Make Your Next Job The Best Job

The pandemic has thrust many people back on to the jobs market and into ‘career transition’. The furlough has ended and estimates are that it could put over a million people into the job search market. It’s quite a challenge to stand out from the crowd when looking for a new job.

We hear people who have applied for hundreds of jobs and not getting a response or even an acknowledgement. Employers are reporting dozens, sometimes hundreds, of applications for a single vacancy. In that situation they will single out standout applicants for the shortlist leaving applicants disappointed.

You need to be targeted with your applications, only going for jobs where you believe you fit and the job is one that fits your aspirations. The shotgun approach of sending your CV out to a mass of job adverts smacks of desperation and is less likely to achieve the desired result.

There is a process to follow that improves your chances of finding the ‘right’ job and being successful in obtaining a job offer. Start by beginning to understand yourself.

Self-Assessment - Review your career. Ask questions and write out honest answers.
Reference Assessments - Look back at any performance reviews, 360˚ feedback and/or references you have received and pick out the recurring themes
Assessment Tests - If possible, take tests that can effectively determine your strengths and weaknesses. Getting an objective determination can add credibility to statements you make in your job interview. Examples can be Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Belbin Team Role Inventory and StrengthsFinder 2.0 (often you can find these tests available on the Internet or in business books available in good bookshops)

Next, discover your ‘talent’. Talent is not something you are, it’s something you have. You have had successes throughout your life, we all have.

Success happened because of something you did or a special skill that you possess but it may not be something you are conscious about or currently recognise about yourself. If you can identify your talent you will be able to draw upon it in future to solve problems and it will help you build confidence in your own ability.

The Chinese philosopher Confucius famously said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Ask yourself these questions, is what I do really worthwhile? Do I enjoy my job? Did the job lead to somewhere I want to go?

When you have answered these questions make a list of what is important to you and try to strike a balance between how much you need to earn and what would make you really enjoy what you do. You can have both!

Interviewers will ask you to give examples (stories) to illustrate your skills & competencies. It is important that for every claim on your CV you can tell a story that shows when you used that skill. The best way to describe yourself is with examples.

It’s important to prepare for an interview. Conduct basic interview research, learn about the company online, think of stories and examples

You can anticipate standard questions and prepare answers in advance, for example tell me about yourself? What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses? What motivates you or gets you excited at work?

In a job interview, the way you talk about yourself is a deciding factor in your success. Show that you can be the solution to a problem, use specific examples, and especially, show enthusiasm.

If anyone is in job search mode or just thinking about a job transition I hope this process helps. Don’t forget, if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.