Are you looking for a new job and feeling overwhelmed by the process? There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, so it may feel even more confusing about where to start your job search. To help you begin follow the Mindful Careers 5 step checklist to help ensure you are on the right path:
1. Plan & Prepare
Before you go charging in clicking ‘apply’ on hundreds of job adverts, spend some time thinking about what you actually want next in your career. What do you love doing? What are your key skills? What value add can you bring to an organisation, what is my USP (unique selling points)? Additionally, what do you not want to do!
Then set yourself some goals and timeframes so that you have a clear plan and know what you are going to be doing each day and each week. You are much more likely to get results if you have a career plan.
2. Resume
Ensure your resume is up to date and is “selling” all of your skills and experience. Resumes can look out of date very quickly, so if you haven’t updated yours in a while then make sure you spend a couple of hours improving it. Check out the types of jobs that you would apply for on some job boards, and see what are the “buzz” words and terms that are being used and then aim to incorporate them into your resume.
Remember that page one of your resume is very important and many recruiters do not look beyond this page. So ensure that it clearly states what you have done and can offer an employer.
3. LinkedIn & Your Online Profile
Just as important as your resume is ensuring that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and has a recent photo, a headline explaining what you do and a detailed job history. It’s also worth Googling yourself just to check you are happy with what people might see if they check out your online profile. Tidy up any Facebook or Instagram accounts that might show photos where you may have been having too much fun at a party!
4. Network
Applying through job boards and recruiters is great but it is also very important to reach out to your network and ask for their advice. You never know where all the coffee catch ups and lunches might lead, so it is definitely worth investing your time in doing this and also tracking who you meet and why. Also, remember to access the hidden job market to ensure you have followed up on every possible option.
Additionally, always email them a thank you note and let them know that you are always there for them when they may need advice or help in the future.
5. Interviews
Get “interview ready” by ensuring you prepare and practice for all the standard interview questions, such as “tell me a bit about yourself?” “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” “why should we hire you?” Practice, practice and more practice! In saying that, it is also very important at any interview to be authentic and be yourself. Try not to sound too rehearsed with your answers, see it as a conversation not just you reading a scripted answer.
Also, ensure you have written down a couple of questions that you can ask at the end of the job interview. Some examples are “what key goals would you like achieved in this role in the first 3 months?” “how would you describe the team culture?” “how will you manage me?”
After any job interview ensure that you send them an email thanking them for their time and expressing again that you are very interested in the role.
If you could benefit from some one on one advice to help you prepare for your upcoming job interviews then get in touch with me.
Looking for a new job can be both exhilarating and also exhausting! Some job searches can get results quickly whilst others may take months. Following the 5 step checklist will help keep you on track and be a more prepared and ultimately a more hire-able candidate!
Contact me today to hear how I can help you [email protected]