Stop Sabotaging Your Job Search! Tips For Successful Job Search Strategy
Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash
When Samantha started her job search, she was so excited at the prospect of a new company, new responsibility, and new colleagues. She had always been seen as a high achiever at her previous employer, and she expected to quickly land her dream job. However, 3 months into her search, she wasn’t any closer to realizing her goal of full-time employment. What was she doing wrong? Why wasn’t she getting the calls for interviews? And during the few interviews she had, why wasn’t she being offered a position? She started to realize she wasn’t realizing a successful job search and she needed to do something different.
Samantha reached out to the consultants at The Wilbanks Consulting Group and quickly realized she wasn’t necessarily doing anything wrong with her job search. But she was making the mistake of not capitalizing on every opportunity to elevate her value and position herself for that dream job. She was making the mistake of not demonstrating her value and doing the “extras.”
Are You Doing These Job Search Strategy “Extras”?
Did you know 74% of all new job opportunities come through effective use of one’s network (statistic from The Wilbanks Consulting Group)? In addition to potentially landing a new job, networking has a host of other benefits. According to LinkedIn, networking can build confidence, provide new perspectives, and widen your reach.
Additionally, doing the “extras” to impress will help a candidate stand out among the pool of applicants. There was a recent news story about a candidate who literally copied her resume in icing on a cake and had it sent to an employee gathering at Nike. While not everyone should use baked goods to present themselves as a candidate, there are definitely some “extras” that one can do to ensure a successful job search.
And The Wilbanks Consulting Group would love the opportunity to partner with you to identify your value and teach you how to showcase that to potential employers.
Photo by Van Tay Media on Unsplash
Try These “Extras” to Elevate the Job Search
After talking with The Wilbanks Consulting Group, Samantha quickly realized that she was missing some critical ways to elevate her job search above the competitive market, both generally and practically. Here are some ways that you can ensure that you have a successful job search.
Firstly, it is important to treat your job search as a full-time job. According to Forbes, when you spend almost equivalent time on the job search as you would a full-time job, you will have better success in your job search. As a candidate, you should get up and prepare every day, both physically and mentally, for a full day of work.
It is also critical to give yourself grace during a job search. While this may not seem important, someone who internalizes a closed door will see it as rejection, and then begin to see himself as “less than.” This will flow into the job search and begin to impact confidence, which will just perpetuate a cycle of rejection.
In tandem with grace is the need to elevate confidence. You need to spend time each day identifying what went well and how you can build upon that success. And celebrate each success, no matter how small! This will continue to build confidence, which will be evident to potential employers.
After working on some of these softer skills, there are some practical ways to elevate your job search, such as developing your Unique Selling Points. Just as every company has values that differentiate them from the competition (e.g., how Nike is different from Under Armor; how Starbucks is different from Dunkin’ Donuts; how McDonalds is different from Chick Fil’ A), each candidate needs to consider and be able to define how they are different from other job seekers. The consultants at The Wilbanks Consulting Group are happy to come alongside you to help you understand your Unique Selling Points and how to demonstrate them in effective ways during the job search.
More practically, it is important to spend at least 20 minutes each application tailoring the resume to an actual job description. In order to get through the gateway of applicant tracking systems, keywords from the job application must be present on a resume. This can be as easy as adding one or more skills to the resume, or it can be accomplished by replacing one word for another.
Another differentiator for your job search is submitting a cover letter. Many job postings no longer require a cover letter, but it is still important to add one, even when not required. No hiring manager will eliminate a candidate because they supplied a cover letter; however, the employer that sees the value in a cover letter may reject someone for not supplying one.
Utilizing your network effectively is another key differentiator. Because networking is the driver of the majority of new roles, it is the most critical use of time during the job search. Networking can seem difficult and forced to some people. For this reason, the experts at The Wilbanks Consulting Group can help you formulate a network map and then provide creative ways to utilize it.
Once you begin to get invited to interview, it is important to research the company. This is important to ensure you fully understand the values and drivers of the company. Additionally, showing your research will convey dedication as a future employee. And finally, interviewing is a two-way street - you are interviewing the company, just as much as the company is interviewing you.
It is also critical for you to practice your answers before walking into an interview. It might seem elementary, but when stress levels go up, it is easy to get tongue-tied when trying to give effective answers. There is a formula for effectively answering interview questions, and The Wilbanks Consulting Group can help you identify what this is for your experience.
Finally, writing thank you notes is a way to elevate your job search. So many candidates forget this important and personal touch during the hiring process. And it can be just the thing to elevate you above another job candidate.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
So What’s Next?
While Samantha thought she was doing the right thing for her job search, she quickly realized that “extras” could help elevate her position as a candidate and ensure a successful job search. And by reaching out to The Wilbanks Consulting Group, she quickly made adaptations to land her ideal role.
The Wilbanks Consulting Group is here for you too. With a full spectrum of career services, our dedicated group of experts can help you move your job search from mediocre to amazing!
Reach out for a free 30-minute consultation today!