Finding job is a job itself!
Let me walk you through the 10 steps of a proper job seeking process and you may want to check if you missed anything.1. Stay positive and full power.
Your attitude and motivation is crucial! No one wants to hire depressed and low energy employees.2. What are your key strengths?
Come up with the list of your top skills. Think of success stories and achievements you have throughout your career. What makes you a good professional?3. Set the goal.
Think of the job you want. You need to have a clear vision from the very beginning. How do you know if the job is the right fit for you? What are the characteristics?4. Target list.
Write a target list of companies you would want to work for. Do your research. You need to fill up your ‘sales funnel’ with as many options as it is possible. Look for competitors, market rankings, market reviews, adjacent markets, job boards, etc.5. Find contacts.
Search the company websites to find HR contacts. Use LinkedIn to find hiring managers. Get the most out of your network to get all the necessary information and contacts.6. Plot your ‘killer’ CV.
Surprised that CV is not the 1st step? That’s right, you don’t start with composing your universal CV. That is the biggest mistake lots of job seekers do. You need a killer CV for every job you apply for. It must be adopted exclusively for every application. That is why the research stage is so important. You need to understand the tone of voice used in the company, the key words (if you are lucky to find a job opening with description), values of the company, its priorities. Ask people who work there, get insight, read news, google it. Your killer CV should exactly match the requirements and thus must be written specifically for this company and this job.- Write ‘slogan’ that creates an interest to read the entire resume. Objective statement;
- enrich your text with the key words from the job description or corporate website to match the tone of voice;
- avoid bullet lists when describing your previous jobs. Better to paragraph what was your value that you brought to your former employers. Phrase it in easy to understand language. Refer to step #2;
- make it 1-pager. Do not dilute your value in lengthy text. Make your CV as a bait for hiring managers so that they would desperately want to invite you for the interview.
7. Motivational cover letter.
Make it personal. It should feel like that is the only job you apply for. What is the value for the company and hiring manager to have you in this position? Why are you the best fit for this job? Make it brief — just 2–3 short paragraphs.8. Get prepared for the interview.
That is your show time.- Establish a good connection/rapport with the interviewer. Be positive. Make a good impression;
- tell your ‘war stories’ in PAR (problem-action-result) style;
- illustrate your stories. Hand drawings on the paper will visually support your story;
- agree on the next steps.
9. Be proactive.
Follow up the interview with the call in a couple of days. Ask for a feedback.10. Negotiate the job offer.
Agree on the the best conditions that will motivate you to be the most effective in your new role.Keep track of your funnel.
- How many jobs you have applied for;
- how many 1st interviews you were invited to;
- number of rejections and the feedback collected;
- further stages of interviews;
- job offers received.
You want to keep your funnel full. If most of the applications are processed get back to step #4 and expand your target list.
Headhunters / recruiters — use them with care.
- Avoid the conflict of interests. Recruiters are paid for the jobs they fill. Save a buck for your future employer by approaching the company directly first. Refer to recruiters when your funnel is empty.
- Recruiters rarely tailor your resume for the company and just copy/paste the one they have.
- Headhunters might be very helpful to give you the current job market overview.
Make your job hunting an interesting adventure and a pleasant journey. Good luck!
