04 Jun When will I get job? Sooner, if you use these 7 (very effective) strategies.

When will I get job?

This is something I get asked frequently by my clients.

And the answer is “I don’t know.” It is a tough question to answer as a Career Coach or Career Counsellor.

To put this metaphorically: I can help you prepare for the battle but don’t know when you are going to win the battle. There are lots of skills, tools and techniques require to win the battle, I can help you identify the areas where you can improve yourself to be the best in the battle field. You don’t know your enemy, You don’t know what they have in their arsenal.

Job hunting is like going to a battle. You will need certain skills, tools and techniques.

If you have all these skills but if the market is not good (like 2008 crisis), that means you have strong enemy. It will be difficult for you to land a job quickly and easily.

Whatever the battle ground is like, there are things which works. I present to you following 7 strategies to get noticed and land a job quickly.

1. Go where there is opportunity: Many people go on company websites and apply from there on their generic job page. This is mostly wasted effort as there is no opportunity available. You should send resume when you clearly establish there is a opening. What happens is you apply on lot of company website and you just get their standard email response. This is heart breaking and reduces motivation. Once you find real opportunity/opening go as a resource, problem solver, not someone who is desperate to get anything & everything.
2. LinkedIn is the new resume: Since the inception of LinkedIn the traditional way of hiring has changed. Lots of hiring is done via linkedin. The way you craft your profile on LinkedIn matters more now a days than how good is your resume.
3. It’s not about you: As I said earlier go as a resource, problem solver. All the openings are mainly created to help solve a problem for a company. It is created for their own benefit, rather than it is created for you. So think about how you can help the company solve their problem?
4. Have fun & breaks: Job search is emotional roller coaster. After applying 20 jobs if you get one single call for interview you’ll be on top of the moon. But if you apply 20 jobs and don’t get a single call it’s heartbreaking. I always help my clients identify their interest and activities related to it. You’ve to take breaks and do other things than just sitting on a computer and clicking few buttons.
5. Be Yourself: Lots of candidates practice and memories interview answers. They create stories to be told in the interviews. They try to create persona which is not aligned to who they are really. When you are trying to become who you are not, it creates tension and stress. Be who you are and show your strengths and your accomplishments.
6. Networking and Referrals: If you create or join a network of like minded people you will have more opportunities of finding a job or an idea to start your own business or start-up. Referrals are also very useful to land a job quickly. Once you apply for a job, you can check if you have connection in the same company via LinkedIn connections. See if you can get recommendation, it goes long long way.
7. Passion is overrated: “Follow your passion” is one of the most common pieces of career wisdom, says Cal Newport, author of So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love. “It’s also wrong.” If you study people who end up loving their work, most of them did not follow a pre-existing passion, he says. “Instead, their passion for the work developed over time as they got better at what they did and took more control over their career.” I agree with Cal at some extend, you are not going to get a job which you going to love 100%. There is nothing like dream job. You create a dream job with your attitude and skills but looking for that perfect job might take long time. I suggest if you find 60%-70% matching go for it and create the job you love by managing your mind 😉