A SECRET HANDBOOK FOR THE DESPERATE JOB SEEKER
In these economic climes, it has become increasingly difficult to land a basic job, much less your dream job. On top of the scarcity of work, anxiety mounts for job seekers as they try to follow the job seekers handbook of endless protocols. You’ve probably been urged to “pursue your passion,” “leverage your network,” “tailor and tidy up your resume,” “do your homework,” “dress for success”—amongst other things. These approaches have been around long enough to become conventional, and for good reason too; they’ve worked for decades. However, most of these tips need to be revamped urgently. Keep those old tips on the back burner and give these new tips a try also.
Self awareness is key, be aware of your potential, your skills, what you are capable of and explore it to the fullest. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Know your unique offering and target employers based on your interests and values. Stay grounded with a clear direction and you will be amazed how quickly you will find what you are looking for when you stop trying so hard to be who you are not.
Networking is crucial during job search. It is up to you to build meaningful relationships with new and old contacts in and out of your desired field. Connect with them and learn what they are doing now. Don’t ignore social media; the purpose of social media is to be social. It is called a social network because you are supposed to build a network of people and socialize with them. Lurking won’t get you noticed. You need to be engaging. Spend time in the company of people who do what you do. Be a member of associations, groups and participate. Learn from others.
The Internet is your friend. Research the industry, company or job you are interested in. This will help you to make the most of every opportunity. Watch the news, and read. Keep abreast of the trends in your field.
In the Interim volunteer: There are always jobs you can do in the interim whilst you wait for that dream job. Keep your goals in mind. Even when you are not employed, it is important to do something positive to stay engaged. Volunteer to work for free. Remember the greatest value earned from a job is the experience, not the pay. As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to gain the experience that will make your resume even more attractive to a potential employer.
Create your dream job: Don’t just sit around waiting for an opening at your “dream job” create an opening for yourself. Study the industry or field that you’re looking to move into, and determine a company or two that you’d like to work for. Then figure out their challenges through relationships or public information. With this, you can craft a solution. The concept here is to get noticed through offering a solution to help them with no expectation of anything in return.
Internship at your dream job is also a good approach. It gives you the opportunity to learn as much as you can hands-on and puts you in the best position for the job when an opportunity arises. Too often we think we have to sell ourselves as this know-it-all hot-shot to get a job, but sometimes the best way to build relationships with people whom we would like to work with is to “Show and not Tell”. The whole idea is to show them your capabilities, skills and enthusiasm whilst picking up experience as you go along.
There’s a recession out there and people need jobs. So if you found this useful, don’t just hug it, share it.