6 tips to help you find a job

Job hunting is a skill every professional needs to master to build a successful career. At the best of times, it leaves most people feeling vulnerable but during COVID those feelings have been turbo-charged. This article provides 6 tips to help you find a job

The Guardian interviewed a range of people on job seeker who felt they will never get another job. The article highlights issues such as unconscious bias around ethnicity, age and gender, the pressure-cooker of mortgage holidays and Job Seeker payments being wound back or more subtly, experienced professionals being asked to dial back their salary expectations.

This year, I have spoken to hundreds of people seeking help to get back to work, so I understand why job seekers are finding it tough. It’s not all doom and gloom. Australia is poised to make an economic recovery in 2021 and companies will start to hire again. My mission for 2021 is to help as many professionals get back to work as I can so I’m sharing my six top tips for getting back to work.

1. Find the Right Career

Some sectors have fared worse than others during COVID. For example, the tourism, events, arts and university sectors have all taken massive hits. If your industry has taken a hit you may find it’s not viable to apply for a similar job in that industry. Now might be the time to re-evaluate your strengths and consider a pivot to a new career path that offers greater stability and financial security long-term. I provide some useful tips about this in my article What Career is Right for Me?

2. Get Your Story Straight

Most of us feel nervous when we apply for a job – it’s a time when we feel exposed and vulnerable, especially as there is a lot riding on it. But it’s also helpful to think about it from the employer’s perspective – there is a lot riding on it for them too – it’s disruptive and expensive to hire the wrong person. So, with hundreds of applicants for one position, how do they select the best candidate for the job?

The answer is they use LinkedIn profiles, referrals from their network, CVs, job interviews and tests to boil down the list from hundreds of applicants to just a select few. Your goal is to get your CV on that shortlist. One way of doing that is to tell your future employer a persuasive and truthful career story explaining why you’re the best candidate for the job.

A powerful tip to getting your story straight is to ask yourself:

Why do I want this particular role?
What skills & experiences are outlined in the position description?
How can I show that my skills & experiences match their needs as expressed in the position description?

Answering these 3 questions is the start to getting your story straight. If you can’t answer these 3 questions convincingly then the job you are looking at is not for you.

3. Makeover Your LinkedIn Profile

Did you know you have approximately seven seconds to make a good impression on LinkedIn? That’s a small window to catch the eye of recruiters and future employers and tell them what you’re about.

LinkedIn is a search engine, just like Google. Recruiters use keywords to find the people with the right skills to match their vacant role. So, it’s vital your profile has the right keywords for your ideal job. This process starts with your photo and header, which is the first reference point for recruiters and hiring managers.

Giving your LinkedIn profile a thorough makeover before you apply for jobs is a critical step to getting back to work quickly.

4. Leverage Your Network

The people in your professional network are your ticket to a whole new world of opportunities. Did you know 70% of job vacancies are not advertised but rather filled through networks? The key to leveraging your network is having the right conversation with the right connections.

Harnessing your network in your job search is about identifying and approaching the key people who know, like and trust you enough to refer you to the hidden job opportunities.

If you are saying to yourself “who are my best connections?” and “what do I say to them?” then you have a problem which a professional coach can help you overcome.

It is not enough just to know the “right people”. You need to have the right conversation with them. One of the things that constantly amazes me is job seekers neglect to ask the two super questions that exponentially boost your job finding prospects.

5. Create a Dynamic CV

According to GlassDoor, each corporate job attracts around 250 resumes. Of those, only two percent are called for a first interview. Your aim is to get your resume to the top of the pile.

Your CV should be a dynamic, rather than a static document. It needs to be tailored and targeted for each position you apply for. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a repository of information, like your qualifications and experience but it does mean you tailor your CV to the criteria on the position description. Indeed, position descriptions ask for work experience and qualifications relevant to the position. This makes tailoring your CV to the position description crucial.

Another point to consider is how much information to include in your CV. For example, if you’ve had more than 10 years of experience, then you should focus on the last 10 years of you career. If you are a recent graduate should include all you work experience and casual work, particularly if you’ve been able to apply some learnings relevant to your qualifications.

6. Brush Up Your Interview Skills

Most people approach job interviews in two minds – excited about the opportunity but nervous about the interview process. One way to keep a lid on your emotions is to prepare and practice before the interview.

An interview is a two-way street where you can learn about the employer just as they are learning about you. It is important to ask questions in your interview. This helps you build credibility and rapport with the interview panel to persuade them you are the best candidate for the role. I have an interview guide, which I give to members of my Love What You Do community. You can sign up for the community via my website to receive this and other helpful career development tools (plus a 10% discount to all my online coaching programs).

Due to COVID, more interviews are being conducted virtually, which presents its own unique set of challenges. It’s hard to ‘read the room’ when you’re not in the same room! Plus, you have to manage the technology and make sure you make a good impression. All of this takes practice, so make sure you do a dry run with a career coach or even a friend (just remember, although well-intentioned, a friend isn’t trained to teach skills and give accurate & powerful feedback like a professional coach). Remember, you only get one chance to nail an interview so get professional help to significantly boost your chances of success.

Understanding your weak spot

What my years of experience as a career coach have taught me is that understanding your job search weak spot is a vital first step to finding your next job.

If your network is not referring opportunities to you then you clearly need to do something to improve your networking skills
If you are not being hit with job opportunities through LinkedIn then you have a problem with your LinkedIn profile
If you are applying for jobs and not getting interviews, then you have a problem with your CV
If you are being invited to interviews but not being offered the role, then your problem lies with your interview technique

The good news is that these are all skills that can be improved to help you get back to work.

Ready to take the next step?

I understand investing in career coaching when you’re out of work can seem like a big expense but it’s also an investment. Just imagine the difference it will make when you get back to work sooner.

That is why I’ve created a range of affordable online coaching programs, to help you tap into the expertise you need at an affordable price. Most programs come in two formats:

Online learning, fully self-service, do it in your own time
Individual coaching – you receive all the online content plus one-to-one coaching with me for support and feedback to help you implement what you have learned

Believe me when I say you will get another job. You just need the right mindset, skills, strategies and support to get there. Make the smart decision to check out my Back to Work program and together, let’s get you back in the game.

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