Have you been looking for a job for a while now with no head way? Are you at a job you barely like and always want to leave? Have you been getting offers from organizations that your goals or wants do not align with?
These kinds of things, happen even to the best of the best. Whether it is working for your dream company or starting your own business, choosing a career isn’t always easy.
These five tips below will help put you in the right direction to the job of your dreams.
A lot of people do not know that this is the very first thing you ask yourself when trying to get a job….any job. You have to figure out what you want in your career. What are your goals?
This isn’t always easy and could often time stress you out but it is a very important question and will serve you well even in the future.
HR experts believe that once you figure out what you want in your life and career, then you can start asking yourself questions like:
What are my qualifications? What can I survive comfortably on as salary? Is this the only job I can do? Will this job give me peace of mind and time to rest? What are the goals I have for myself if I get this job?
Answer these questions to the best of your ability and write them down. You need to be clear and explicit when answering these questions. This helps you to conceptualize and create a clear path for yourself, career wise.
This is real tea!
Almost every great job starts with a CV. You cannot get that dream job if the human resource management or consultant doesn’t see you for who you really are: an expert, a professional or the right fit for the job.
Having a great CV is crucial if you are determined to get that dream job.
At some point in my place of work, I had the opportunity to be part of the office recruitment process and I reviewed a couple of CV’s. I can tell you for a fact that when it comes to CV’s, you need to say it as it is, but say it well. Say it with as much detail as possible. Break it down, especially into simple and actionable points that will tell your story and make you look good. Be sure to avoid industry jargon and cliche words.
Once your story is stated clearly and you are sure you are set in the right path, you could be well on your way to landing that dream job.
You can put them in email format when applying for the job or you can have it in a proper letter format. Either ways, your application must not come without a cover letter. It is surprising, even shocking that individuals looking for and keen on getting a job, sometimes apply for these jobs with only their CV’s attached in the mail. Some people don’t even say hello or use appropriate email subjects. Often times, the body of the email is empty, they just attach their CV and say nothing.
So now we know cover letters are important, what should be in a cover letter?
Firstly, you need to decide what format you’re using. If its email, make sure your subject clearly states the purpose for your email; “Application for the position of Office Assistant”.
Secondly, you have to introduce yourself. Give yourself a quick intro in 3 or 4 lines and then move to the next paragraph to say why you are sending the mail.
Lastly, give a summary of your CV as it relates to the job title e.g. Office assistant. Make powerful statements about your experience with actionable items and what the work truly entails. Keep it brief and drive curiosity with it. Recruiters get swamped with applications, you want to make them interested and continue reading yours.
As mentioned earlier, I was part of the recruitment team for my company. There was this candidate who had a really good CV, applied well and looked like a good match for the job we were offering so, I invited her for an interview.
At the interview, she was doing very well until I asked her a question about the company and the business we are into. She couldn’t articulate the business properly and couldn’t name any of our clients. All of which she could have gotten from just visiting the company website or doing some Google search!
If you want to land a dream job with huge salaries and allowances that can afford you a certain lifestyle, then you have to pay the price. What does that mean? It means that you have to be intentional in taking steps to get you there and prepare you for the role you are about to take.
When you get a job after applying, (even before applying, else how do you know it’s a good fit?) then it is your duty to research the company. Everything about the company, members of staff, clientele, achievements, competitors, values, the role you are about to take, why you want to work there and the value you will bring to the company.
You can have all these answers with a little research and you could be well on your way to that dream job.
Lateness is a show of unseriousness, plain and simple!
Banish this African man time concept from your mind completely, it will only set you back in your career or even as a business person.
This is simple courtesy. If you applied for a job, you should be on the lookout for further communication from the company and if you do not get one after a while, you can do a polite follow up email.
If you get a reply and the date of your invite for interview or aptitude test clashes with something equally important, then send a mail well ahead of time. Send a detailed mail apologizing for not making it, reason for not making it or not, then request for a new date and time.
A popular HR consultant,took to Instagram last week to express her displeasure at how candidates handle recruitment processes. Out of 30 people chosen, only 8 confirmed availability for the interview and only one showed up on time.
The other one came 1 hour late with excuses. One couldn’t make it but sent a mail saying so on the morning of the interview… gasp! You can see that those candidates would have been automatically disqualified.
If you don’t want to be among the pool of “unserious youths” this year, you have to fix up and get to work! The dream job wouldn’t land on your laps (sometimes it could) but 95% of the time, you have to work for it!
Do share your job application experiences or let’s us know once you land that dream job!