5 Job Searching Tips That People Tend to Forget

Unless you either got very lucky or you’re just the calmest person on the planet, we’ve all felt the frustration of trying to find a job. It’s an essential part of life, I think that most of us have accepted that, but that doesn’t mean that the path to employment is fun. And while the unemployed often get a reputation for being lazy or lacking pro-activity, the truth is that job searching is one of the most exhausting processes in the world.

There’s nothing more emotionally draining than spending weeks and weeks doing nothing but sending emails, slaving over your CV and going to job interviews and still getting nowhere. The worst part of it all is that you’re doing it for free until you find something. For those in this position, you should be aiming to maximise your productivity to minimize the time you search. Amidst all the work and all of the effort that you’re putting into your search, some essential things might still slip through the cracks and impede your job-hunting attempts.

Here’s 5 tips for your job search that many people often forget:

1.    You Must Have a LinkedIn Presence

Social Media has changed so much about how we experience the world. With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatever others you’re a part of, you’re always connected. LinkedIn is basically a business social media, and over the last few years it has become as essential for the working world has Facebook has been for the social world. The internet makes it very easy to do research on potential employees, which might influence people to avoid being too present online. That’s a mistake however because mystery is not enticing to an employer. The first thing that someone will do when they have a list of applicants is research each of them on LinkedIn.

If you’re not there, you’ll more than likely be overlooked. The fact that you appear to be avoiding one of the methods of advertising your skills and experience will make it seem like you’re hiding. This probably isn’t the actual reason why a lot of people don’t have a LinkedIn account set up, but that’s how it will look to an employer. Chances are they’ll just dismiss your application in favour of those who are more present online. There’s many more good reasons to have a LinkedIn account anyway. If you don’t have one, set one up as soon as possible and if you do have one but haven’t updated in a while then you should get on that.

2.    Your Value is Not Obvious

Something that is extremely important, especially in an interview, is for you to be confident in your abilities. And while people are preparing themselves and firing themselves up to be interviewed, they tend to forget that the hiring manager knows nothing about them. Don’t think that just because your experience is visible on your CV and you can show a copy of your degree that the interviewer will assume, you’re the best person for the job.

You still have a lot of convincing to do. Experience and qualifications are important of course, but you have to prove that you are capable of the handling the work. Even if you’ve got five years of experience, there’s probably some other applicant who has ten, and you have to stand out. Do a ton of research on the company and what sort of work someone in the position you’re interviewing for would be doing. Angle all of your answers towards the job. Don’t just talk about your experience and education because everybody has that. No employer is going to be convinced just by those credentials and you should never assume that they are.

3.    Online Applications Are Not the Only Option

As I’ve said already, it’s important to have an online presence for when employers and hiring managers are researching their applicants, but the application doesn’t have to be online. Most companies do prefer having that as the primary method of application for their open positions, but there is still value in going out into the field. When you apply online, you may be successful, but you also might get lost in the shuffle because that’s how everyone is applying.

Here’s a thing you could do to avoid being overlooked: Apply online, and then a few days later, give the company a call to ask if they received your application. While on the line, ask them a few questions about the job too. This will put you at the forefront in their mind. It will also prove to them that you are taking an interest in the job. You could also actually go to the place you are applying and personally hand in your application. Some places will be put off by this, but some will also view it as a sign of initiative and thoroughness.

4.    You Should Consider Related Industries

We all have our dream jobs and our aspirations and that’s what we’re working towards when we are on the hunt for a job. But when we go looking for one specific thing, we are actually narrowing our chances of finding something sustainable. Your skills and your experience could be potentially valuable outside of the area that you are specialised in. Sometimes people forget that a job search is not the search for happiness or for fun, it’s the search for income and financial stability.

And so, if you keep the search parameters narrow, you are blocking out a bunch of jobs that you could probably get if you tried. If you are engineer for example and you have specialized in mechanical engineering, a lot of those skills could be transferable to oil and gas engineering. You might keep an eye on articles such as this one from Vista Projects, which could potentially lead you to a job opportunity that you had never even considered before. So just don’t forget to always be thinking outside the box.

5.    Your Manners

Your parents taught you this when you were a kid for a good reason. It’s all about making an impression. Yes, you do have to be confident and you can’t give the impression that you are someone who can be walked on and manipulated, but you also have to be friendly. Even if you make it clear that you are more than capable for the job, nobody wants people who are difficult to work with on their payroll.

Somebody who is arrogant or selfish will be viewed as a liability, and as someone that is going to inject toxicity into the workplace. So be respectful. A firm handshake to start things off, be polite to anyone that you happen to meet in the building while you’re interviewing, and always say thank you for the opportunity. Also, don’t ever belittle the questions. You want to come across like the questions are easy for you to answer but you want to avoid being condescending towards the company. It would be worth it to sprinkle some praise for the company into the interview. It will be a good way to show off your research of them but also to acknowledge that they’re doing a good job. These are the sort of things that will endear you to the interviewer.

Conclusion

The most important thing is to remember is that you can’t give up. You will have to find work eventually so there’s no point in halting your search when you get disheartened. Just keep pushing on. Even when it seems like you are making no progress whatsoever, the right job could come along the very next day. Be diligent and you will succeed.