Job hunting can be awash with frustrations, and has become even tougher in the current financial climate with many businesses struggling to survive. However, there are ways in which you can ensure your chances of finding employment are strengthened.
Job Hunting: Top Tips
Firstly, if you’re applying for several positions where the demands of the individual role may vary, ensure your CV and cover letter are uniquely tailored to that specific application, otherwise your application will seem speculative, and will probably be consigned to the dustbin.
By adjusting your CV and cover letter to highlight your enthusiasm and passion for an individual role, your application is far more likely to be received in a positive manner. Yes, it may take up valuable job hunting time, but it’ll help your application stand out in a competitive marketplace. Avoid stupid mistakes such as spelling and grammatical errors or poor CV presentation even if the content provided is first rate, the tiniest error could be enough to end an employer’s interest.
Tenacity is an important attribute for any job hunter, as knock-backs during the process are likely. Even if you have minor doubts about a job role that sounds intriguing, there’s no harm in submitting an application to keep your options open, or you could face a long wait for interview by simply applying for a few niche roles.
When confronted with a challenging jobs market, it’s always a good idea to keep an open mind as to employment opportunities. For instance if you live in the South West of England, and for career purposes want to move to the city of Bristol, it may be wise to consider internships or part time jobs in Bristol as a means of benefitting from work experience to help bolster the CV for more permanent roles. Many graduates looking to work in London are forced to follow this path, and although it’s hard work often for little pay, it can be the most sensible optionin terms of proving your worth to a certain employment industry.
If you are fortunate enough to work in an area with excellent transport links, try not to become fixated with the idea of working in one single location (such as London). With such fierce competition for jobs out there, demonstrating some flexibility in terms of your work location should only help to boost your chances of receiving an invitation to interview.
A quick glance at the statistics reflects this, which show 32 applications per job in London compared with a nationwide average of 10 per job. Spreading your job hunt over several miles could be the key to landing a suitable role. And if you have few ties (partner, children etc), there may even be some merit in taking that bold decision to consider relocating. It’s not for everyone, but it’s something worthy of serious exploration if you find your options increasingly limited.
