Searching for a job is a daunting prospect for many new graduates – it’s an arduous and stressful journey that’s made even harder by the overwhelming amount of bad advice on the internet.
However, we here at Regional Careers have put together a great guide so that you can optimise your job searching skills, search for a job effectively, and find your dream job today!
Preparation is Key
It’s said that if you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail. This adage also applies to your job search journey.
Before looking through hundreds of job descriptions, you must ensure that you’ve prepared your CV and cover letter appropriately.
Take the time to create a brilliant CV and cover letter template before starting your search; Canva provides a wide range of free templates that you’ll enjoy!
Doing this allows you to tailor your CV and cover letter to each job, rather than hastily creating a sloppy CV for each job or using a cookie-cutter CV for each application.
Once you have a professional and impressive CV and cover letter template, you can edit your text to include job-specific keywords and important skills according to the job you’re applying for.
After creating a great CV and cover letter, you need to sit down and think about how your skillset compares to your desired job.
Create a list of your skills, strengths, experiences, and prospects.
Then, create a list of the skills and experiences required to perform well in your desired job.
For example, if you wanted to be an accountant, you would likely need strong mathematical skills, financial knowledge, organisational skills, and experience with accounting software.
However, when creating your list of personal skills, you discover that you don’t have experience with accounting software.
By comparing your current skills with the skills of an ‘ideal candidate’ in your desired job, you can identify your weaknesses and look to improve on them.
After identifying gaps in your skillset, creating a great CV template, and creating a cover letter template, you can begin searching for jobs.
Optimising Your Job Search Journey
Instead of using a ‘shotgun’ approach and applying to hundreds of companies, take the time to research specific companies and create bespoke applications for each job application.
Remember that you’re looking for a long-term job, so make sure to apply to companies that align with your skillset and future goals.
You’ll not only find more success using tailored applications, but you’ll avoid wasting both your own time and the employer’s time if there are any discrepancies between your skills and the employer’s job description.
Here’s a great checklist to follow to conduct your job search effectively:
- Get your documents ready and organised; create folders with copies of your CV and cover letter for each separate application
- Search for specific keywords during your job search to ensure that your skillset closely matches the job description
- Set up daily alerts with specific keywords and specific location job searches
- Create several different alerts; one with a specific area and general keyword, one with a general area and specific keyword, and one with a specific keyword and specific area
- After identifying a potential job, create a keyword list of the most important traits required in the job description
- Scatter these important keywords throughout a copy of your CV and cover letter; edit your work experience, skills, and examples to provide evidence that you possess the required traits
- If appropriate, take the time to contact the recruiter for more information or to discuss the role in more detail
- Stay organised by colour-coding emails in Google Mail; mark applications as orange, interview responses as yellow, rejections as red, and offers as green
- Consider contacting companies regardless of whether they’re currently advertising a job; smaller companies are more likely to respond than major organisations
After following this checklist consistently and diligently, you should be able to land several interviews with companies that you’re excited to join!
Conclusion and Extra Tips!
Although our checklist is an excellent way of ensuring that you’re a viable candidate, it still takes time to find your perfect job.
Stay consistent during your job searching journey; schedule a few hours daily for job applications, interview preparations, and learning relevant skills.
Additionally, take the time to create a brilliant, comprehensive LinkedIn profile – it makes a huge difference!
Confirm that your CV is flawless – use correct grammar and spelling, lots of metrics, and relevant keywords from the job description to guarantee that you stand out from the crowd.
Finally, make sure to check out our other blog posts about how to create the perfect CV and cover letter!
After following this guide on how to job search effectively, you’re sure to land an interview with the company of your dreams!
