"I Love Applying for Jobs!"

Said no-one EVER.

Wouldn't it be nice? Via

At some stage in our life we all have to sever (I was going to say cut, but let's get real, no one ever fully becomes independent from their parents), the financial umbilical cord from our parents which means one thing...

JOB HUNTING! 

I'm pretty sure finding a job can actually be harder then performing the job at times!

Whether you're searching for employment in a city with one million people and you think it'll be a piece of pie to surely score a job, or in a tiny town where it's more who you know then what you know, job hunting can be tedious, tiring, frustrating and could push even a Nun to curse at the best of times!

It can feel like this at times! Via

Why is the whole process so difficult?

Wellll....

First of all of you have to work out how to 'sell yourself' without sounding too cocky. There's a fine line between confidence and cockiness and it's often difficult to balance this carefully.

How do you do this?

One thing I've learnt when writing a cover letter is to ensure that you relate everything that you say back to the job description. If you are talking about your previous experience, always say HOW you could apply these skills to the new position.

Do your home work and find out a little bit about the organisation that you are applying for. Whoever is reading the applications will find it refreshing, and thoughtful, that you have invested time into learning about the business, and besides, it will make it easier when it comes to the interview stage, and certainly if you score the job!

When writing your resume, always try to start each paragraph with a verb or a 'doing word'.

After listing your tasks and skills, create a new paragraph titled key achievements. This shows how you have used your skills to generate knowledge and information.

Via

The next difficult step? Sending in your resume and knowing how long it will take to hear an outcome. 

The process of finding a suitable employee can take anywhere from 3-4 weeks. Think about it; once the deadline closes, all of the applications are sorted, suitable applicants are contacted, interviews are conducted and then the applicants are notified of the outcome. This takes time.

But when you are desperate for work, you don't feel like you have time, you just want to find out and start right away!

Another niggling thought is whether the company already has someone lined up for the position but have to be politically correct and advertise.

You honestly never know. I guess you just have to apply for each position with a fresh outlook and hope that the employer can see your potential.

Not hearing anything.

It's frustrating when you don't hear anything from the employer. No one wants to be THAT person who rings ever couple of days to see how their application is processing. Yes, patience is a virtue, but it sure can be tested at times!

Being knocked back.

One of the worst feelings is when you know that you have the suitable qualifications for a job, you've set your heart on it, and you receive a knock back. It's also deflating if you continue receiving 'I'm sorry to say that you have been unsuccessful in this position'. 

Just how are you meant to keep your head held high during these times?

I guess it comes down to the whole, everything happens for a reason and the right job will come along in due course thing.

Easy to say, not so easy to swallow sometimes.

Via

Interviews.

A friend once told me to remember that interviews are just a way for the employers to 'get to know you'. They can see your skills, previous experience and achievements on a piece of paper, but the interview is to find out more about you, and whether your personality will fit in with the team.

But, interviews can still be very scary. The idea of a panel of people sitting there firing unknown questions at you while you try and disguise your *stunned rabbit just caught in a headlight look* can be very daunting! 

I just try to remind myself to breath, and listen to what they are asking.

It's okay to take in a piece of paper and pen and to jot down notes after they have fired a question at you, particularly if they have more then one part.

Don't be afraid to ask them to repeat a question either; it's best to answer a question correctly then to babble your way through an answer you're not even sure about!

Turning your attitude around

 Try this: I am not nervous, I am excited and stimulated.

I learnt this at the professional development course. Excited and stimulated are words that have positive connotations.

Searching for jobs is exciting; you just never know what challenge is waiting just around the next corner for you.

Try not to take rejections personally. One way that I do this is to place your trust in the panel. They know the business, and if they think that you wouldn't fit into the team, then they are probably right and you wouldn't enjoy working there.

Sometimes people just have more experience then you. Yes, the whole experience word. It can be frustrating, but hey, it's just a fact of life and there's really nothing you can do about it. 

Something will work out; it always does. It may take a little while longer then you'd hoped, you may suffer some hiccups along the way, but that feeling when you win a job will come your way, so with every knock back grit your teeth and say 'I didn't want that job anyway' haha no kidding, 'there's another job out there just right for me!'

And if all else fails.... Via

Do you have any tips for searching for jobs?

Look after yourself and those around you,

Kirsty xxx