Don’t Rush the Job Search!

In a survey earlier this year, of more than 5000 UK job seekers by TotalJobs.com, it was found that 60% spend less than two hours working on each application following a job search including the time it takes to write a resume and covering letter and to prepare for an interview.

What does this reveal? It seems that many of us think that when we’re looking for a job, we have to cram in as many job applications as possible. The laws of probability determine that the more jobs we apply for, the more chance we’ll have of getting one, right? What we don’t realize is that it just doesn’t work like that. An employer organization will hire you because your application and interview were of a high quality. You made the effort to show that you have what that organization values in terms of both capability and enthusiasm for the particular role. You won’t get hired by any business just because you happened to apply to 99 others. That just doesn’t make any sense!

As the founder of a career advisory service, I don’t believe in spending all of your job seeking time slaving over your resume instead of getting out there and making connections, but if you’re going to use a resume, put the time and effort in to ensure it actually helps you get a job. This does not mean that you have to write a small novel. Target each resume toward each job vacancy, including only the information that the particular employer organization will find relevant. Your job cover letter should also be targeted toward each different opening. Those of us who like to save time by mass-emailing a template and just changing the name of the addresses and company each time need to re-think our strategy.

One of the top no-nos for job interviews is being underprepared, but we still all too often fall into the trap of thinking “preparation” is just about wearing a sharp-looking suit and revising our answers to all the usual questions. But what about researching the company before you go in there? This gives you a feel for the values and direction of the organization, which will help you target your answers in the interview. It will also give you fuel for questions to ask the interviewers. It may seem like it’s just a formality when they ask if you have any questions, but asking intelligent, specific questions will show you’re genuinely interested in the organisation and what it’s about. Even if you don’t believe any of this is true, the interviewers might just ask you straight out if you’ve researched the company.

So the message is loud and clear: if we focus more on targeted preparation and less on hitting self-imposed target numbers of job applications, we’re more likely to be successful in our job search.

Guest Expert:

Nisa Chitakasem is the founder of Position Ignition – a careers company dedicating to taking you to the next step in your career. Nisa is passionate about helping individuals find the right career path for them whether it involves finding a more rewarding career, making a career change, figuring out the right career plan or being creative about career directions.

Visit: www.positionignition.com or email: enquiries@positionignition.com to contact Nisa.

For more free advice, guidance and information from Nisa visit: Position Ignition Career Blog or find her on Twitter: PosIgnition

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