If you are applying for jobs but aren’t being successful, then it is time to look at where you could be going wrong. The job market is tough so if you aren’t doing what you can to beat the competition, then you are really ruining your chances of being successful.
There are several things that can help or hinder your job application success rates and if you are having problems in getting your dream job, then you need to look at these and how they can be improved.
One of the main things you need to look at is your resume and making sure that it does you justice. There are several ways that you can get hints and tips on how to have the perfect resume and the changes you can make to ensure that your resume is doing the best possible job for you.
However, when you are simply reading other people’s advice and trying to put that into place with your resume, it can be difficult. Knowing what your resume should be like and how to improve it is hard, but it is a vital step to job success.
If this is something that concerns you or you feel like you could do with help improving your resume, then why not get a professional on board? By getting someone who knows what they are doing to read over your resume and make any improvements that are needed, you are giving yourself the best chance of job success.
The term “return on investment” (ROI) means getting something worth your money, no matter what that is. A resume needs a good ROI as well. One rule of thumb for your resume is to ensure that it earns revenue in excess of the amount of money your company has spent on your training. Write your resume in terms of wording your successes effectively.
For example, a person in sales could mention bringing in a key client for the company. If the client contributed $10 million to your company’s bottom line, then that will be a demonstration of your ability to close profitable sales. It also shows your value to potential employers. That’s precisely how you want prospective employers to think of you – in terms of how much value you bring to them.
When it comes to demonstrating numerical success, you have several options. You can use
- Percentages
- Amount of revenue increase
- Profitability ratio
- Etc.
It’s always nice to be able to illustrate your success with hard numbers.
If you refrain from getting bogged down in your duties and draw attention to your successes instead, then you’ll be able to clearly demonstrate to potential employers why you are the right candidate for the job. Focus on results. Make sure your resume doesn’t look like you copied your job description off a company website. Use hard and verifiable facts about how you created success in past positions. This will separate you from the competition.
If you’re not sure how to use hard facts, go back and read some performance reviews. What did your boss consider your strengths? If your performance review shows high praise for your ability to communicate effectively with clients, you can use that in your resume. You can incorporate that information to make yourself stand out from the crowd.
But what if you can’t do that? Then try to come up with accomplishments you made that were significant improvements to your company’s culture and overall work environment. Did you improve work efficiency? Did your customer service skills result in happier customers and fewer complaints? Think along those lines.
I hope this gives you a better idea of how you can demonstrate ROI to potential employers. Think in terms of numerical successes will clear examples. You’ll soon have the job of your dreams.
There is no denying that job hunting is tiring. When you are looking for a job and being unsuccessful it can be hard to keep going. However you need to stay motivated in order to get the job of your dreams because otherwise you are going to be stuck in a job you don’t like forever.
The truth is that an online job search is probably the easiest way for you to go about looking for a job. Searching online for what you want means that you can search at a time that suits you. One of the hardest things about finding a job is often finding the time to do so – especially if you already have a job and are working long hours. The internet is ‘always open’ so the time in which you can search for new jobs isn’t restricted.
However, if you are receiving rejection letters (or no response at all) you can become easily disheartened and wonder why you are even bothering at all, especially if you are already in paid employment. The truth is that if you want a job, then you have to go out and get it. You need to bear in mind that the job market is tough – keep thinking about the job that you want and use this as motivation to keep going when it comes to applying for jobs and submitting your resume.
Another great tip is to only apply for jobs that you are suited to. It can be tempted to simply apply for as many jobs as possible in the hope that one of them will throw you a life line and employ you. This probably won’t do you any favors and instead will just increase the chances of you receiving a rejection letter – not great for your morale or your motivation.
Also, make sure that you pay attention to any feedback that you get from people who are telling you that they aren’t going to employ you at this time. They know what they are looking for, so by paying attention to what they tell you, you can use these hints to improve your chances of success when you come to conduct an online job search next time.
The number one dreaded question during the interview process is “what salary requirements are you expecting.” This question alone can either make or break the interview. Not only that, it tends to make a lot of interviewees freeze up and say the wrong things.
It is very easy to under or oversell yourself. If you are afraid of stating too much, chances are you will undersell yourself and make less than you were anticipating. After all, companies use this question to feel their applicants out. And, of course, if they can get you for a lower wage, they will.
It’s not going to go well if you ask for too much income. For instance, you can’t possibly expect to hire on as customer service but expect to be paid $20 or more an hour. Just won’t happen.
Interview process protocol dictates that you should never bring the subject of salary up yourself. Wait until they do. You only address it when the potential employer brings it up.
A good answer is that you are negotiable. That way, the both of you can meet in the middle somewhere with their requirements. At this point, you need to make sure what salary you can budget for with your personal expenses.
A good idea is to do research for the type of position you are applying for and see what the going rate for certain positions are. You don’t want to be out of the ballpark by asking for too much income when the trend is lower for the same position.
It’s all about negotiation. You may not get exactly what you want as far as wage goes, but you may also be offered a different position that offers more after they evaluate your skills. So, remember, don’t blow it by over or underselling yourself.
How many times have you been told you were overqualified for a job search position? It actually happens a lot and can be just as bruising to an ego and not being considered at all. There is actually a reason why employers will use this tactic during the interview process.
They will actually see you as a possible problem. They will not want someone whom they think may start a job and quickly try to run a department, become the office tattletale or think everyone is beneath them. Even if they are impressed with your skills, they view that as a threat for a lower paid position.
A woman I knew had this happen to her several times. Her husband was in the oil fields and every time he got a promotion, they had to move. Hence to say, she developed a wide range of skills in different industries by taking whatever jobs were available in each location.
She had experience in convenience stores, nursing assistant, grocery stores, newspaper work, administrative assistant and even office manager positions. You can see how her progression looked really well on her resume. But sometimes she would hit a snag and not get a position she really wanted because this question would pop up. She always explained why she had such a wide range of skills. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.
Perseverance, determination and not giving up are crucial in getting around this question. Sometimes you do have to take a step backward in order to make a living. Be sure to explain why you still want the job and that you would be a valuable asset to the company.
If necessary, update your resume to reflect more of your skills that are in line with the job position. And, remember, some income is better than no income, so don’t give up.
If you were to ask career counselors if a career objective is worth merit, half of them would say yes. Those arguing against objectives will say they are too limiting and usually poorly constructed. Those in favor will say that employers want to be able to determine quickly what you can do for the company and what you’re good at. An objective can help meet that need. To some employers, the lack of an objective translates into a job seeker who doesn’t know what he or she wants. On the other hand, numerous employers say they rarely see a well-written objective.
There’s no doubt that many resume career objectives are poorly put together as they are usually vague and not job specific. This defeats the whole purpose of the objective in the first place.
Job seekers also tend to ignore the employer’s need to know what a potential employee can contribute and list everything that the job seeker wants. For example, a typical self-serving objective will say “To obtain a meaningful and challenging position which enables me to learn the accounting field and which allows for advancement.” If your career objective doesn’t match what the hiring manager has to offer, he or she is not likely to give serious consideration to other positions within the company that you might fit into.
In other words, don’t leave the career objective off of your resume. You can have several versions of your resume saved on your computer that each have a different objective. You could even come up with a specific, tailor-made objective on your resume for each job you apply for. With technology, resumes and objectives need not be “one size fits all.” However, if you go to a job fair where it’s impossible to tailor your objective as you move from booth to booth, or if you’re handing out resumes in a networking situation, it may make more sense to leave your objective off.
If you are still uncomfortable with committing yourself to an objective on your resume, you can use a cover letter to tailor a resume to specific jobs. The cover letter can help bring the resume into sharper focus by elaborating on what the job seeker wants to do and what he or she can specifically contribute to a particular job.
Employers are seeing more objectives being replaced with wording such as summary, skills summary, qualifications or profile. Keywords in these sections are very important if they are tailored to specific job skills.
Objectives should reflect the employer’s perspective, not the job seeker’s, and should tell what the job seeker can contribute. An objective should demonstrate the value the candidate will add to the organization. Objectives should be as concise as possible. Whether or not you choose to include an objective, you may wish to present a skills or qualifications section on your resume
Searching for a rewarding job can be stressful, frustrating and more demanding than running a multi-million dollar corporation. A few simple rules of the game is just about all it takes to make sure you land the job you want.
These rules should be followed ALL the time with no exceptions. Know your strengths and accept your weaknesses. Not everyone can run a global empire, just as not everyone has the talent to build a house. Recognize your skills and talents and build upon them. Will you truly be happy managing a lumber mill when you would rather be in the woods cutting the trees? For the love of money?
Set your priorities before you apply for the position that will double your salary but will leave you no time for your family or outside interests. Do not let a large increase in salary cloud your perception of what will be expected of you. Know what you are willing to sacrifice for what amount of money. Remember, some jobs as well as a large raise may not always be the best option.
If you are presently employed and looking for a job, do not use your work email address when searching for job offers on the Internet because your present employer may have access to your email files. Establish a new email account at one of the many free email services such as yahoo or gmail. But do not create a user name such “hot_for_you” or “studmuffin.” Be as professional as possible when choosing your username.
Be honest during a job interview. Don’t oversell yourself. It is important to highlight your talents, but skilled interviewers can tell when you are lying.
Be realistic. Will two years of experience be enough to get you the position of CEO at IBM? Of course not. No one has ever been the president of a company just starting out.
Be committed. Look at any successful person and you will see in them the drive and determination to succeed. The most successful people have had failures, but they have learned from them and continued on their journey. You have to keep trying and pushing harder and harder.
If you have been successful enough to be invited to a job interview, then well done you! The hard part is over with – you have already showcased your skills, told a company about your experiences and they have decided that they would like to at least give you a chance at working for them.
Many people get worked out and nervous about a job interview, however, it is simply a matter of further showcasing your talents and abilities. They already know how good you are on paper, so you just need to back this up in real life. A big part of this is creating the right impression and a lot of this is to do with how you present yourself and the clothes that you wear.
Whatever the job is that you are applying for you need to give a professional approach and show this in your interview. This means that even if it is only a casual job or one that doesn’t require you to dress up you need to dress smart for your interview. It is a good idea if you have a set of clothes that you keep aside just for interviews, that way you know that they are always going to look their best. Trouser suits, skirts, shirts and smart shoes are all ideal clothes for a job interview, no matter what that job interview is.
What you also need to make sure of is that the clothes you wear are in good condition and look the part. Making sure the clothes you wear are pressed and look smart is essential. Making a little bit of effort goes a long way – making sure that your shoes are shined, your hair is tidy and that your clothes match are all small ways you can make sure that you look as good as possible. That way you know that you have done everything you can to ensure job interview success.
