The entire job search process could seem a little stale to professionals looking for work who have been looking for employment for several months or more. On websites and job search engines like CareerBuilder, Dice, and Monster, many hours are frequently invested with little to show for it. Being jobless for several months is annoying. You inevitably start to doubt your job decisions, your professional abilities, expertise, and qualifications, or even your educational background. However, you are not alone. A slow-moving job market can give the impression that a job hunt has grown stagnant during periods of high unemployment.
We will offer job search techniques and advice in this seven-part series to help you relaunch your job search and reinvigorate your professional confidence.
1) Volunteering, a part-time job, or a temporary position
A excellent method to get your foot in the door is to look for short-term, part-time, or temporary job in your field of expertise. Even while it doesn’t appear like any full-time positions will be opening anytime soon, doing temporary or part-time employment will allow your company to get to know you and your work ethic. You have an advantage over other candidates who may be applying for the same job if a vacancy opens up or a new one is created. The company will see much more than just your resume.
2) Develop your individual brand
What, if anything, would someone find if they searched for your name online? Hiring you is most likely a significant financial commitment for any business or organisation. Companies are choosing their job applications more carefully, especially in these difficult economic times and in a labour market that is dominated by employers.
Search for yourself online for a few minutes to see what your digital footprint is. Do you share a name with anyone who might open up professional opportunities or cause issues with your online reputation?
Make sure the employer is aware of your capabilities, the reasons they should recruit you, and the value of investing in you by using your personal brand. Remember that your life and career talents as they appear online make up your personal brand. While your personal brand should be factual and true, you also want it to present you in the best possible light to potential employers. Your brand should showcase your overall credentials, educational background, and career objectives.
Check out the results from Google and Yahoo searches. Having a profile on LinkedIn and other professional social networking sites can aid in leaving a good digital impression. Your profile should be consistent and professional. Keep your information consistent with each profile’s similar career goals and ambitions. Do not mix your professional internet image with social media. It’s crucial to maintain your privacy in your personal life. It’s a common error in personal branding that could prevent them from getting the next job or chance.
3) Changing Your Career or Entering New Industries
Expand the scope of your job search and explore other work marketplaces that you might not have previously thought of. Determine whether your abilities and qualifications would convert into new job chances by selecting any career field.
This is not to argue that you should simply apply for each job that comes your way. In actuality, the reverse is true. Pick a profession that could benefit from your experience. The best course of action is to focus on a specific geographic area and find out who the local employers are there. Examine the job descriptions and roles that local employers are hiring for, then compare your resume’s qualifications to theirs. A midlife job transition into a new industry can seem difficult, but updating your cover letter and CV for the change will increase your employment prospects right away.
Look at your advantages. Applying for personnel positions is not a good idea if you lack people skills. Do not apply for positions in engineering or accounting if you lack math aptitude. Focus your job search on an industry or career field you know will help you achieve success. You may not have a job yet because you are juggling too many potential career routes. While you were spending your time and applying to jobs that you were not qualified for, you might have missed an opportunity. It may be tempting to want to apply for everything when a job hunt seems to drag on, but keep focused on your credentials and job skills.
Regarding the positions you are applying for, be realistic. You will typically find yourself competing for more entry-level opportunities while making a career shift into a new job market than you would in your present career sector. Changing occupations may feel like a step backwards, but it can be a good way to prove to potential employers that you’re up for new challenges, have the foresight to broaden your skill set across industries, and are flexible.
4) Utilize services for career counselling and advice
Get assistance. If months have gone by with no job offers or prospects, you might need assistance with your job search. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your financial responsibilities prevent you from concentrating on your job search.
The career services division of their college can be used by recent graduates and alumni. Many college career services offices include aid with resume writing, interview preparation, and career advising in addition to job listings and postings. They can also help you choose a professional path. When you are contemplating a career change or in the middle of a career transition, these services can be quite beneficial. Additionally, many employers look for candidates from particular institutions, universities, degree programmes, and departments. You can get in touch with these businesses through a career advisor at the school’s career services.
Look into what job placement services your local city or county offers outside of the career services departments at colleges or universities. To start looking for these kinds of neighbourhood services, get in touch with your local chamber of business. Many of these services are available to locals either for no cost or at a low cost.
Consider seeing a qualified career advisor or career counsellor, depending on your particular circumstances. A professional career counselor’s role is to guide you in determining your particular career goals and provide guidance on how to make the most of your skills and resources.
Find out what services the career counselling agency offers and what their most current candidate placement success rates are before deciding to hire one. In this manner, you will be aware of the expected outcome. Will they offer career guidance, assistance with resume writing and interview preparation, job placement services, and other support? When it seems like the job hunt is taking forever, do not be embarrassed to ask for assistance. You can reenergize your job search by using a career coach or independent career service.
5) Does the writing on your resume reflect your career objectives?
Update your professional appearance and resume. Take this opportunity to examine your CV and your entire professional presentation if your job hunt seems to be stopped. This includes your resume, your references, and any professional social media accounts like Linked-In.
If potential employers have already viewed your resume and you haven’t heard back from them, this can be a sign that you should take another look at it. Verify your resume for typos, poor grammar, and spelling errors. Any prospective employer will find those to be a definite turn-off.
Do you believe the 20 second test would pass for your online resume? You should keep in mind that an employer will typically scan your resume for 20 seconds. An employer will make a decision in that time span regarding whether or not to call you in for a job interview. It may be a sign that your resume does not pass the 20-second test if you haven’t received any interview calls in a while. Changes to the format of the resume can be required. Make sure your resume is visually appealing and that the information on your qualifications, education, and experience flows together naturally.
EmploymentJapan.com is a Japan and/or Japanese-centric global Job Board to connect employers with English speaking Tech talent looking for a job in Japan and also with employers worldwide looking for Japanese-speaking candidates in their respective countries.
EmploymentJapan.com bridges hiring companies and job seekers with the following combination:
- Employers in Japan looking to hire foreigners
- Employers outside Japan looking to hire Japanese-speaking employees
We also bring rich and exclusive educational content related to life in Japan and also niche content about Information Technology. The continuously expanding educational resources on the website are our commitment to the people interested in Japan or Japanese, that while we are always there to help with jobs and career searches, we are also committed to upskilling, education, and training for career growth.
