Recruitment
and selection has changed considerably over the last couple of years and I’ve
seen a massive change in not only where and how companies advertise but in the standard
of applications they are now expecting.
It’s true
that there are fewer jobs around, but companies are still recruiting and the
biggest challenge for job hunters is that competition is greater and therefore,
they need to know how to get the edge over their competition and it’s not
always big things that make the difference.
I’ve
prepared a short series covering some of the top tips from my ‘Land Your Dream
Job’ e-programme and from my up-coming book of the same name. In this post, we’ll look at starting your job
hunt:
Starting Your Job Hunt
1. Use your network
Recent
studies have shown that approximately 70% of people now get their next roles
through the people that they already know.
I found that quite astounding when I first heard it, but having recently
managed a large outplacement/redeployment project for 600 people who were due
to be made redundant, I can probably agree with it.
It’s
really important that you let everyone know that you’re looking for a job as
long as it won’t impact negatively if you’re currently employed. One thing I hear over and over is that people
feel often ashamed if they’ve been made redundant and somehow think that it’s a
reflection on them and their ability.
Let me state for the record THERE’S NO STIGMA ATTACHED TO BEING MADE
REDUNDANT! Literally everyone I know has been affected by redundancy at least
once in their lives, it’s not personal, it’s business and in no way reflects
badly on you.
The
more people who know you need a job and what kind of job you’re looking for,
the more likely they are to find it for you.
Also it’s not usually the people who are closest to you (immediate
family and friends) that the roles originate from but those who you see less
frequently or who are casual acquaintances and that’s because they will usually
move in different circles to you and will be open to and hear about different
opportunities to you.
So
remember to TELL PEOPLE YOU NEED A JOB AND WHAT JOB YOU WANT.
2. Be positive
Nobody
wants to listen to people who are moaning about their current situation (either
that they hate their job, boss, company, life or are totally devastated by
being made redundant) and as a Success Coach Michael Neill always says, “desperation
smells” and people run a mile from it.
No
matter how you’re feeling (and I’ve done posts about changing your emotions)
when telling people about your need for a new job, you must keep upbeat and
positive. People will be much more
likely to help you if you’re positive.
3. Ignore the current ‘Recession
Obsession’ and ‘Doom Mongers’
I
hear so many people say, “Oh woe is me, there are no jobs out there it says so
on the TV and in the papers – everyone knows that if you’re out of work you’ll
never get a job or if you do it’ll take forever. With all the unemployed out there how will I
ever find work ... bla bla bla”
What
a load of old rubbish! Like I said in
the opening, there are still plenty of jobs out there, you just have to be more
tenacious, work a bit harder, be creative and try different job search methods and
things that you may not have had to consider before.
If
you are job searching, I urge you to not watch the news or read the newspapers for
a while or if you do, don’t take anything that’s said literally, let it go over
your head. What most people don’t realise
is that the news is full of sensationalism designed to suck us in and shock
us. We are so desensitised these days
that the only way news programmes can hold our attention is by telling us how
dreadful things are. Have you noticed
that they usually only throw one ‘feel good’ article in a news programme at the
very end? That’s because they know that
horror, negativity and sensationalism sells.
In addition to this don’t forget they’re all in competition with each
other to see who can push the boundaries and get the most viewers.
You
must also watch out for and ignore what I call the ‘Doom Mongers’ around
you. You know those people who are
continually negative (I have a friend who calls them ‘Mood Hoovers’). You need to stay away from those people as
much as possible during your job search.
You need to keep as positive as possible and if you spend too much time
with these people, you’ll feel your good mood ebbing away pretty quickly. Also, keep in your mind that what they are
saying (if you must listen to it) isn’t personal, they are just reflecting back
their own fears – don’t take them on board.
4. Take consistent action
Job
hunting takes effort, sustained effort.
Therefore, it’s important that you take some action (at least one hour 5
days a week) on your job search. You may
need to do more than this in the very early stages, especially whilst you're
creating your CV. Most of my clients
report back to me saying that they feel like it’s a full time job!
It
doesn’t have to be full time, but like anything else, the more effort you put
in the better the results you will get.
5. Use various job search methods
Don’t
just think you’ve done some networking your dream job will plop in your lap. Certainly I have known that happen, but you
really need to try a good combination of, if not all of the following job
search methods:
o
Networking
o
LinkedIn
(Facebook for the business world)
o
Recruitment
Consultants/Agencies
o
On-line
recruitment sites
o
On-line
company job sites (most large companies have their own dedicated on-line job
sites
o
Speculative
applications
o
Job
Centre (for roles under £25,000)
o
Newspapers/Trade
Press (hard copies or on-line job sections of their websites)
In future posts I'll be talking more about job hunting, CV writing and interview skills. In the meantime, if you are considering looking for a new role, you may
wish to visit my new website dedicated to career management www.land-your-dream-job.co.uk.
See you
next time.
Jo
