Are you a fresh graduate and planning to look for a job? Have you recently quit your job and are looking for better job opportunities? Are you unemployed and have little experience with ways to secure a job? Whatever your situation, it will be to your advantage to reading the below given tips:
Check Your Resume for Mistakes
Before submitting your resume to a potential employer, check your resume for improvement at least three times before submitting it. After researching a job position, it is important that you format your resume to match the needs of the company. For example, if you are applying for an accounting job, you should detail your accounting experience on your resume. Typographic and grammatical errors are serious no-nos. It is also ideal to keep the length of the resume to ‘at least one and a half pages’.
Take the interview challenge
A survey conducted by a staffing and consulting firm based in California, which matched 1,400 chief financial officers, concluded that employment candidates made most of their mistakes in their interviews. Some of the mistakes they make include: arriving late, having little knowledge of the company and position applied for, and being a superiority complex and behaving arrogantly. The body language of the applicant also shows that he is confident yet not strong. He should maintain eye contact, have a strong handshake, and avoid appearing defensive with the act of crossing arms. It is important to wear the right clothes to project a confident stance. As they say, it is better to go to an interview over-dressed than under-dressed.
Answer questions smartly
A common mistake of interviewers is that they get stressed and forget the questions given to them, with the effect that they are not prepared for the interview. It’s important to do research about the company and the position of the application to prevent being side-tracked during the interview. If you don’t know the answer to the questions being asked, it’s better to admit that you don’t know the answer to the question and also add that you can research about it. Find the skill or expertise the company is looking for so that when interview day comes and the interviewer asks about your strengths and core competencies, you can match it to their needs.
Get Referrals If Required
Having a referral from one of the company’s employees can go a long way toward landing an interview. A typical company can receive job applications in the hundreds and typically 35% to 60% of all job vacancies are filled by referrals. When you have referrals your chances of getting hired are much higher than if you have 200 to 500 other applicants for the same position. If you don’t know someone in the company who can give you a referral, it’s a good idea to reach out to your college’s alumni network, trade groups, social networks, and professional associations. Remember, having referrals greatly increases your chances of getting a position.
Prefer online application
With the current trend of technology and its merger with business processes, more and more companies are now requiring potential applicants to submit their applications online. Thus, the first impression is not related to your first appearance but to the quality and content of your e-mails. E-mail regarding job applications should be polished and well expressed. When applying online, use the following tips:
Complete your sentences and do not abbreviate
Employers don’t like when you send them application forms that seem too casual. It is important to create a letter that is formal and well written. It gives a good impression about your abilities and skills.
Get straight to the point
When writing an application form, you need to be concise and direct. Don’t put a story on the letter just to get the employer’s attention, chances are he’ll get annoyed with you and this only lowers your chances of getting hired.
Consider potential issues that could prevent you from getting a job
Although there are instances in which the job requires a lot, the requirements of the position may include training programs that may prevent you from obtaining the position due to its highly competitive nature. Some even require a lot of experience, at least 3 years of work experience. There may be no barrier to entry for some, but there may be a very regular work flow in the job itself.
Getting the job you want can be a challenge but never give up. It is better to wait a while and get a job that you will enjoy but end up dissatisfied and unhappy than to get a job as soon as possible. Make the right decision then follow it.
