Job Hunting 101: Best Practices For Landing A Better Job

The job market is becoming competitive every day. Therefore, you must know how to impress your recruiters while looking to land a better job. Your job application is your first contact with potential employers. Therefore, knowing what to write and carry yourself should be your top priority. This process can be daunting, but the following 7 strategies can maximize the possibility of standing out from other applicants and land you a better job.

Do Your Homework Diligently

Reading through a job advertisement may seem obvious, but there are chances of missing crucial information. You should still go back and read it keenly to avoid missing any details, even after you’ve scanned through the job description and decided to apply. Recruiter managers often receive a lot of applications, possibly eliminating anyone who appears not to have read through the job requirements or descriptions.

Doing a diligent investigation of the job you’re applying for also helps you avoid appearing fake in your application. This enables you to understand the context of your desired job, allowing you to make an impressive presentation.

Identify and Indicate Your Transferable Skills

Everyone has some transferable skills, whether it’s their first time seeking a job or applying for another one. These are skills that you can take from one job to another and prove to be helpful. It may include workplace skills such as good communication, solving unexpected problems, and teamwork. It also includes technical skills such as UX design, Python, and data entry.

Use a Professional Name and Email Address

Some employers can disqualify job applicants with an unprofessional email, even with the rest of their resume showing that they’re perfect for the job. You can use free email services to create a professional email address indicating your first and last name. This also separates your personal communication and work communication.

Look out for Grammatical Errors

Having grammatical errors can indicate that you didn’t care enough to proofread what you’ve written in your application. Considering that most jobs require applicants to possess basic communication, failure to put effort into checking grammatical errors on the application may hinder you from being hired. A simple check on grammar checker tools like Ginger, Quillbot, and Grammarly can significantly maximize your chances of landing a better job.

Follow the Instructions Provided

Sometimes you may need to present your job application as one paragraph or a few sentences that need simple “yes” or “no” answers. Other applications require spending a lot of time answering several in-depth questions. Therefore, read through the job description, understand the questions, and answer them accordingly. If the employer is asking questions regarding your character and behavior, ensure that you respond to these questions accurately and effectively. Taking time to fill out the questions as required shows that you are worthy of consideration.

Keep Your Social Media Profile Tidy

Your social media speaks a lot about you. Your employer might even sneak into your social media profile to know more about the person they’re about to hire. Therefore, review your profile and remove anything that may seem objectionable, especially comments and posts that don’t show professionalism. If you don’t have a social media profile, create one to make your information more available. Your familiarity and proficiency with social media are crucial skills your employers might need while judging your competency.

Send a Follow-Up Note

You might be a good interviewee, but your hiring manager would like to know whether you desire the position you’ve applied for. Therefore, a follow-up note would prove to your employers that you know what you’re looking for. A comprehensive follow-up note should include work samples or information on what you would do in your job, such as a pitch deck or a piece of analysis.

Landing a better job in the current competitive market may seem daunting. However, considering these steps may increase your chances of being hired. Ensure you apply them and will most likely get your dream job.