Finding a job, and more importantly finding the “right job”, can be likened to a treasure hunt, where there are clues and steps to be completed before finding the special prize that is hidden.
For anyone who wants to pursue a new career path in the global services sector, or advance their progression within the sector, it is important to find, understand and use job search clues that will lead them to the desired rewarding destination of best fit employment.
Though the job search process may sometimes seem like a daunting maze, this guide can lead to the jewel of a good job.
- Roam for a little to see which jobs are popular and/or available
When pursuing the best job fit, it is a good practice to scan the landscape of job postings to see which types of jobs are most popular and which jobs are have the potential of becoming popular in near future. For example, if you observe that there are many posts for “Data Analyst”, probing further to see what types of companies are making these posts will reveal what industries or sectors of an industry are becoming more reliant on these areas.
Adjusting your job search approach to reviewing companies first, might help speed up the process and reveal job positions that haven’t yet been posted on job boards. Researching companies also aids in identifying those that match your career values, goals, and interests.
Becoming more aware of such trends can aid you in determining which industries may present you with career expansion opportunities. Having such knowledge will help you to take the necessary next steps to better position yourself professionally in the global services sector.
- Read job descriptions as clues to getting a job that you want – and that also wants you
Reading job descriptions can help with identifying knowledge and skill gaps. Once those gaps have been identified, the next step would be to register for seminars, short courses, and other upskilling activities that can help you to become a better match to the required skills listed. Another clue hidden in job descriptions are keywords that are used to describe critical skills that you may already possess. Creating a skill list with those keywords can then be used to revise your resume, so that your strengths can be better presented by using critical keywords. This can make your professional profile more attractive for head hunters and human resource teams.
For example, if you notice that the skill “Digital Media Strategist” is a frequent skill set desired in job postings, and you have either the training or experience in coming up with digital media campaigns, you may want to consider adding such a skill description to your resume.
- Get help to improve your resume and professional profile if necessary
An extra pair of eyes to review your resume or professional profile can help with identifying and correcting grammatical and typographical errors, as well as removing resume layout flaws related to fonts, paragraphs, headlines and colour balance. Displaying a professional profile and resume that have little to no errors, show potential employers and headhunters that you pay attention to detail and take care in your work. The end result would be making a good impression.
- Use your social media presence and profile to help build your professional brand
Social media platforms have evolved from just being spaces where friends and families share jokes, funny photos and videos, and posting pictures from a vacation trip. Online social platforms have been used in recent times to organize social causes, recruit activists and even pre-screen potential employees to see if their ethos is a good fit for organizational culture.
Before commencing an active search for jobs, it would be best to clean up one’s social media profile so that what is visible is what you would like to be seen by potential employers.
You may want to consider removing any inappropriate images, videos or comments or, if necessary, setting your existing profiles to ‘private’. Creating a new social media account that is more professionally appealing and setting that profile to ‘public’ may be worth considering. For example, your more professionally friendly profile may include posting articles relevant to your area of interest or videos about that highlight topics in your industry.
- Stay on the hunt for better job opportunities
The best way to apply for a job is to be aware of the job. Staying alert about where job prospects are, is therefore critical. The search for jobs is best optimized with a balance of online and offline pursuits.
Setting up job alerts through email or text message will enable you to become promptly aware of job listings immediately as they go live, giving your job application the chance to be at the top of the resume pile.
It is always good to complement your online job search with offline searches such as job fairs, newspaper postings, networking at industry events or attending in-person seminars. These are also useful in connecting you to headhunters and hiring managers that just may have the right job for you.
Whatever your preferred approach for job hunting, stay on the hunt if moving forward in your career is your mission.
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