Have you just graduated or maybe you gained a new skill? I can feel you, no matter which of …or maybe other categories you divide yourself in. New CV, another 100 new cover letters and you wonder how long it will take before you meet your aim – a career of your dreams. You spend hours , days or months trying to figure out why you still did not get a bait. The answer is easy. There are more than one reasons behind this. Let me explain.
Everybody in this world have inherited some kind of skills or charisma. Our first steps in the professional world are very essential for the career of our dreams but sometimes we choose wrong, we make decisions which lead us nowhere or where we end up feeling that something is missing or something is too much. It was so for me. I was very scared around the age of 15 to choose for myself because what my mother wanted for me was proritized. But once I turned 18, I experienced a drastic change of perspective. I wanted to understand myself, define my dreams, thoughts and feelings. I can tell you from my perspective finding a place for yourself in this world is not like putting some butter on the bread. I am about to be 29 years this year and I have completed my bachelors degree in tourism studies but I still can feel a little lost just like 10 years ago. I applied probably to over 200 job positions in my life. I researched about the company and its values to fit the criterias, I used the terms which I thought would be used between people in the specific profession. I tried to emphasize my skills and knowledge and you know what ? I have only reached more or less to 10% of the employeers. In most cases, I did not get past the interview. So what did I do wrong ?
Be precise
When you apply for a job be precise, be an empath that can put him/herself into the employeers shoes. No one in business world has time to read 1-2 pages letters and repetitions of your CV. Leave this kinds of explanations for the time of your job interview. Read the advertisement a few times, try to mark the skills or personal qualities that the job requires and try to match it with your earlier experience. It does not need to be an experience from the same type of job. Some jobs require similiar skills or knowledge and sometimes you end up with situations in your personal life which make you gain the skills or knowledge. I have recenlty experienced a shift where I did not write much but still were found interesting enough to be invited to the interview. Try to not use “I” too much as it does not look good. Use a dictionary or look up some synonyms for the word you want to use.
Update your CV
Don’t forget to update your CV with the newest experiences at the top. If you have more than 3 pages of experiences try to pick a few that could reflect the qualities the employer is after or where you think you had gained these experiences. If you have driving license or some computer skills or maybe you won awards at school, name it. Curriculum Vitae stands for Life’s journey, express it.
Apply long before deadline
Do not apply at the last day. In most cases the employeer have already met a few candidates as time equals money and made them his/her favourites. The sooner you apply, the better. Don’t forget to have your references ready, even if no one asks for them.
Do not apply, if you are not interested
An employeer can feel very easily if you are for it or not. Body language and even the sound of your voice says everything about your attitude. My recommendation is to apply jobs where you can make difference, not necessarily something you would like to do as a hobby but something you would be passionate about or at least were willing to learn about more as time passes by. Don’t forget to think about your needs. The more you consider your circumstances, strengths and weaknesses the more likely you will find your match.
I hope this few tip will help you find your place of work.
Thank you & see you soon with a new post !