If you have been looking for a new job but not having much success then this is a good time to call a halt to a job search routine and review your job hunt.
Like any project that has been running overtime, it needs to be halted and reviewed and recognise what lessons can be learned from your lack of success to date.
As we approach the Christmas break it’s an ideal time to take a break from your worries and job search concerns and review all the elements of your job search activity with a new perspective.
And that perspective is to examine every step you take in the course of applying for a job advertised.
If you boil down the main activities that take place there are a number of activities that you must ensure are professionally prepared and completed.
1. Are you directing yourself at or changing to an area where you will be perceived to be a match for the job advertised?
Please note that the “where you will be perceived” is the salient point. This is not where you think you fit into the market, it’s how an employer will see you, as a match to that market. Are you being realistic in your aspirations? If you are not 100% sure the chances are that there will be lots of others better qualified than you for the position on offer. Be hard on yourself and ensure you are aspiring to a realistic option.
2. Is your C.V. must be well prepared?
There is probably no job related topic more commented on than C.V. preparation. So in essence it must be clear, concise, informative, easy to read and truthful in every detail. Remember its only purpose is to secure you an interview.
Ensure your initial overtures are professionally prepared and delivered whether it is by phone or e-mail. Prepare you opening introduction and note I do not say elevator pitch as it is often called. Just introduce yourself in a pleasant, friendly and respectful manner. The pitch comes later on.
4. Are you fully prepared for your interview?
Ask any interviewee are they fully familiar with all the relevant details of their past career. The answer is always ‘yes of course’ the truth is that it’s rarely the case.
Interviews are tense and stressful situations and most come out from an interview berating themselves because they omitted to mention X, Y or Z. Prepare fully, think through your career in sequence from early day to the present. Relive all the events, issues, projects, successes and every other task you were involved in and that would be relevant. In other words refresh your memory in advance of interview and don’t just assume you will remember every detail. You won’t.
As you go from first interview to a second and maybe a third the questions and content will become more technical and detailed. This requires lots of preparation before every one. And be ready for the ‘what’s your salary expectation’ question. Research the market, know the going rate and be prepared to state it confidently. If you believe in yourself, then don’t sell yourself cheap.
In readiness for a new overture on the market in January, review every part of the above, examine what you say and write, ensure it’s professional and displays knowledge and confidence. If still in doubt, get professional advice.
Enjoy Christmas and best wishes for a happy New Year.
Colm Cavey has over 24 years’ experience in helping people change careers and find the kind of job they want. Colm can review your CV, help you organise your job hunt and provide one to one interview and presentation coaching or all of those elements together in a full Career Change programme. To find out more about Colm you can contact him directly on 086-3017207 or via his company Professional Career Consulting