Tips To Get Your Ideal Job

There is nothing more disheartening than missing out on jobs you qualify for and want so in this article we will look at how you can take back the control and get that job!

Did you know you’re likely to change jobs around 12 times during your lifetime? That’s the statistic for job changes per person according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. so when you find yourself in the job market looking for a career change, or you’ve moved location or for whatever other reason, you’ll want to get through the recruitment process seamlessly and successfully.

However if you’ve not been in the market for a new job for some time, it’s likely you’re a bit rusty and you need to hone our interviewing skills and understanding of what businesses are looking for in a resume and selection criteria.

1. Polish Your Resume

Your resume or CV (curriculum vitae) needs to be topnotch and accurate. Do research on how to write a resume so you have a great foundation you can add to over the years. Like most areas of business recruitment also goes through change, mostly to improve accuracy i..e chose the right candidate and to cut down on the hiring process so it takes less time.

Therefore your first step is to look at how you’re presenting yourself on paper so to speak. Are you using the right resume template and are you present your skills, qualifications, attributes and roles in the format that works for recruiters today? Get this step right and you’re already on your way to getting that role you want.

2. Pay Attention To Your Cover Note

Most often, a recruiter will request your resume to be accompanied by a cover letter or ‘motivation’ letter. This is yet another opportunity to articulate who you are and why you want the job. The covering letter is not like Tolstoy’s ‘war and peace’, it’s the first perception the recruiter will get of you.

Do your research on covering letters as they too change over time and what was the expectation a decade ago no longer applies so like with your resume, pay a lot of attention to the covering letter and it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ you will need to tailor it for each job application. Make sure it has your up to date contact details.

3. Reply To The Selection Criteria

The selection criteria is a list of skills, and expectations and applicant’s responses are an important factor in how employers, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, prioritise which applicants get an interview. Therefore your response to the selection criteria should be accurate and succinct.

Even if you’re an expert at responding to selection criteria you will find key selection criteria examples crafted by experts useful. For example, if you’re applying for a job in the public sector, you’ll also want to consult the most relevant government website to see if they have posted specific instructions on how they prefer to see their selection criteria answered. For example, the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology has posted a guide for their applicants on answering selection criteria.

Using these examples and ideas, you would then need to word your document to address how you meet each of the stipulated requirements individually. First, duplicate the list and your responses need to be no more than 120 words per criteria.

4. Play The Part

Recruiters are looking for competent and professional people with the right attitude and fit for their company culture. To impress, dress the part. This means different things to different organizations so do your research, investigate what is the dress standard in the organisation and if in doubt it’s better to dress more smartly.

Also for the interview arrive a few minutes early to allow yourself time to take in your environment and do some last-minute prep, which is more mental i.e. calm down with a few deep breathes and visualize a successful interview. During the interview itself, remain confident, composed, and enthusiastic about the role and what you’re learning about the company.

Prepare a few smart questions to ask the recruiting team as well. Even the sharpest professionals struggle to come up with intelligent questions in anxious interviewing situations.

Also, pay attention to your non-verbal cues. Actions such as nail-biting, drumming, swirling your hair and swinging in your chair give off a negative impression, there’s no harm in practising your interview technique on family and friends and seek feedback.

5. Create Rapport With The Recruiters

Improve your emotional intelligence and show it off in the interviews. Respond to the interviewers by name. For example, you can say, ‘’…to answer Kenneth’s question…’’ though don’t overdo it.

Similarly, make eye contact from time to time, smile, and try to turn the interview into a conversation rather than a one-sided interrogation.

Keep Your Spirits Up

This is especially hard to do after several rejections, however, you’ve already turned the corner and now you have a lot more know-how on how to become an expert job hunter. Get started on your resume, work on honing your positive mindset and good luck with your job.