Job hunting tips for busy people
- June 18, 2018
11 quick job hunting tips for busy people
Stop moaning about how much you hate your job, start doing something about it!
Do you ever find yourself moaning to your friends or partner about work? You don’t need to be that person… There are plenty of things you can do to escape the rut you may have found yourself in, here are six tips…
1. “OK is good enough”
Facebook found that their creatives who are perfectionists by nature were taking ages to load content. Eventually they were forced to introduce this slogan to speed things up. So, when it comes to producing that CV, OK is good enough. Don't procrastinate, get it done and out there. An OK CV is better than no CV.
2. Get your CV on every available job board and let the jobs come to you
The marketing recruitment agencies will find you and so will the companies who are recruiting. This is not ideal but if you are too busy to go and register with lots of agencies it will at least it get the ball rolling.
3. Connect with your network
LinkedIn is a great way to connect with other industry professionals and recruiters. It might be worth reaching out to people in your network to see what opportunities are available.
4. Utilise handy job alerts
Make sure you are signed up for job alerts on both LinkedIn and job boards so that you don’t miss any opportunities. When you search for roles on LinkedIn, just click on the “Job Alert’ button and you’ll get updates about similar jobs.
5. Use LinkedIn as a search engine
Whether you have a clear idea of the role you want, or you’re looking to venture down a new career path, using the search function in LinkedIn can help you find loads of opportunities. You can use broad industry terms, or more specific job roles to search for what you want. It’s important to remember that this is also how recruiters look for potential candidates. So, make sure you use relevant keywords within your profile description in order to be found for the right role to match your skillset.
6. Use professional photos on your profile page
If you haven’t already, make sure to add a headshot to your LinkedIn profile. It’s important that the photo is relatively up-to-date and looks professional.
7. Don't waste time going to interviews that are not right
Find out as much as you can about the company, the people, the culture before you decide if it is really of interest. Ask for a detailed job description and be sure they are prepared to pay the salary you are looking for. Find out why the job might not be right for you before you get too excited to have been invited in to see them.
8. Arrange interviews around times that suit you, early morning, lunch times or early evening
Companies will understand if you tell them that it is impossible to leave the office during the day. Let the other candidates take time off work. If possible try and arrange initial interviews with a telephone call or Skype, this is increasingly common and makes a lot of sense.
9. Speak to your previous bosses and see if they will give you a reference
This will save time as you won't need to keep contacting them whenever a company asks for it, especially as "Sod's law" they will probably be on holiday when you do need to contact them.
10. Research recruiters and register with one you trust
It’s always best if someone can refer you to a recruiter they have had a good experience with, if not look for testimonials from your potential consultant. If they don’t have any, chances are they’re probably not the one you want!
11. Try to stay positive
Job hunting isn’t always an easy journey. You may find that you have a few knockbacks along the way, but it’s important to try to stay positive (easier said than done, we know). Always ask for feedback where possible and use this to help you improve for next time. The right job is waiting for you, so don’t give up!
Of course, there are lots of other ways you can speed up the job search, download the job board apps and set up alerts for your desired role, draw up a list of preferred companies to work for and contact them in one fell swoop, update your LinkedIn profile etc. Most of these things you can do on your commute into work or after dinner sat on the sofa.
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