Looking for a job can be intimidating. It’s daunting and it’s exhaustive. Preparing your job hunt kit alone requires tremendous diligence – researching about prospective employers, building a clear, concise, and compelling personal brand through your resume, portfolio, and cover letter, and of course, preparing for examinations and interviews.
But there’s more to the process than just these (you know, prepping up). There are secrets that can make your hunt more effective, and perhaps, less daunting than it is.
1. Most jobs are secret.
I don’t mean they’re secret as in SECRET per se. But according to Jacquelyn Smith of Forbes, 80% of jobs never get posted and are only found through networking.
This means that sitting in front of your computer and scouring the web is not enough. It will be beneficial for every job seeker to go out and talk to people.
Think about the people you can approach, like your former co-workers, classmates, teammates, and even acquaintances you think might help you. You may also look out for alumni gathering and networking parties (a common practice in the legal and medical profession, at least from where I came from).
Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.
2. Connecting with an insider might increase your chances of getting hired.
Here’s a fact: Only 7% of job applicants get an employee referral, yet referrals account for 40% of all hires. What does this mean for job seekers?
More and more companies rely on the networks of their existing employees. Why is this? Well, because they want to hire people who will blend right in with their current staff and will learn the ropes easily.
In other words, have someone put in a good word for you. It’s quite scary to ask for a friend or an acquaintance to do that for you but the thing is, it is not. So, go reach out to someone who might be of help to you.
3. Recruiters don’t really read your resume.
Recruiters don’t read resumes, they scan them. On average, recruiters spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume.
Read: Recruiters’ Secrets: What the Recruitment Industry Isn’t Telling You
This means that resume alone won’t get you a job. This doesn’t mean, however, that a bad resume cannot ruin your chances because it definitely will!
The solution is to format your resume as user-friendly as possible. Make it concise, clear, and compelling. Write for scannability.
Read: 6 Secrets to Writing the Best Resume (According to Psychology)
4. There’s competition.
Of course, there will be other applicants to the job you are vying for. But did you know that a typical corporate job posting actually attracts an average of 250 resumes?
That’s a shouting reminder to pay great attention to your resume and to put extra effort to stand out. If you really want the job, you wouldn’t find it difficult to stay motivated enough to do what it takes to stand out.
5. Job search takes time.
How long does it take to fill a job opening?
Any guess?
A week?
Two weeks?
Actually, on average, it takes about 52 days to fill a job opening.
Translation: Your job hunt’s going to take some time. In general, it’s not a fast process.
So, take your time preparing a terrific application (e.g. cover letter, resume, references, and certificates among others). It’s better to take your time as the process will really take time anyway.
6. Get a decent email address.
I believe getting an embarrassing email address is a phase all of us went through (or not). But that’s it, it should be a phase we’re done with.
Email addresses like cutiemaria@hotmail.com, bluehelix_29@yahoo.com, or lh8work@aol.com usually fall into the group of 76% of resumes that are thrown out simply because these email addresses are unprofessional (and downright horrible). What’s even more horrifying is that this 76% rejection rate due to email addresses is quite a high number!
But this is good news for you. Of the average 250 resumes hiring managers receive for a job post, let’s say 76% of which will be rejected.
So, do away with your high school email address. It’s fairly easy to make a new, decent one.
Looking for a job is exhausting, maybe not physically, but emotionally and mentally. But the more you know about the process, and the more tools you have under your sleeves, the easier and more effective your ob search efforts will be.
Meanwhile, if you have anything to ask us about, feel free to leave a comment. And if you are currently looking for a job, check out our latest I.T. career openings. We’ll contact you as soon as we can! Ciao!