- inspiringbeast
10 INSIDER SECRETS TO JOB HUNTING SUCCESS
Updated: Oct 9, 2018
In today’s tough job market, you need to find ways to stand out from the crowd – to differentiate yourself. Why? Because on average,
a recruiter will only spend 15-seconds reading your resume and deciding whether or not to interview you. And even when they meet
with you in person, the interviewer will usually make a decision whether or not you are the right person in the first 90-seconds.
Therefore, to enhance your chances of success and get the job of your dreams, learn how to sell yourself persuasively. This involves:
• Preparing carefully – so you have the right mental attitude and an awareness of everything you have to offer.
• Doing your homework – so you will recognize the right job for you when it become available.
• Fine-tuning your personal presentation skills – so you can make a powerful impression when interviewing.
• Turning the job hunt from a scary process into nothing more than a game – by smiling and having fun.
Secret 1 - Have and maintain a positive attitude.
The better you feel about yourself and your prospects, the
greater the chances for your success. With that in mind, stay
optimistic. Doing that will generate energy and enthusiasm that
will come through when you interview for jobs.
Secret 2 - Identify your key personal selling points.
Conduct a personal inventory and identify the job-related
experiences and strengths you have to offer a prospective
employer. Have these points clear in your mind first so you can
articulate them when given the opportunity.
Personal Strengths Worksheet
My general personality traits: _____________________
____________________________________________________
My job-related personality traits: __________________
____________________________________________________
My personal accomplishments: ___________________
____________________________________________________
My work accomplishments: ______________________
___________________________________________________
My work experience: _____________________________
___________________________________________________
My career knowledge and qualifications: _________
___________________________________________________
Other strengths / additional skills: _______________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
My Top Four Personal Strengths
Strength #1: ___________________________________
Key benefits to my employer: __________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Strength #2: ____________________________________
Key benefits to my employer: ___________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Strength #3: ____________________________________
Key benefits to my employer: ___________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Strength #4: ____________________________________
Key benefits to my employer: ___________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Secret 3 - Take time to define the job you want.
Before you rush out and start looking for a job, take some time to
answer the question: “What would be my ideal job?” Until you
think out precisely what kind of job you want, your job search will
always be vague and undefined. Be specific.
Secret 4 - Create a powerful message to employers.
To excel in your job hunt, you’ll need a resume and cover letter
that get noticed. Think of these as your personal advertisement,
where you have the chance to position yourself and all you have
to offer. Take advantage of this key opportunity.
Secret 5 - Understand how to find job opportunities.
Now you have the basics in place, the next challenge is to go out
and find some interviews. Again, this is a numbers game. The
more places you look, the better the chances are you’ll find a job
opening that really appeals.
Secret 6 - Sell yourself to get that interview.
Finding a job opportunity and preparing your resume is half the
battle. Next, you need to get out there, promote yourself and get
some interviews. In this, it helps to be proactive and find the
methods which work best for your personality.
Secret 7 - Prepare for your interview intelligently.
The key to a successful interview is preparation. This is the
single most important determining factor between success and
failure. Quite simply if you prepare well, you’ll stand out from all
your competition.
Secret 8 - Know the eight traits interviewers look for.
By understanding the character traits interviewers are looking
for, you can position yourself advantageously. This doesn’t
involve deception. Instead, you emphasize aspects of your
personality you might normally ignore.
When an interviewer is meeting with a candidate for a job, there
are eight character traits he or she looks for:
1. Self-confidence
Employers want people who are confident about their skills.
Generally, experience breeds confidence. If you don’t have
experience to point to, make up for it through preparation,
enthusiasm and drive.
2. Well organized
If you have prepared for the interview by writing down some
notes beforehand, that’s good. It shows you think ahead and
organize your thoughts – desirable qualities for an
employee. Don’t hesitate to refer to your notes during an
interview.
3. Personable
The more you smile during the interview, the better. The
interviewer will take note of people who are cheerful and
friendly because that’s the way most employers want their
customers to be treated.
4. Strong work ethic
If you say to the interviewer you’re happy to work 40-hours a
week but no more, they will be less impressed than if you say
you are flexible and willing to work whatever hours are
required to get the job done.
5. Efficient
Employers want people who will be smart in how they
approach their responsibilities. They want employees who
know how to get things done.
6. Creative
A creative employee will take a job description and add their
own ideas on how to expand what gets done. If you can
demonstrate a willingness to think about new ways of getting
the job done, that will be worthwhile.
7. Goal-oriented
If you’re good at setting goals and then working to achieve
those goals, mention that. The top performers in any
organization will usually be intensely goal-oriented. If you
demonstrate this quality, it will be good for your prospects.
Be prepared to talk about your long-term goals with the
interviewer.
8. Problem-solver
Most companies want their employees to have some input
into the workplace. They welcome new ideas for streamlining
processes or solving problems. Therefore, if you can show
your ability as a problem-solver, this will give you an edge.
Secret 9 - How to ace your job interview.
To have a great interview, act positively, dress appropriately and
have fun. Also be aware of the six phases the interview will go
through and make certain you cover all the appropriate bases in
each specific phase.
A job interview will naturally move through six phases:
1. Introduction – where you want to concentrate on making a
terrific first impression with your grooming, a smile and a firm
handshake.
2. Rapport building – where you encourage the interviewer to
feel good about you by finding some common areas of
interest. To do this, relax a little and speak in a friendly,
conversation tone of voice. And smile.
3. Interest generation – where you communicate what you can
do for the company and why hiring you would be a smart
move. Generally, this will be in the form of a possible
opportunity to repeat something you’ve already achieved
elsewhere.
4. Qualification – where you and the interviewer determine
whether or not there is a good fit between what you have to
offer and what the company needs. This is usually the place
in the interview when you can ask questions of the
interviewer and learn more about the organization and its
culture. Be thoughtful, though, and don’t ask so many
questions it becomes tiresome.
5. Strengths review – which is where you summarize what you
have to offer.
6. The close – where you determine whether or not they are
seriously considering you. As you express an interest in
moving forward, the interviewer will usually give you a
specific time-frame for their follow up. If the interviewer is
vague and inconclusive in this phase, that generally
indicates they do not intend taking your application any
further.
Secret 10 - Don’t just think about it. Do it!
Simply knowing how to find a great job isn’t enough. Before you
can succeed, you have to take action. Until you actually put
these ideas into practice, they will remain good theories about
how to get a decent job.