Are you serious about looking for a job?

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Looking for a job is an activity that requires effort. So if you're not serious about looking for a job, you'll just end up wasting your time.

What do I mean when I say are you serious? Well I'm talking about doing things that will make your efforts worthwhile, and your job hunting a success.

• Interested in working
• Being realistic
• Putting in a consistent effort
• Following instructions
• Sending a cover letter
• Relevance of your resume and cover letter
• Addressing the employer's concerns

If you're not interested in getting a job then you won't be serious about finding one, and you're probably just wasting your time. If you're reading this then you obviously have some desire to work. So finding the reason why you're unmotivated is important to move ahead.

Are you being realistic when applying for jobs? It is important to aim high, matching the job requirements exactly isn't always required. However it's not an efficient use of your time if you're applying for jobs that are clearly out of your league. If a job requires far more experience or skills than you have, or requires a qualification you're missing. It's unlikely you're going to get anywhere, so why spend effort on applying for it.

I've mentioned that looking for a job requires a decent amount of effort, determination and time. If you're not prepared to put in what's required. Then you're going to make mistakes and miss out on opportunities that would have been available to you. Had you been more dedicated.

It's not enough to look once a week for 2 hours on a Wednesday. Jobs are snapped up so quickly. By the time you see the job ad the following week. It may be too late.

When applying for a job are you following the instructions set by the employer? The steps they use may seem weird or unnecessary to you. But there's probably a reason for why they want it done this way. You ignore the employer's instructions at your own risk. Not only could it see your application getting lost, or simply rejected. It may have been a test to see how well you can follow directions.

Everyone knows you send a resume when applying for a job. But sometimes a cover letter is omitted in the application. An employer may not have asked for a cover letter. However you should always send a cover letter with your resume, unless asked not to.

Don't make the employer have to search for the information they want. Reduce the clutter on your resume down to the things that are relevant or could bring value to the job.

Recognising aspects of yourself or application that the employer may have questions or concerns about will allow you to address them. Addressing them in your cover letter will help give the employer the answers they seek, and have a better idea if they want to invite you in for an interview.

For many of us this concern will be a disability. Remember you're not required to disclose it. But if it will impact on the job you should tell the employer, for your benefit and theirs.

By taking on board these points, you can improve the speed and efficiency of your job search.

Until next time,
Steven

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