10 Ways to Be on Top of Your Job Search in 2011 Part 2

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In the first part of 10 Ways to Be on Top of Your Job Search in 2011, we started looking at the necessary steps vital to succeeding in the ever-stressful job market, and it was clearly stated that applying these steps will reduce this stress and make the whole experience ultimately rewarding. Here are the remaining steps to coming out tops in your job search.

6.  Don’t be an ignoramus

Ignoramus – that sounds like the name of an animal. If it were, it would be the stupidest animal on earth! Actually, it refers to an ignorant person; a state of being empty of relevant information or knowledge.  Ignorance is not so much of being “not in the know” than it is about attitude.

Ignorance is an attitude – the attitude of one who doesn’t know and doesn’t make any effort to know. It’s said that an apt definition of madness is doing same thing over-and-over every time and expecting a different result!  No one stumbles into a job interview by luck; you will need to work out your luck with some measure of appropriate preparation!

You’ll need to learn what you don’t know. Attend job fairs and career seminars or read up from career websites and blogs. Learn job search skills; find out what employers are looking for, how to craft your CV and cover letter, job interview skill, and just anything that will be useful in your preparation for securing that job.

7.  Brand yourself

There is a sea of heads seeking to be hunted by headhunters in the job market. And given this situation, it’s imperative to ensure you’re in some way definitely unique from the rest of other job seekers. You need to package yourself as a brand and align your job search efforts to reinforce the integrity of that brand.

A brand is a promise; it’s a bold statement from a person, product or service about the value it offers or represents for the benefit of another, usually the buyer or employer as the case may be. However you consider it: you are a brand and everything about your personality, appearance, qualification, experience, curriculum vitae, cover letter and communication skills are all reinforcing your brand positively or negatively. So the earlier you start packaging yourself and your job search skills consciously as a brand, the better for you.

Every brand starts out as an impression in people’s mind, but its integrity (proving to be what you promised) must be proven by some form of process. The impressions of your grade, work history and appearance may get you into the job interview room, but here the integrity of your brand must be proved. Your ability to communicate the value of your brand to the employer gets you the job.

Network, network, network!

If you’re not getting enough, then you’re not asking enough! In your job search, you’ll need to do a lot of “asking”. You’ll need to make the right connections in the right circles. Now, this is not about knowing anybody of influence and power in any organization. This only means establishing contact or relationship with people who have professional affinity or relevant knowledge and information about the industry you seek employment. Such people are in a position to advise you career-wise and even notify you of relevant job openings.

Such networking can be either offline or online. Offline: through your alumni associations, professional bodies, family and friends and faith-based organizations. Online: through some professional and social platforms on the internet, such as Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. Whatever medium you use, the rule of networking is to ask the right questions. Badgering people for jobs will get you the reverse result. No one has the responsibility of finding or providing you a job. A better style will be to approach such contacts from the position of a learner, exuding the virtues of patience and gratitude.

Nothing is wrong with making a request on any member of your network, as long as the situation, attitude and level of relationship are in a good balance. The important point is to couch that request in the form of you offering value and not just asking for empty blanket favour.

9. Have the persistence of the devil!

Hear me out first before releasing your “Holy Ghost fire!” This is the point: job search, especially in our time, requires the exhibition of some sales skills, one of which is persistence. It’s common in job search to encounter situations or responses that may put you off.  You may hear several “I’m sorry…”, “you’ll hear from us” and the likes. You may also have to do a lot of follow up on contacts, job applications and pending interview outcomes.  

It’s a daily reality in sales that for every successful sale, there may have been several rejection experiences before this time. Whatever the challenge in your job search, just know that you have to be persistent to win.

10. Involve the God-factor

I encourage you to involve God before and after every stage of your job search effort. In the run for jobs, you and I know that there is no qualification or experience or skill you have that another candidate may not have, or even better.

Life is spiritual and the spiritual controls the physical. So get spiritual and have a good relationship with your God. Just know that the fastest doesn’t always win the race; the skillful are not necessarily the wealthiest and the most qualified are not always successful. Chance, time and the mercies of God intervene in all.

When you have done all you can to stand, stand on your God. To your success!