Three ideas for more effective job hunting

Looking for a good approach to finding your next job? Here are my top three ideas for getting you that dream career.

Finding a job can be hard even at the best of times, but throw a pandemic into the mix and you’ve really got a tough task on your hands.

Although it may be hard, there are things you can do to increase your chances of bagging a job and getting those career plans off the ground. Here are three ideas to make your efforts more effective – you’ll be meeting your new colleagues via Zoom in no time.

Think ahead and do your research

Don’t start by writing a CV!

Kick things off by thinking through what you want from work, and what you have to offer. Then embark on a learning journey.

Explore options and see what you can discover. Gather information that will help you decide which path is the right one for you, and then you can tailor your CV, elevator pitch, further learning and career narrative to that path.

Talk to the experts

One of the best ways to do this is by talking to practitioners in the areas that interest you.

Don’t be transactional and just ask them to help you get an interview: that’s a tough ask, and won’t yield useful information for you. Instead, ask them to share their insights about what their work is like.

In this way you can create an ongoing feedback loop between you and the industry you want to break into. You’ll be constantly learning and improving, instead of endlessly sending out your CV and not getting any responses.

Don’t hesitate to get started!

Start right away, and keep going.

If you’re viewing this as a learning journey, you might as well start right now – unlike making an application, there’s no need to wait until you reach some unspoken standard.

With every week that passes, you’ll learn more and make more connections. This compounds really quickly, and in no time at all you’ll sound like the ideal candidate for the roles you aspire to.

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