Job Hunting Tips: How to Find the Perfect Job
Looking for your dream job? This article outlines essential tips on how to find the perfect job. Learn how to create a standout resume, network effectively and find the right job for you!
How To Start Job Hunting? It's Easy If You Do It Smart!
Is it impossible to get a new job in today's day and age? It may feel like it. There are indeed a lot of unemployed individuals. However, the good news is Australia's unemployment rate is currently only 5% this year according to the latest information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The job hunting trend did increase in Tasmania; however, it decreased in Queensland and remained steady in all other states and territories. So why do we still have issues getting people employed?
With the introduction of digital recruitment, job hunting barriers are in place. Recruiters are inundated with hundreds of irrelevant applications. Where a recruiter would get a handful of quality applicants for a position they now receive requests from people who don't even know which jobs they are applying for!
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are widely used which means if your resume isn't formatted correctly, you will be deemed unsuccessful without a human even seeing your resume!
Relying on job hunting and online position openings, e.g. Seek, CareerOne, Indeed, Jora etc. is a relatively new way of applying for a position. Often, the successful applicants are the ones that still resort to the more traditional methods to gain employment.
- Leverage your existing job hunting network. Send recruiters and potential managers a message to say you are looking for work and if they could let you know if anything comes up. Referral based recruitment is very successful.
- Connect with people who have been where you are now and are successful in the job you want. Ask them for advice.
- Build an employer list and offer to do contracted/subcontracted work. A short term contract may turn into a permanent position.
- Use LinkedIn extensively.
- Network with potential hiring managers – Let them you have recognised they are a leader in the industry and invite them to coffee for 30min to ask for their advice on how to move your career forward if they would be open to it. Bring a hard copy of your resume. At the end of the meeting, hand them your resume and let them know you would be interested in any relevant openings. Even better, email it through to them when you thank them for their time afterwards.
- Grow your local network – go to meetups, local networking events, conferences etc. https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/
- Do some freelancing work for start-ups to get some income coming in the short term if money is tight. There are lots of online jobs boards, Airtasker is one, Fiverr, Freelancer etc.
At interviews:
- Be energetic, passionate and flexible!
- Have a good attitude. You need to bring the same level of enthusiasm that you bought to your first interview with your 100th interview if need be.
- Match their dress code and go up a notch. Ask the recruiter if a tie and a jacket would be too much or whether black pants and a nice shirt would be better. Generally, a tie and jacket are not required unless you are going for a senior management role.
- Turn the conversation from an interview into a casual conversation, get them to laugh, ask them questions, let your personality shine through.
Most importantly, as hard as it might be, don’t let recruiter biases including age, culture, location, qualification and experience defeat you. The job you want is out there, the employer who is looking for a dependable employee is waiting for you to connect with them!
If you need some career direction, please send us an email info@theperfectresume.com.au or visit our resume review page for more information.
You don't need to face unemployment alone!
Founder of The Perfect Resume
