Take Action Now and Rekindle your Job Search Spirit

By Relebohile Sera

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Photo by Alekzan Powell on Unsplash
Photo by Alekzan Powell on Unsplash

Taking action to land a new job is taxing work. A lot of times job seekers start off with a bang but what then do you do when your search isn’t producing any positive results?

It doesn’t take rocket science to know that you will end up feeling weary and eventually stop applying altogether. There is still hope for you. Your passion may be gone but it is not over until you’ve gotten that desired job.

Instead of letting the lack of success get to you, look at the following points on how to revive your fading job search spirit:

Focus your Search

You may have a lot of experience in different fields and while this may be good, it does not help in finding a job. If you go to a market with an unfocused offer, you are unlikely to succeed in your job search. Finding one position that you can be ideally suited to is the best option. This will help you focus your energy in gaining the necessary skills that align with that career and enhancing yourself to be a good fit for the position.

Do you match the requirements?

Most job seekers idle because they don’t have a clear idea about how their background makes them an ideal employee. If you cannot communicate why you are a good candidate for the job, employers won’t be able to figure it out either. Clarity of purpose and value are key to a successful search.

This also means that the goals you have set for your job search ought to be realistic. Searching for a job that you don’t qualify for isn’t a smart move. You may get the job, but you have many more barriers than you might with more reasonable expectations

A great way to test your expectations is to look at job descriptions online for similar preferred roles. If your background is a 70 to 80 percent match, the role is on point. If you are less than 60 percent qualified, convincing a manager that you are a fit will require savvy networking and sufficient preparation. If you aren’t up for that challenge or are finding the results lacking, it is time to adjust your goal.

The Value the Opportunity Brings

What value does the opportunity bring you? How would the present be different if you got the job? Is there a certain positive impact the job you are seeking will bring? What value do you bring to the opportunity? Often times, job seekers are only concerned about what good they are going to get out of the job and not what they bring in. Once you have established all these, you can now take an active role in trying to secure the job.

Use Your Best Tools

Does your CV portray who you are? Do you have an online presence that can soar your chances at job success? Use your best tools and ensure that you update them frequently to portray the kind of candidate an employer would want on their team. If you aren’t getting any requests for interviews, there is a strong possibility that your CV and online presence are lacking.

A common drawback is displaying a lack of attention to detail with typos, misspellings, not capitalizing proper nouns, inconsistent formatting, poor word choices and an overall disorganized layout. Using a variety of font types or point sizes and having no strategy regarding spacing can be very distracting to the reader.

Take Action Now

Every single day, great prospective employees delay their success because of their failure to take action. Apply to jobs, follow up on those applications, ask for advice, take the advice, and proactively reach out to companies that align with your goals. Relying on only the conventional job-search paths means you must compete with the greatest amount of applicants.

Most jobs are never advertised. Even among the types of employers that usually do advertise, smaller companies are unlikely to spend hundreds of their funds to post jobs. They however find employees through referrals and direct contact from job-seekers.

Networking for your next role makes a noteworthy difference and can help you stand out from other applicants. Your eagerness to act tells an employer that you are a problem-solver and managers want someone who will get things done on their team.

 


Relebohile Sera (Ms) is a Professional Certified Career Coach. My mission in life is to help people be successful in their careers and to provide coaching for those seeking a new career direction.

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