Attention all you job seekers out there:

I know how you’ve been feeling lately. Excited that you’ve put in an application for a position that you think you’re perfect for. Anxious to get a call asking you to attend an interview. Less motivated when that call doesn’t come. Or perhaps it did come and you went to an interview, felt like you aced it and now you’re feeling confused as to why you didn’t get the job. Wondering why you can’t find a job when you think your experience is more than sufficient. Negative because after months of looking, your search has come to nothing.

I’m here today to challenge you. I’m here today to help you challenge yourself.

The job market at the moment is really quiet, and unfortunately this doesn’t mean that the number of job-seekers has decreased – this means that the market is also very competitive.

You need to make yourself stand out on paper (and again during an interview). Make yourself memorable for the right reasons!

Questions to think about

• What makes you different from every other candidate out there who has similar experience to yourself?
• How would you add value to the organization?

Your Resume

It is important to list every important detail on your CV.

After including all your contact information (it is also advisable to list your immigration status), make sure you list all relevant education and qualifications.

When you are listing your work experience it is important that you list the following:

• Dates of employment
• Company name
• Job title
• Job Responsibilities (bullet point form makes your resume easier to read). Make sure you list everything relevant that you can think of. You need to be able to demonstrate why your experience is suitable for the position you are applying for

Make sure there are no spelling / grammar errors.

Emailing an application

I see hundreds of applications each week from job seekers who email through their resumes to me. One of the biggest mistakes you can do when emailing a resume, is sending through a blank email with your resume attached, or only saying ‘see attached’. Why would you expect anyone to spend their time opening and reviewing an attachment, if you won’t even spend the time to write them a couple of lines introducing yourself and the purpose of your email? And don’t forget that a large proportion of spam emails are blank emails with attachments on them.

You need to engage your audience.

Write a short cover letter in the body of your email. Introduce yourself. Explain why you are contacting this person – are you responding to an ad? Did you hear about a job opening through someone else? What type of role are you seeking? What would make you the ideal candidate? Don’t make it an essay, but make it long enough to show that you are genuinely interested in this company / position.

Again – Make sure there are no spelling / grammar errors.

Interview Preparation

In today’s society, social media is the key to finding information about people. Make sure that your profile is clean.

If you have a facebook profile (or a profile on a similar social networking platform), check your security settings and make sure that you do not have any compromising images visible. Think of how you are presenting yourself. Don’t forget that (especially on a small island) your friends could also be connected to people you are interviewing with, so they could still have access to some of your photos.

To prepare for the interview, research the company you are interviewing with. Find out a bit more about what they do. Think of a few questions that you could ask in your interview to show your interest in the company. Don’t ask questions like ‘So, what does your company do?’ You will already be expected to know the answer to that. Think of questions like ‘How do you think I would fit in to the culture of the company?’, ‘Why is X company a great company to work for?’.

Make sure you present yourself professionally. Choose an outfit that looks professional. Make sure you are well-groomed – the first impression will always be based on your appearance (unless you are interviewing over the phone). Your hair should be neat, mean should be clean shaven. Think of other things that could help you present yourself better.

When going into an interview turn off your phone. Many people just put it on silent, but believe it or not, if your phone starts vibrating in your bag it could undo all the work you have put into this opportunity. I know of candidates who were perfect for a job, but were not asked back for a second interview because their phone was vibrating constantly in their bag.

Other tips:

• Shake hands with your interviewer(s) when meeting them
• Maintain eye contact
• When you are asked a question, take a second or two to think of an appropriate answer (don’t leave it too long because it could create an uncomfortable silence)
• Sit up straight
• Listen to what is being said and asked of you
• At the end of the interview, always thank the interviewer for their time, and shake their hand before you leave
• Relax. Everyone is nervous when going to an interview. Clear your head before you go in. Take a deep breath and you will be fine!

When is it ok to follow up?

The interview process can take quite a while. Sometimes companies will have interviews lined up over a couple of days. If you are with an agency, it is always good to speak with your consultant after an interview to give them feedback. They may not hear back from the client for 4-5 days, but they will call you to let you know if you were successful, once they know.

If you are not using an agency in your job search, leave it a few days (4-5 working days) before following up. If you follow up every day for 4 days, you will likely create a negative aura to your application.

Things to Remember

Often companies are looking for specific experience. They don’t write up a job ad and list 5 criteria that a candidate “must meet” for the fun of it, or to make their ad look better. They list those criteria because it is what they need for the position they are trying to fill.

You may meet almost all of the criteria but be a “really quick learner”. That doesn’t mean anything. Most people mention the exact same thing on their CV. If the company was looking for someone without the experience they wouldn’t have listed it in the first place.

Read the job description. Pay attention to the criteria. If you don’t have the qualifications / experience listed, you will be up against a lot of candidates who do.

Be patient. The number of people looking for work at the moment is incredibly high. The market will pick up again soon. The right job is closer than you think!

If you feel that you have been unsuccessful in finding work for a long time, look into making yourself more marketable by taking courses / certificates / qualifications.

Most importantly: Have confidence in yourself. Don’t lose faith. The right job is out there.