7 Tips When Finding A New Job

Job hunt is an important yet challenging process in anyone's professional career. This might be your first job ever, in which case you're under even more pressure.

Other times, people look for new jobs to get away from their old ones for several reasons. They might be looking for better opportunities, a way out of a job where they feel mistreated or undervalued, or any other reason.

Whatever the case might be, it's a step that requires you to dedicate a lot of time and effort until you find something.

With the global economy in full force, there's so much opportunity for anyone who is willing to look in the right place.

At the same time, it can be quite confusing trying to figure out where to look.

We're here to give you a hand by offering our top 7 tips for finding a new job.

1. Update Your Resume:

This is pretty much the first thing you should look at. Updating your resume means adding any relevant new work experience, certificates or courses you completed, volunteer work, hobbies if needed, and portfolio samples for certain careers.

Don’t forget to have references on hand, if possible. Why is updating a resume important? It puts you in a better position when a new job is available.

Recruiters are always looking to hire people with the most experience. If you fail to make that clear in your resume, then you’ll miss out on a lot of opportunities.

The same applies to your cover letter. Some jobs may require it, so make sure you have one general cover letter ready just in case.

Obviously, if you have a significant gap in your work history, make sure you address it. If that’s not possible, explain your case to the recruiter honestly.

Hopefully, they’ll understand and give you a pass since they come across a lot of individuals who are like that.

Other resume hygiene suggestions include leaving out any personal information such as your religion, your age, your marital status, your nationality, and any irrelevant information not related to professional experience.

You can discuss these matters if they come up during an interview, but for that first step of sending out your resume, remove this information.

2. Tap into Your Professional Network:

Networking is your best friend in the professional world, but you already know that, right? If not, hopefully, you’ve done the bare minimum required to stay in touch with fellow colleagues in your industry.

If the answer is no, the next step is to start networking. Attend conferences, events, workshops, and digital meetings where people work in the roles that you’re targeting.

Ask them for advice, and let them know you’re looking for something suitable. Most job openings are obtained through references and connections.

It’s likely you’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort if there are people who are willing to vouch for you when there’s a vacant job position.

3. Tailor Your Resume:

While boilerplate cover letters and resumes do have a purpose, you should still tailor your resume to the job description in front of you.

If they’re asking for x years of experience in a certain role, stick to that. Don’t mention anything irrelevant.

If the role calls for you to be on-site, it doesn’t make sense to apply if your goal is a work-from-home role.

Moreover, many companies and agencies these days have ATSs (applicant tracking systems) in place.

This type of software is made to weed out candidates who apply all over the place without reading what the job entails.

Tailoring your resume gives your application a better chance of bypassing an ATS and ending up in the hands of the HR person.

4. Use All Available Tools:

Technology comes in the form of apps, social media, job recruitment websites, freelancing platforms, and everything in between. All of these tools and more can be used to help you find a new job.

Not only that, but they also give you a good idea about the job market in general. You can learn what kinds of skills are most in demand and what the average salary is.

Some good ones are Indeed, LinkedIn, various Facebook groups, and Twitter.

5. Take Care of Your Social Media:

Like it or not, social media is a place that gets you attention, whether negative or positive. Recruiters will look at your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn profile if they can, so you need to keep your profiles there in good shape.

Leave out any kind of information that you think might raise eyebrows, and focus on presenting your highlights and a professional image of yourself.

Some suggestions include not discussing politics or religion, keeping family matters in the background, and posting anything on your feed that’s not relevant to your task of finding a new job.

6. Position Yourself Well:

This one is related to personal marketing. Your efforts 90% of the time should go here. This means creating an attractive professional image that lets people know you’re the right person for the job.

While this step is most crucial for freelancers, it’s also equally important for those looking for a traditional job on-site.

Positioning yourself well means convincing others of your value. It’s a hard pill to swallow for many, but the fact is that jobs are a type of salesfair. The one doing the buying is usually the person who is going to hire you.

It’s up to you to give them the right reasons for doing so.

While sales and marketing in general are uncomfortable, it’s the one thing you should do most of the time because it sets you apart right away.

You can start by changing your attitude and looking at the process as a sign that you have a weak point you need to fix instead of looking at it as a chore you have to do.

7. Polish Up Your Interview Skills:

Once you’ve gotten past all the difficulties associated with finding a good job, it’s time to prepare for the interview.

Interviews are tough for everyone. They require mental toughness and a deep sense of confidence to pass.

Some key tips to follow are to remain confident, answer each question honestly and fully, and avoid awkward pauses or silence.

Believe it or not, the person talking to you in a job interview wants to get to know you as a person and as an employee. That’s a great opportunity to showcase your true self and why they should hire you instead of someone else.

Smiling, wearing proper clothes, and maintaining a good attitude are all things that will help your case massively.

In Conclusion:

Job hunting is tough. It can be draining and soul-sucking when you’ve gone months without landing anything. The good news is that it's possible to make the process much easier by keeping a few tips in mind.

We’ve gone over 7 key tips that will help you find a new job, regardless of what your circumstances are.

To recap quite quickly, you need to have an updated resume on hand, look your best during an interview, let your network know you’re looking for a job if you have one, establish yourself as a reliable person in your industry through marketing, and have your social media free of fluff.

Now, it’s your turn to put all of this into practise and find the job you’re looking for.