Ready for a new challenge? How to motivate yourself throughout your job search.

Drake International

Ready for a new challenge? How to motivate yourself throughout your job search. 

Is it time to land your dream job, or maybe change career paths? Searching for a new job can be a daunting task, but not if you plan and take the necessary steps to achieve your goals. Staying organised, setting and meeting your search goals, and going the extra mile, will put you on the road to a new job before you know it. 

Define Your Goals 

First things first, decide what you want in a job: duties and responsibilities, location, salary, and flexibility. What are your ‘must have’s’, versus your ‘nice to have’s’? It pays to target your ideal jobs first, and as your search progresses, you may find your goals changing, so revise the plan as needed to find the right job for you. 

Update Your Information 

One of the best investments you can make is the time spent on updating your resume and cover letter. Alternatively, recruitment professionals know what employers are looking for and can also help streamline your resume to ensure you cover all the important points.  

Cover letters can make a difference too, since they add a nice personal touch and summarise your capabilities, and the reason why you’re the perfect fit for the role. Start with one of these letters as a template each time you apply and customise it for the specific employer, emphasising what you can do for the company in the first paragraph. 

LinkedIn is also a great resource for job seekers and employers. If you don’t already have an account, go ahead and set one up. Use a professional-looking photo with a plain background as your profile pic. If you do have an account, make sure your profile and employment history is up to date.  

Use the advanced settings for your job searches on LinkedIn, Seek and Indeed, including job alerts, and register with recruitment agencies so they can also search for roles that fit your skills and experience. 

Get Organised 

It’s vital to keep track of where you’re at in the job search, so ensure you record the details for each position and the date you applied. Keep an ongoing record of the contacts you have with each employer and include other information such as company web addresses and phone numbers.  

Set daily and weekly goals for advancing the job hunt. Search for and apply to newly available jobs, follow up with phone calls, and don’t forget to network! Join local industry groups, or business events to meet a variety of people from different industries. It’s often not what you know, but who you know. 

Prepare for Interviews 

Be sure to do thorough research on the companies you apply to, and research common interview questions to help you prepare some responses in advance. Some common questions have been listed below and others are covered in our Interview Questions to Prepare For blog.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why are you a good fit for the job?
• Do you have any questions?

Be candid and forthright when answering and be prepared with questions for the employer about their business and the role. 

Another tip is to review and tidy up your online presence, and make sure your social media pages have privacy settings enabled.

Importantly, while you are job hunting, remember to take care of yourself. Leisure days or evenings are the antidote to getting burned out, as looking for employment may feel like a job, and everyone needs downtime. As a bonus, you’ll look rested and refreshed when you get an interview for that dream job.  

Go the Extra Mile 

It always helps to go the extra mile in your job search, by doing the following: 

• Follow up on every e-mail you receive cordially and professionally.
• If you haven’t received a response after a week, ask if there has been an update on the role or whether they need any further information from you.  
• When you go to interviews, dress professionally and arrive 15 minutes before the appointed time.
• Never complain about a former employer or employee; instead, say you’re looking for a more challenging job.

In a competitive job market, anything you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd will help. Order business cards if you don’t already have them, choose references wisely, and be ready to describe your skills and how you’ve applied them on the job. There are a lot of steps involved in looking for an exciting new job, but if you do the research and stick to a plan, success will be right around the corner. 

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