Getting Ahead in a Difficult Job Market
Today’s jobmarketis difficult for everyone. Since the 2008 economic crisis, thousands have been maderedundant,well known companies ceased trading and those still trading are slow to take on workers. With so many people looking for work,getting aheadin the job market means ensuring that you stand out from the crowd throughout the application and interview process. Some things will ensure that you are the successful candidate.
Ensure that your curriculum vitae is well written and that it contains no spelling mistakes. Everyone uses Internet templates for their Curriculum Vitae, you might be better to make yours a little different. Never lie on your CV or on any job application form. Learn to write a good covering letter to accompany your CV and ensure that spelling and grammar are correct. Many job candidates’ application letters earn their writers nothing but space in the waste paper basket. One employer X had over a hundred applications for a single job. His first perusal through the applications was to look at the covering letters and, if he discovered a spelling or grammatical error, he filed them in the waste paper basket. In addition, any standard downloaded covering letters earned a black mark.
You also need to prepare yourself. In a hard job market, it pays to be flexible be prepared to consider all options and not fix your mind on one job only. Be prepared to consider related jobs within the same industry. In addition, it is a good idea to consider other possibilities. What are your other skills and interests? You do not have to stay in the same industry to get a good job. Education or training that you have received but never used could help you to find a good job, even if it is something that you have never previously considered. You may not get your desired job title, salary or benefits, but you can get a job that will pay the bills. Once you have a job, it is easier to work hard and get yourself into your desired niche.
Make contacts within your chosen industry and keep them close. They will help you to hear of job openings before the competition. Read the newspapers, and watch and listen to the news, news that a company opening a factory, office or branch in a new area might be a chance to get your application in before everyone else. Take advantage of any job clubs, centres or any job counselling help available.
Do not sniff at temporary work. Temporary work will earn you money in the meantime. Temping is a great way to increase your experience and learn new skills. These new skills will help you land a permanent job eventually.
Take an evening class or an on-line class, either in a job-related skill or something else. Learn alanguage, a computer skill, or brush up on skills that you already have. Employers like to see that candidates want to learn and acquire new skills and have the commitment to do so. If you are already taking a class, do put it on your CV for the same reason. Whether you are doing conversational French or a pottery class, learning a new skill says a great deal about your character and aptitude. It also shows any prospective employer that you are willing and able to learn.
Employers are interested in your hobbies, pastimes and sports activities outside work. If you do voluntary work, enjoy amateur archaeology, run the local little league soccer team, put it on your CV. Employers like to see a varied range of activities. Many people make the mistake of putting only a few outside activities on their CV, to do so makes you seem two-dimensional. Interesting hobbies, pastimes and sports make you interesting as a person. In addition, outside activities where you have to use organizational, intricate skills, attention to detail, lateral thinking etc. all make you an attractive candidate, because these skills are transferable to the workplace.
When a company invites you for interview, prepare well. Research the company thoroughly, so that you can ask intelligent questions and make intelligent comments. If you can show good knowledge about the company, you will impress the interviewer.
Presenting yourself as an intelligent, willing, able and skilled person is only part of good interview technique. How you look also tells a prospective employer much about you and your character. Prepare your clothes well in advance of the interview. Dress neatly. If you are going for an office or corporate job, dress appropriately; business suits for men and a dress, skirt, blouse and jacket for women. People in artistic professions may dress a little more casually, but should not wear very revealing clothes or clothes bearing slogans. You should be clean and tidy for any interview for any job. Get your hair cut if necessary. Do not forget to clean your shoes. Women should take a spare pair of tights or panty hose, in their handbag, just in case you ladder yours, while travelling to the interview. Attention to appearance shows an employer that you attend to detail well. A slap dash appearance tells a prospective employer that you are slap dash in your work and do not really want the job.
Do not get discouraged, the job market is difficult, but you canget aheadin the job market and ensure that you are an outstanding candidate. An outstanding candidate is a prepared candidate, one who goes the extra mile. In a difficult job market, you have to stand out to land the job.
