Finding a job in today’s economic market has been a difficult task for many years, but things are starting to look up. However, most jobs are still experiencing fierce competitiveness among applicants. Because there is such a competitive market out there, it is essential to stay on your toes when you are applying for jobs. Things can be especially tricky for those who are looking for a great career. Landing your dream job is harder than ever! Luckily, there are several things you can do to make your chances a little better of getting that great job that you have been hoping to get for so long.
The first thing you need to start with is your resume. Sit down and read carefully the one you already have. Do you think it gives the best possible picture of your professional career and skills? It is essential that all your strong sides and advantages as a professional are clearly noted and well visible; your resume is after all the first thing your potential employer sees about you, and there is only one chance for the first impression.
If your resume is not up to par, you will have a hard time attracting potential employers. Do not lie on your resume; be honest about your experience and history. Review your resume multiple times to make sure you do not have any mistakes on the resume. Keep the overall format clean as a clean-looking resume is much easier to view. When in doubt, hire someone to help you get it right.
Keep your options open. You may have sent dozens of resumes and not received an interview. That’s ok.. Sometimes companies are very slow responding, and sometimes they get so flooded with applications it gets impossible to get to everyone in a reasonable time. That’s why it is a good idea to get in contact with the people who are in charge of hiring at your company. When you show initiative by contacting your future employer to let them know how interested you are in the position, you are giving them an idea of how passionate you are about your job, and that will provide them with a sense of what to expect in the workplace. There is nothing more attractive to an employer than someone eager and willing to work.
If you can get an interview, then you will have to remember a few things about appearance. While your resume might say a lot about you, your first impression says even more. A great application can be thrown out the window by merely showing up to an interview without having shaved. By looking clean and well-groomed, you are showing your future employer how much you care about the job. Putting a lot of time into getting ready can make all the difference. Make sure you shave with a fresh razor blade. A new razor blade will give you a closer shave, and the likelihood of you having a five o’clock shadow at your interview will be diminished.
Use the internet, create a couple of Google alerts on the subject, use social media, and follow the profiles and pages of recruiting companies and key hiring personnel in your industry. Keep at it and don’t stop until you get a few interviews.
Once you have scheduled your interview, you need to focus on creating a good elevator pitch. Since most of the interview questions will include things like, “what do you like to do, tell me about yourself, and what do you see yourself doing in the next five years?” They want you to have a good pitch, not a good history of your life. They want to learn about your accomplishments and learn your background. This will help them to learn about your personality, and they can find out if they’re going to move you on with the next phase of the interview process. Practice often, have confidence and improve the way that you are holding yourself during the interview process. When you are giving your answers, try to keep them to 30 seconds or less. This way, your interview questions are short and sweet. Prepare yourself to be rattled for some items that are hard to answer. Some of the things that they will ask include questions like “tell me about a job experience with a person you didn’t like” and “what is your worst quality?”
Lastly, don’t be afraid to sell yourself to the employer. Whoever is hosting your interview is doing so because they want to hear about you and get to know you better. Being shy and quiet will turn them off to the fact that you can do the job that you have applied for. Tell the employer as much about yourself as you can. They can use every piece of useful knowledge that you can give them. Anything that might make you look like a better applicant will help you in the long run.