Many of us have been there; looking for a job and thinking that one will never come along. Looking for work can seem like a thankless task, one that grinds you down and leaves you wondering where and when you will get your next paycheque. Don’t despair! If it’s done right, job hunting shouldn’t be so stressful. You need to think about making yourself as attractive as possible to would-be employers. Here are some of the things that you should be thinking about.
Think ‘employability’
When you’re looking for a new job, you need to take a step back and look at it from the employer’s point of view. What can you bring to the job? What can you bring to the company? Why are you more suitable than the other five people who are also being interviewed?
The word you need to remember here is ‘employability.’ This doesn’t just mean you need to highlight your training, education and skills. You also need to get across what kind of person you are. Companies are usually looking for core characteristics. For example, a team player who is also able to work well on their own, someone who is committed and flexible in their approach – and someone who has a passion for the industry they’re going to be working in.
A hiring manager may also be looking for excellent communication skills, both verbally and in written form – and the ability to solve problems fast and deal with any last-minute hitches. They’ll also want to know you’re efficient.
Don’t lose sight of these characteristics, which will often be highlighted in job specifications. Think about how you can sell your personal qualities all the way through the application process.
How do I sell myself?
You need to be thinking about the ‘selling’ element right from the start of any job application. When you are putting together your tailored CV and cover letter, you need to be looking at the job description and highlighting which characteristics you have. So, if a job desires word-processing skills, then you should be making sure that is prominent on your CV and highlighted in your cover letter. Furthermore, you should always be working and developing these skills, and having knowledge in Microsoft Office is a very desired quality. There are things like excel training classes in Phoenix and other places to get you equipped with these skills and improve your employability when applying for jobs.
You shouldn’t think of your CV and cover letter as a ‘one size fits all.’ It doesn’t work like that. You really need to sit down each time you apply for a job and tailor both to the role which you are bidding for. It will help maximise your chances of being selected for an interview, through highlighting your relevant knowledge and skills and, importantly will demonstrate you have a genuine interest in the company to which you are applying. If you need some help, check out i resume cover letter.
If you get yourself to the interview stage, you need to be building upon all those great selling points when you go face-to-face with the panel of recruiters. So, do your homework, and make sure that you are prepared for all of the possible questions. Most of all, you need to apply your skills and personality to the position in mind and demonstrate a passion for the company. Going in with little knowledge of what an organisation does, or what its future ambitions are, won’t help you!