Hi guys!
Welcome to a new week on A
Series of Unfortunate Irritations!
Today, I thought I would share
some tips on how to stay "chill" when you're on the job hunt.
However, firstly I wanted to
share some fantastic news with you all. I have got a new job! I got the call
earlier today offering me the position and I blubbed like a baby. Seriously.
From 3rd January 2018, my new job title will be digital content executive and I
will be working for Travelodge. I've always wanted a job just like this one and
today wasn't just a job offer for me, it was a confirmation that I can go for
the job I want and that work and perseverance really does pay off. To say I'm
happy is an understatement. I've looked for what seemed like years to find a
job that actually paid me to do what I love to do; write. I've done countless
internships that saw me travelling hours to just get in every morning, and even
stuck out jobs I never thought I could do, but now victory is mine. I'm going
to get paid to write and at the end of the day, that's been my dream. Not many
people can say they know what they want to do as a job so I feel a real sense
of pride in myself that I'll be working in the sector I've dreamed of, and
worked hard to get into.
Now you've got a huge helping
of cheese there, it's time to add some tops...well tips. Ok, the pizza analogy
isn't working. I've learnt a few things about myself in my employment journey
so far and I've also learnt a few more things in my journey to getting this job
offer too. Let me indulge you all in some tips for when you’re on that all
important job hunt:
5. What change do you want
to make?
So, you’ve come to the decision that you need a change. You’re now
opening all the job search engine tabs on you work computer hoping your manager
won’t see. Whether it be a minor shift to another department or team, or
whether you want a completely new challenge, it’s important to factor one
important thing in; what change do you really want? This will add a bit more
clarity to your job hunt and may help to clarify what tools will best to use to
aid your search. If you’re not happy with your bottom-of-the-ladder job and
find yourself looking jealously up to your peers in the team next to you who
are always taking new challenges and opportunities, then maybe try talking to
your manager about a possible new challenge or secondment to another
department. They may have just the right job opening coming up for you. If you’re
looking to carve a new career path, then do your research so you know what
sweet spots you need to hit in order to really please that potential new
employer.
4. Consider some CV surgery
This leads on a bit from the last point, but they’re both
important. This is even more important if you’re looking for a big change. A CV
is meant to sell you and your relevance to the job, so if you haven’t given it
a look over in a while then it’s worth doing that before you even consider
applying for anything. For example, if you want to be a writer, you need to make
sure your CV is snappy and smart, but you also need to make sure you’ve not
left any grammatical or spelling errors. Of course, I would recommend that no
matter what job you’re going for but you get the idea. Tailor your CV to your
career. It’ll not only show off your relevant experience, but it’ll show you’re
really invested in the career path and the job you’ve applied for.
3. Be aware of your
limitations and look for the right job for you
This sounds more negative than I intended however, while for the
majority of times aiming high is great, for others it may be a push too far. It’s
common for people to underestimate themselves, but it’s also true that some can
over-estimate themselves. Going for a job requires you to work between these
two extremes and come to something that lands somewhere in the middle. Look for
a job that allows you some growing room and offers you potential, but don’t
over stretch yourself and go for a role that will swallow you whole. Baring
this in mind will not only allow you to get a job that will fulfil your
potential, it will give you a job that will give you more satisfaction and will
keep your loyalty and service for longer.
2. Be prepared to work for
it
So, you’ve checked and double checked your CV and sent off a
flawless cover letter for your application however, the work does not stop
there. If you get asked for interview, the work then starts all over again. Research,
research, research! They’ve picked you and you should be over the moon about
this, but it’s no time to get complacent. You need to swat up on the company and
what type of work you will potentially going in to. Do they have a blog? Have
they got a lot of projects coming up at the moment? Are they prevalent on
social media? The more work you do in preparation, the more impressive you’ll
sound. Don’t be afraid to make notes on
suggestions for how you’d change this or tweak that. It’ll show you’ve taken an
interest and it will also show what you can bring to the company as a potential
employee. Sometimes, having a new perspective on something is very helpful and
they may well thank you for your suggestion- just don’t pick them apart
completely. Remember you have to impress them so keep your points concise and
appropriate.
1. Do not, under any
circumstances, Google too much
For many, the job interview itself is the worst part. They always
say that first impressions count for everything and being sat in a room with
the task of selling yourself in front of people you’ve never met before is not
the most ideal setting for portraying these first impressions. You’re anxious
to get every point across in the best way possible but the truth is no matter
how many notes you write or how many times you rehearse everything in your
head, you may not get it 100% for 100% of the time. It’s this fear of imperfection
that got me the most. For me, it’s was the end of the interview and the wait
for feedback that was the worst. The interview has ended and all you can do now
is wait and hope, right? Well for me this wasn’t. I then went on to Google “How
to know my interview was a success?” reading every single article and fretting
over every single point for the next hour or so. The only comparison I can draw
here is Googling medical symptoms. One minute you think you have a cold, you
type your symptoms into Google and the next thing you know, you have pneumonia
and about 5 weeks to live. Do you see where I’m going here, just like Googling
symptoms, Googling interview tips after an interview is only going to make your
post-interview anxiety worse. I know I’m saying this from the privileged
position of having the job, but from doing this myself, I can say that
following your gut is the best advice for aiding your post-interview anxiety.
You more than likely follow your gut instinct for many of your tough decisions
and life dilemmas so why not follow it now? If you feel it went well, the
chances are it probably did so just relax and have a little faith that it went
well.
So, there are my 5 tips for the job hunt. It can feel like a full-time
job looking for employment but it’ll make your hard work even more worthwhile
when you are given that all important job offer. Happy job hunting!
That’s all from me now, I’m off to celebrate my success by eating
chocolate and watching I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!
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