In the bold landscape of modern employment, the hunt for a new career is more than just crafting an articulate and strong resume. The market is continuously evolving, the competition grows more challenging, and the hiring processes are becoming more complex, posing new challenges to candidates.
In this article, we’ll unravel eight of the commonly overlooked aspects of job search that could be the “secret ingredients” for a candidate’s winning strategy in changing their career path or landing their dream jobs.
7 Valuable Areas to Rethink During Job Search
Many think crafting a well-written resume and adding their skills and experiences is all it takes to land a career. Here are seven different areas candidates need to consider when applying:
1. Attitude in Job Searching
According to a CareerBuilder survey, candidates spend around 11 hours per week, on average, in job hunting.¹ That’s a little over an hour of effort per day. If you exceed those numbers, you will be in front of recruiters and hiring managers faster than your competition.
So, whether you’re still employed or already out of work, spend more time sending job applications, finding hiring managers, and meeting recruiters to gain higher chances of success. Treat your job-hunting endeavors as part of your process by putting the work in, exerting enough effort, planning for the interview, and setting a schedule, like how you would treat regular tasks you do under your profession.
2. Networking and Building Relationships
Networking is one of the most challenging aspects of job search, especially if you’re not used to approaching and talking to people. However, having an extensive network of people in your industry exponentially increases your chances of landing a role you want because the more people you know, the more conversations you get, and the more opportunities may come your way.
Start talking to people, look for individuals in the same field, and engage with them online. Build your LinkedIn profile, connect with professionals, talk to managers and executives, and build relationships. You can even build relationships with recruiters and ask about interview questions related to your field.
The key here is to avoid stagnating and only exerting effort whenever you need a job or are looking for better opportunities. Stay active and relevant in your industry by connecting to like-minded individuals who can give you access to opportunities, industry insights, or career advice.
Related Article: Working With a Recruiter Is the Best Career Move and Here’s Why
3. Create a Concise and High-Value Resume
When creating a resume, ensure it’s error-free, valuable, and straightforward. Candidates often mistake the idea of putting more means more. When it comes to adding irrelevant information, adding more can hurt your position. Here are things to consider that can help you build a winning resume:
- Review and edit for grammar, punctuation, format, and length.
- Return to the job post and ensure your resume matches the employer’s needs.
- Use targetted keywords, often found already in the job posts.
- Instead of going deeper into your experiences, make it easy to read.
- Use figures and results instead of focusing on what your tasks are.
- Focus on providing value and how you can add value to the organization.
- Only include the information and experiences needed for the position you’re applying for.
- If needed, tailor each resume to the role instead of sending a generic resume to different employers.
A good resume creates a lasting impression about how you market and present yourself. It allows recruiters to skim through it quickly, finding information, experiences, and skills easily that can help them assess the value you can bring to the organization.
Related Article: 10 Best Skills to Put on Your Resume in 2023
4. Documenting and Tracking Your Efforts
Since job hunting is almost like an actual profession, it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting, making you forget what happened to the previous applications.
Documenting your experiences, tracking your work, and measuring your efforts can help you in your future applications by applying what you experienced in the past. Use proper documentation to ensure you’ll reach deadlines, or use it to track applications and determine when to follow up.
5. Adding Cover Letters
If resumes can be used for other job applications, crafting a cover letter is a different story. Employers conduct interviews to determine whether a candidate will fit the role. A detailed, well-written, concise, and straightforward cover letter can help employers determine a candidate’s job fit even before the interview.
According to Resumelab, 83% of hiring managers and recruitment experts say that cover letters convince them to schedule an interview with a candidate, even if their resume isn’t good enough.²
Additionally, 74% of decision-makers prefer applications with cover letters to those without. Cover letters are required 64% of the time for direct application processes like email, and 61% of recruiters require cover letters for job boards or career sites.
6. Practicing Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Communication
Talking to yourself actually helps you become more confident and experience less anxiety, according to Psychology Today.³ In addition, self-talking or practicing communication alone also enhances your cognitive performance activities, which help with interviews and presenting yourself positively and confidently.
Besides practicing self-communication, you can also practice by talking to your friends. Discuss topics you aren’t well-versed with, or do a mock interview session. This can improve your choice of words, tonality, voice, body language, and eye contact.
7. Creating Your Professional Story
How often do you hear the question, “Tell me something about yourself,” in an interview?
Almost all interviewers ask this to candidates. While candidates don’t often think about this question or its meaning, most recruiters and hiring managers ask this question to gauge a candidate’s confidence, presentation, and storytelling.
During the conversation, let them peek into your personal life, how it relates to your professional background, and how relevant it is to the position you’re applying for. Practice at least one professional story; make it natural and seamless to impress your recruiter.
Make Your Job Hunt a Success
Each interview you will have is unique, and recruiters can have varying preferences and requirements. While we can’t speak for all recruiters and hiring managers, taking note of these seven tips will help increase your chances of impressing your recruiter.
Keep in mind that job interviews are dynamic, and while resumes are important, there are other aspects that hold value and can make or break your chances of landing a career.
LET ACS PROFESSIONAL STAFFING HELP YOU ACHIEVE THE CAREER YOU WANT
Going through multiple job applications takes time and resources – and there’s a chance you’re not reaching the best organizations out there. ACS Professional Staffing can help you connect with exceptional employers. Our mission is to build lasting relationships between candidates and employers.
Contact us and let us help with your job search today, connecting you with the top organizations in the industry.
References
1. “New CareerBuilder Study Unveils Surprising Must Knows for Job Seekers and Companies Looking to Hire.” CareerBuilder, 01 Jun. 2016, careerbuilder.com/New-CareerBuilder-Study-Unveils-Surprising-Must-Knows-for-Job-Seekers-and-Companies-Looking-to-Hire.
2. Tomaszewski, Michael. “Is a Cover Letter Necessary in 2023? Do I Need a Cover Letter?” ResumeLab, 08 Aug. 2023, resumelab.com/are-cover-letters-necessary.
3. Well, Tara, Ph.D. “Why Should You Talk to Yourself?” Psychology Today, 30 Mar. 2021, www.psychologytoday.com/why-should-you-talk-yourself.