I vowed to share my job hunting experience as soon as I’m employed, ergo this post. What assures success in job application? Old practices still work.
Trust me when I say you still need to cover these basics when applying for a job:
1. Cover letter
Most of us were probably told to sell our most valuable assets through a cover letter. This one gets read first. Make up your mind as to what expectations and impressions you want your employer to have of you.
To write an effective sales copy (yes, you’re selling your skills, talent, and expertise), identify their pains that you intend to relieve and highlight the gains that they will get if they hire you. If you focus on pain relief and gain creation, you can persuade your prospective employer that you’re the solution to their problem.
2. Curriculum Vitae
With picture or without? Unless you’re applying for position requiring pleasant to stunning looks, you may simply ignore this argument. I’ve sent tons of CVs without a picture, yet I was still called in for an interview. This rarely influence your success or failure.
So what really matters? Strategic enumeration and description of experiences and credentials. Design your CV in a way that it responds to the need of the company. Reread their job posting and write your past work experiences as a response to the post they are advertising for. Even a fresher can do the same by highlighting qualifications related to the job ad. Customize the CV to the needs of the job post yet don’t fake your credentials.
3. Connection
Never ignore the power of eavesdropping and good gossiping (yes, some can be beneficial). Be alert of job openings and ask further until you have gathered all necessary info.
If you’re comfortable sharing your ‘joblessness’, then spread the word among friends, friends’ friends, even your relatives’ friends. Networking is not a new tactic and it can work wonders.
4. Call
If you believe that everything is under the control of an Almighty being, call upon him. But please don’t give him all the burden by not preparing thoroughly. The Lord (or luck) favors the prepared mind.
Do what you have to; then leave the rest to divine sovereignty.
What do you think of these pointers? Leave a comment if you have more questions.