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Know what the best tips to be a Smart Job Seeker?

best tips to be a smart job seeker

Introduction

Conducting a job search in today’s current shrinking market, and acquiring one is not so easy. And due to it, there is a rise in the unemployment rate. We do agree that job seeking is never fun while you are still unemployed, and when things are not quite simple. But, the process can more likely be less stressful if you’re well-prepared as well as smart as a job seeker. It’s important to implement smart ways during a job search. That’s the key to land a job successfully. Want to know how? Well, continue reading further as in this blog post we’ll discuss below the best tips to be a Smart Job Seeker that you need to essentially implement for becoming a smart job hunter, basic essentials needed for a successful job search along with the 3 mistakes that must be avoided whilst applying for a job.

However, before you explore the best tips to be a Smart Job Seeker, do you know – Why the Unemployment Rate Matters?

When workers are unemployed, their families lose wages, and the nation as a whole loses their contribution to the economy in terms of the goods or services that could have been produced. Unemployed workers also lose their purchasing power, which can lead to unemployment for more workers, creating a cascading effect that ripples through the economy. In this way, unemployment even impacts those who are still employed.

Unemployment Rate Across 10 States

Employment in India

5 Vitals Tips

Basic Essentials Required for a Successful Job Search

Time

You’ve probably heard it said that job hunting is a fulltime job. I don’t believe that’s necessarily the case, but it is an activity that needs serious commitment. You’ll likely fail if you’re job hunting in your spare time, only on weekends or “when you get to it.” To get serious, schedule specific blocks of time in your calendar that is dedicated to your job hunt. I’d suggest starting with 30 uninterrupted minutes a day and adding time from there.

A Really Big List

A Really Big List is a collection of every idea you have that’s related to your job search — companies you’d love to work for, internships to apply for, people you’ve been meaning to talk to, blogs to subscribe to and anything and everything else. Start a list in a notebook, an Excel doc or in a file on your phone and keep it with you at all times. Your list will provide the assignments for the job search sessions you’ve now made the time for: employers to research, people to invite for informational interviews, events to attend, etc. It’s like a journal and assignment book all in one.

The Best Resume You Can Possibly Have

Although the economy is getting better, it’s still an incredibly competitive job market, so your resume has to be the very best it can be. Don’t wing it! If you can afford a professional resume writer, appoint one. If you’re in college or are a recent grad, get a resume rewrite from your college career center.

If you can’t do either of these things, then ask your smartest, most successful friend (ideally someone who works or has worked in your industry) for help. No matter how you improve your resume, the time, effort and/or money spent will be well worth it.

3 Mistakes to Evade

#1: Forwarding a resume riddled with flaws

Given that most recruiters spend barely 30 seconds on a resume, you need to make it as attractive and convincing a case for yourself as you can. More imperatively, make certain it is free of flaws because it is a big reason for rejections.

A strict no-no is spelling mistakes, typos, and grammatical goof-ups. Such errors are a big put-off for employers, who view the candidate as a person who does not pay attention to details.

Another unforgivable mistake is falsifying about your skills, experience or lying other details on the resume. Remember, if you are shortlisted, firms will inevitably run a verification check and if you are found wanting, your reputation will be shred to bits. And, of course, you are unlikely to land a job quickly.

Any mismatch between the details on your social media profile and resume is also undesirable. So keep your resume updated with an eye on work experience and dates. Many job seekers also view the resume as an application that needs to be packed with as much data as possible. Rather, it should be viewed as a marketing tool intended to sell yourself at a glance. So try to keep it with bulleted points, crisp and short, that can be taken up for detailed conversation at an in-person interview afterwards.

Finally, fill up your resume with keywords that are going to likely show up on the databases of firms and headhunters. If you have the qualifications and requisite skills for the job and are not noticed by the employer, it will be a waste of your effort and time.

#2: Sending a generic cover letter & resume to everyone

In their rush to get on with the search after losing a job, many applicants make an easily avoidable blunder: send out the similar copy of a resume and cover letter to all potential recruiters. If your CV reads like a template picked off an online CV builder, with minimal changes to make it presentable and no effort, no employer is going to touch you.

Prepare your resume that you are applying to in a way such that it seems relevant to the role, industry and firm.

Your cover letter should not speak to a faceless entity, but to the person, and try to convince him why your qualifications make you the best fit for the role. This argument must be played out and reflected in the resume, listing your vision and strengths, and how these align with the role and firm’s vision. If your resume appears and views like a copy-paste version, no employer will read it, it will be boring.

Also make certain you pick the CV layout suited to the current stage and experience in your career. For instance, do not pick a resume that begins with work experience even though you are just in your second job, or one that simply lists out every company you’ve ever worked for without describing what exactly you did there.

#3: Not following up or following up too aggressively with recruiter or company

What should you do after sending in the bio? How long should you wait before contacting the employer or recruiter? Many job seekers make the mistake of getting the timing of follow-up wrong. Recall that no employer is going to reply the very next day. 

Even so, it is a good idea to send a message on LinkedIn or email instead of calling up as it might be considered intrusive in the initial stages of the selection process. It may be more suitable to call if you have been shortlisted for an interview.

At the junior level, the employer might take to get back even longer, say, 15 days. So do not drop a mail prior two weeks or you might be considered too desperate for a job and are likely to weaken your bargaining position.

Sometimes, head hunters may like your CV and keep the profile in their databases for as long as 1-3 months before getting back. This is because they may not possess the correct opening at the moment and respond only when an appropriate position opens up.

When you do send a follow-up mail, make certain it is crisp, short, and lucid. The subject line should be clearly mentioned and the mail must be politely worded. Briefly reaffirm your interest in the job and why you are a perfect fit. Remind them of your CV and ask for a response. If you still don’t get mail, you are clearly not the frontrunner for the job.

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