Hunting for a job can feel tiring, to say the least. Not only does it take time to apply and constantly rewrite our resume or cover letters to appeal to each job, but having the emotional ups and downs of seeking opportunity, getting and interview, or getting ignored just isn’t that fun.
Moreover, there’s always the question mark as to if you actually failed to gain the job, or if they were always planning to hire internally in the first place. If you’ve been struggling to find a job, you’re not alone. Just keep at it, don’t be afraid to try something new or move in a parallel direction, and be kind to yourself.
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There are also a few additional considerations you can do with your free time, provided you have the means to. Some might even help your employability. Let’s consider the following advice:
Consider Affordable Courses Such As First Aid Training
Now can be a great time to pick up some basic certifications or training that shows initiative and makes your resume a bit more robust. Options like online CPR & first aid courses are relatively affordable certifications that employers tend to see as a bonus. It may even help you save a life.
This effort demonstrates you're a motivated self-starter willing to develop handy emergency skills beyond just the normal job duties, and as many offices need at least one first aider every X number of employees, that can be beneficial. It might also give you the edge over another candidate.
Of course, this is just one example. Maybe there are some industry-specific certifications or classes more directly relevant to the roles you're going for. The key is using any free time productively to keep adding crisp new options to your skillset. If you don’t have the funds to pay for the course now, you might just pick up free knowledge on other sites and then breeze through the official one when you have the time and money.
Head To Job Fairs
Most major cities have regular job fairs throughout the year, especially for graduates. These events give you a wonderful chance to put a face to your resume, promote your qualifications directly to hiring reps, and combine applications for tons of openings all in one place. At the very least, this feels so much better than nameless email rejections or being ignored.
Do your research ahead of time on which companies will be present that align with your job search interests. Rewrite your resume and have copies handy to hand out like a smart professionals. Moreover, be prepared to give a quick personal pitch about your background and career goals to said representatives. Those face-to-face impressions can help separate you from the stack of others and potentially get you in the door. Working the room might feel a little bit slimy, but it works, and every good professional learns to put that face on once in a while.
Consider Leveraging Networked Contacts
Many people say it’s not what you know but who you know that gets you in the door. While not entirely true, there's no denying that using your existing network of family, friends and acquaintances can possibly provide job search advantages you'd otherwise miss. Maybe you had a great time with a student friend and they don’t mind securing you an interview with their family firm. Not everyone has access to this, but if you do, there’s no shame in using it.
You'd actually be surprised how many jobs get filled internally, for better or worse, through referrals like this. Just don't abuse connections by asking for unreasonable favors or demanding connections. Approach it delicately – even if they point you in the right direction you’re off to a start.
Widen Your Job Field & Location
Sometimes we get a little too focused hyper-optimizing for our dream scenario based on past experience. Not all jobs are going to give you 10k more than your last one and with a nice promotion to boot. Sometimes you have to go parallel, or enter at the same rate, or be happy to take on a harder job for the same pay to work in a better place with more job security.
It’s understandable to want the best option, but sometimes we have to compromise a little as adults – maybe you’re not going to work as a fantastic cinematographer straight away, but you could secure a job working for an ad agency editing videos and organizing video shoots. There’s usually more than one pursuit you can find and so don’t be afraid to dig in and chart your own path.
Work On Weaker Skills
Now can be a good time to work on those weaker skills that might not have developed in your last role. Perhaps this is the last area you’re missing to move forward or change job roles.
After all, if you’re always getting interviews but seem to be rejected, there’s at least a chance underlying areas for improvement exist. That might involve addressing gaps in technical proficiencies, buffing up your soft skills like how you conduct yourself in interviews (don’t worry, no one is a natural), improving your software capabilities, or becoming more organized in your job search process overall.
For example, if you've been in a specific career for a while, have you kept up with evolving software and workflow changes unique to your industry? You might be skilled in Photoshop but not video editing, and a role might call for that.
Bonus: Sell Yourself Well
Maybe your weaker skill is that you don’t know how to sell yourself. Doing so, unapologetically, by highlighting achievements in your CV instead of solely where you worked can be ideal. If you’ve had time off work, don’t be afraid to give the reason why, either for traveling or caring for someone. This way, you can round off those sharper edges that might be cause for concern.
With this advice, you’ll find yourself enjoying more productivity, even if you’ve been struggling to find a job as of late.
This is a contributed post.
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