Top 10 Tips When Conducting a Job Search
Top 10 tips when conducting a job search
Is now the time you are considering looking for a new job?
It can be a frustrating and even stressful experience for many people, especially if you aren’t fully sure what you are looking for. Here is our quick guide to try and make your experience positive and make the process of finding your next career move as easy as possible.
1) Figure out what is it you are seeking
Firstly, it is crucial to establish what you are setting out to achieve as part of your job search. Are you looking for career progression? Work life balance? Better working culture? Whatever it is, it is important you are clear in your criteria when exploring the market.
It is always tempting to go with a role simply based of salary, but there are so many different elements to consider. Ensuring you have a clear focus and vision ensures you are able to make the best decision for your career.
2) Take a look at LinkedIn
Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Or is your profile up to date?
LinkedIn has become a fundamental tool when it comes to finding your next job. With the ability to showcase your skills and experience, it puts candidates in position where they can be easily viewed by potential employers.
LinkedIn also allows for candidates to search for job openings, reach out to recruiters and expand out their network. It can be an invaluable tool when exploring the job market and utilised in many different ways.
3) Be careful of job boards!
Job boards are great tools to search and apply for jobs vacancies. They are easily accessible and present the opportunity to quickly fire out several applications. But be careful! According to research, less than 15% of jobs are filled from applications on job boards.
When applying for a job, often a setting will put CVs onto a CV database which can be accessed by recruiters and employers. Sounds great, but it really isn’t for the candidate. This can lead to being deluged with calls, your details being sent to several businesses without your consent or knowledge and a lot more pain than it is worth. That is why networking with a trusted recruiter is highly recommended.
4) Establish a relationship with the right recruiter
Partnering with a recruiter can last your whole career. They can become a trusted consultant, providing support and advice where necessary and help a candidate at every step of the recruitment process.
As well as that, they have established relationships with clients and more than often work on job vacancies which aren’t advertised. Along with that, recruiters can do proactive work for candidates, anonymously presenting candidate profiles to drum up interest, covering off the market on behalf of the candidate. Finding the right recruiter for you can be a game changer.
5) Fully explore the job market and network
Many different businesses have many different offerings. There is so much to explore in the job market and no two offerings are ever the same. Networking and having conversations are an essential part of the job search and finding the right career move.
Countless people take the job description quite literal, however most of the time the document is HR generated and doesn’t give an accurate representation. Having a conversation with a hiring manager during an interview provides a solid level of understanding around the key priorities of the role, how the role will evolve and set realistic expectations.
6) Preparing and updating your CV
An up-to-date CV is crucial. When applying to jobs, employers will want to see your most recent experiences. The CV should look to focus on key skills, experiences and qualifications in relation to a specific role, ideally tailored to the job opportunity you are applying for.
A CV is the first introduction you will make to any potential employer. It is essentially a sales document with the purpose of showcasing why you are right for the vacancy with the aim of achieving an interview. Being straight to the point and referring to the job specification will provide a solid foundation for preparing your CV.
7) Thoroughly prepare for interviews
Great news, you’ve got to the interview stage!
Now is the time to really hone in on this particular vacancy and ensure all basis are covered off. A job interview can take different forms, either at the office or on a video call but they can also be formal meetings or informal chats.
Get prepared by reviewing the job specification, begin drawing up your personal experience and achievements in relation to the criteria and note down questions to ask as part of the interview. Remember, the job has got to be right for you just as much as you have got to be right for the job.
8) How to judge different job offers?
Got a job offer? Or considering multiple offers? Firstly, well done, that is a great position to find yourself in but also does pose the question, which one to accept.
There is a vast number of considerations which go into making your final decision. It is important to reflect and re-establish why you began your job search in the first place and what you hoped to achieve. These can take many different forms such as salary, working culture, commute or career progression.
Sitting down and essentially ranking each criterion for each separate job offer does allow for a clear perspective of each opportunity. Ultimately, you are doing a like-for-like comparison and weighing up the pros and cons of each opportunity to arrive at a decision which is right for you.
9) The resignation process
You’ve got your next dream role sorted and now it is time to tell your existing employer.
It is something which candidates do not consider when commencing a job search. It is something candidates dread once they realise they need to inform their current employer. It is important to remember that working is a business arrangement and is part and parcel of the recruitment process.
Always provide face-to-face notice followed up by a letter. Be gracious and keep it positive, after all they will provide references for you in the future.
10) Have you considered the inevitable Counter offer?
You’ve finally accepted your next career move and handed your notice in, but now your current employer doesn’t want to lose you!
With the current candidate short market, a counter offer is inevitable from your existing employer. It is a much quicker and cheaper alternative to keep you in the business rather than going to market and finding a replacement.
Most of the time, a counter offer looks like enhanced pay, a promotion or a promise of better working conditions. But you really need to think why it took you to hand in your notice for your employer to then put this better offering together. A recent study did find that 80% of candidates who accept a counter offer from their current employer end up leaving within 6 months anyway.
