Four Tips to Turn Around Your Job Search

Guy looking a job at home. Bad news from newspaper – no work. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

In today’s job market, vacancies are advertised online and hundreds of applications pour in for a single opening. You may apply, wait, receive no response, and repeat the process until you feel there is nothing more you can do to find a job. Before giving up hope, take charge of these four areas to see if some basic changes could turn your employment search into a successful career:

1. Research Yourself

Employers often search the names of candidates to learn more about them before setting up interviews. Do your homework and consider the results from the standpoint of a hiring company. Make adjustments to your profiles to put your best foot forward. Check the privacy settings of your social networking accounts to keep personal matters out of the public forum. Monitor your online presence regularly so that a prospective employer’s first impression will be a positive one.

2. Display Confidence

The hiring staff needs to know that you believe you are capable of doing the job. An apologetic, unsure tone indicates a feeling of insecurity which is picked up and shared by interviewers. If you are not sure you can do the job, the company will hesitate to place their trust in you. On the other hand, an air of cockiness may appear to be a cover-up for incompetence, so be careful to display sureness rather than egotism. Confidence should be apparent at all stages of the hiring process. Let your cover letter emphasize your strengths with an assurance of proficiency, and approach the interview with poise to dispel any doubts of your capabilities.

3. Personalize Your Efforts

With so many applicants to choose from, the company needs reason to take note of your name. Instead of creating a standard resume, try tailoring it to emphasize your skills and experience that fit the job description. For example, trade schools often times offer an array of training programs that are designed to set up candidates for specific careers. Leverage training like this to your advantage.

Personalize the cover letter by bringing out ways you could be of benefit to the employer, citing specific items of interest expressed in the job advertisement. Make an effort to locate an individual to use as an addressee rather than filing your application online. Using the name of the director of human resources or supervisor of the hiring department could get your information noticed and save you from being lost in a sea of applicants.

4. Do Your Homework

When your application has been successful in getting you in the door for an interview, find out all you can about the company and its vision. Your knowledge will show that you are interested in the business and in the position you are seeking. Ignorance of basic information may be interpreted as apathy or lack of initiative. Also include salary queries in your research. Check for standard pay using these variables:

• Type of job
• Your education
• Experience you have in the field
• Geographic location of the position

Knowing what a fair offer is and what you can reasonably demand will make negotiations go more smoothly when the time comes.

The End Result

Maintaining your online presence, personalizing your resume and communications, researching the hiring company, and exhibiting confidence could make a major difference in the outcome of your job search. Once you have secured a position, develop a strong relationship with your new employer to your mutual benefit and enjoyment.

Bio: Veselina Dzhingarova has a master degree in Translation and Intercultural Communication Studies. She is experienced in teambuilding in multicultural environment. Blogging about the important things from everyday life is her passion along with travelling around the world.