steps! And none of these options are over the top either! You’re clearly responsible, authoritative, prize cleanliness and presentability, and you’re still able to have fun at the same time.

Ready to Speed Up Your Job Search?
Your job hunt doesn’t have to crawl along at a snail’s pace. You’ve got plenty of time and opportunity to craft your CV to the best it can be, as well as sift through all the professional jargon that doesn’t need to mean anything to you, before dressing correctly and putting a smile on your face for walking into that perfect interview for you.