If you listen to what’s in the media these days, you’ll no doubt feel that the job market is very competitive and you may even have convinced yourself that there are no jobs out there at all. But this is far from the case – you only need to look in the recruitment sections of newspapers and look online to see that there are jobs to be had!
Yes – it is true that there is now a lot of competition to get a job, but it is not impossible. What you need to do is make sure that your application stands out from the crowd.
Here are a few tips to help you get the edge in searching for a job and landing the job of your dreams.
The All-Important CV
The CV is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. If you have ever recruited for staff before, you’ll know that this can be a laborious thing to do, so you don’t want to give your potential employer any reason to put your CV in the bin pile.
Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these CVs and applications.
1. Make Your CV Stand Out
When preparing your CV, make sure it will stand from the rest. That doesn’t mean printed on bright red paper – although saying that, it might work in some industries, but will not be appropriate for others! Step two is for you to make sure your CV lists the related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for.
2. Make Your CV Concise and Relevant
Avoid making your CV too long – you need to get the point across in a concise manner without leaving out important skills and experience. So, if you’ve been working in your industry for 10 years, you ca safely leave out the waitressing jobs you had while studying at university, for example.
3. Always tailor your CV to the Job
You may have had previous experience that may not be related to the job you are applying for. Some people keep many different versions of their CV for different jobs – this is a good thing, and you can tailor it to each job you apply for.
So, instead of applying for hundreds of jobs without looking carefully at the job specification, you would apply for say 20 jobs, and with each application you make, you will look through your CV to make sure your skills, qualifications and experience highlight what the employer is looking for.
Obviously, you won’t lie if there is anything missing – you could instead highlight what you can do to meet those gaps, or what skills and experience you have that are transferrable to the new job in your covering letter.
4. Write About Your Achievements
When you talk about your professional achievements, make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air.
5. Polish Your CV and Do a Spell Check
Your employer will know if you have put enough time into producing your CV. If he/she sees that you have made an effort, they will think that you are serious about the job you are applying for, and that your work is likely to be of a good standard.
Please check the spelling and grammar on your CV. Do not rely on the spell check in Microsoft Word. It can pick out some of the basics, but you can’t beat having another person read through your CV, too.
