5 ways to stand out during your job hunt

Whatever your reasons for moving forward in your professional life, having the confidence to show off your skills can really boost your career hunting success. If you’ve explored job roles, found some great leads and researched employers, you’re ready to apply for new positions and make the move you’ve been hoping for.

But you may have the following questions in mind: 
 

• Which job hunting strategies will work for me?
• How do I write a resume to showcase my industry experience?
• How do I make sure my interview balances personality and professionalism?

There are so many job seeking tips and techniques out there, it can be tricky to have the confidence to sift through the advice and focus on making a really memorable impression. No need to worry though. We’ve taken the stress out of career searching. Check out our top tips for job hunting below.

What are the most common methods of job hunting?

1. Building a network of personal contacts.
2. Undertaking plenty of career research.
3. Keeping an eye on internal vacancies.

Ask anyone how to look for jobs and they’ll give you different advice but if you don’t want to waste time and energy, it’s important to pick methods to suit both your industry and your career ambitions.

A great starting point is to understand which job hunting strategies are available. We’ve listed three of the most important ones below.

1. Building a network of personal contacts.

Personal work-based connections aren’t just important for job satisfaction and mental health. They help you develop as a professional and can keep you in contact with new job opportunities. 

Some connections will develop naturally but you’ll need to seek out and work at others. When it comes to networking, don’t ignore the people closest to you. You might be surprised how family dynamics can influence career success.

2. Undertaking plenty of career research.

One of the best job searching tips we can give you is to use a wide variety of career research methods. This will help you understand which job roles are out there, as well as open up new opportunities and ideas. Use a mix of online searches, including social media, jobs boards, and company websites. You can also sign up with recruitment agencies and take time to attend career fairs.

3. Keeping an eye on internal vacancies.

If you’re not happy in your current job role, it might be the occupation itself, not your organisation or industry that doesn’t suit you. Don’t miss the opportunity to use your current job to build your future career. 

By talking to your employers and researching what opportunities are available within your current workplace, you’ll be demonstrating your commitment to moving up the career ladder. You’ll also be putting yourself in a stronger position when it comes to future training.

What are the common mistakes in a job search?

1. You're spreading your research too thinly.
2. You're ignoring opportunities for training.
3. You're going at it alone.

The job seeking advice above should help you with your career research but it’s still possible to make errors. Errors that are easy to avoid if you know what to look out for. 

Below are three common job searching mistakes you definitely want to swerve.

1. You're spreading your research too thinly.

If you’re going to continue to succeed in your current job role, you can’t afford to allocate too much time to career hunting. 

Treat job seeking just like any other element of your career and write a plan. By selecting the right online platforms, networking opportunities and companies for your industry and job role, you can approach your career search in a logical and proactive way.

2. You're ignoring opportunities for training.

Although great people skills are vital for office success, targeted role-specific training is also important in a competitive job market. Training won’t just boost your skill set, it will help you make new contacts. 

It will also look great on your resume and demonstrate your eagerness to the managers and executives that you’re keen to impress. If your organisation isn’t currently offering training, why not find an appropriate course then approach your employer to suggest it.

3. You're going at it alone.

There’s plenty of job seeking advice out there so make sure you take it. Talking to career and industry experts will help you understand the subtle nuances of your proposed career move. 

If you want to understand what salary you can expect, which qualifications will be most useful or even which networking events to attend, the best people to ask are the ones who really have their finger on the pulse.

5 ways to stand out during your job search

If you’re ready to get started on your job search, we’ve got five more really important tips for job hunting for you. 

From research to a new job, here’s how to make sure you stand out right through the career seeking process. 
 

• Showcase all of your talents in your resume, cover letter and interview performance.
• Build contacts inside the organisations you want to work for. 
• Remember that self-development and career-searching go hand in hand.
• Understand your prospective new employer. 
• Optimise for interview success with improved techniques and carefully planned questions.

Make sure your application stands out from the crowd with Upskilled’s wide range of online courses. Online learning is a supported and flexible way to fit training into a busy schedule. Why not get in touch with our team today to find out more.
 

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