How To Do Your Job Hunting Efficiently

Recruiters read hundreds of CVs every day among their other activities –job postings, interview arrangements etc. The average time spent on each CV is less than 10 seconds. Before you feel frustrated, let us present you with some good tips to catch their attention:

Your curriculum is a snapshot of yourself:

Instead of simply listing your current and previous job tasks, write down your achievements at work and “sell” yourself in a positive manner. If you are bored when reading your resume, you definitely bore recruiters too. Include only activities which are relevant to the desired position and keep your CV brief (2 pages is the norm).

Read job descriptions carefully: 

A job title can be deceiving and irrelevant with your daily tasks and accumulated work experience. Always make sure you read job specifications carefully before applying for a position. If you decide that this is the right job for you, tailor your CV by using key words which show that you are a close match to that role.

Pay attention to detail: 

There is nothing more repulsive than an untidy CV. Recruiters associate sloppiness with how seriously you take things in general. so it’s worth spending some extra time for proof reading it.

Interview tips 

The most cliched interview question –which you will probably get- is to talk about your weaknesses. Please do not say that you are a perfectionist/too nice/too handsome. Your future employer does not expect from you to be flawless. The reason they ask you this question is to see how self-aware you are and how they can ‘use’ you better e.g. if you are not particularly social they might put you in a position where you will work on your own.

It goes without saying that your weaknesses should not affect seriously your performance in the desired position. For instance, if you want to work in Sales, you should never say ‘I hate calling people’. Unless you do, but in this case you should reconsider the way you make choices. Also, when you mention a weakness, make sure you describe how you work towards improving it.

Fight the butterflies in your stomach: 

If you want to increase your confidence levels before an interview, prepare for questions thoroughly; do research in the company, ask people who have already worked there and prepare some questions for your interviewers too. Always remember that this is a two way process;You might be surprised to find out that instead of them rejecting you, you are the one who thinks that the company/role does not meet your standards.

Know your industry

So you decided that you want to work in Marketing. You are creative, your friends think you are fun and you also got a Marketing degree from the University of East Anglia. That’s all very nice but do you really know the industry you want to break into? Are you aware of the latest trends? Have you ever heard of the terms ‘guerrilla marketing’ or ‘SMO’?

Under such tough competition, you will only stand out from the crowd if you show keen interest in your sector. If Marketing jobs are of interest to you then stay abreast of what’s happening in the respective market. Education plays a vital role in achieving that and is not necessarily expensive. You can prove your dedication, by showing awareness of industry specific trends, participating in seminars or taking free online courses. The same applies for Professionals who have already built a career path. Continuous learning and development will boost both your confidence and employ ability.