Top Tips……Looking for Work in a Competitive Job Market

Michelle Walker from Katz Recruitment writes that looking for work during the current crisis can be stressful. Just like any challenging situation in life, one must take control and action to reach a successful outcome.

Here are some tips that will help you advance your career and help while looking for work:

1. Stay Positive – Work on your Mindset

It’s easier said than done, but it’s so important when it comes to applying for a job to stay positive. Looking for a job will give you energy and drive to keep you focused and working towards achieving your goal of finding employment.

Find your escape and joy and this will provide you with strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

2. Patience is Key

Unprecedented times means that patience when finding a job is extremely important – now more than ever! Job hiring time frames may vary by industry and many companies are still working on getting their workforce online and setting up virtual recruitment policies and procedures.

While some organisations have let people go, others have paused to watch for economic implications before making further resource commitments. However, those, especially in essential services and others supporting them, are still hiring. So, while being patient, always take action and keep your eye on the prize – to find a job. 

3. Be Kind to Yourself

Staying positive includes reducing stress – so take time to focus on your mental and physical health. Ensure you do some meditation, go for a walk, get some sunlight, drink enough water, keep up your nutrients and get enough sleep. Create a new routine that will help keep you in control and on the right track and is also suitable to your family arrangements.

Being kind to yourself will also lift your spirits and will allow you to be in the right frame of mind to keep going with your job search.

4. Competitive Employment Environment

Unfortunately, due to limited opportunities, the job market has become extremely competitive and hiring employers are being flooded with applications. This means you need to make sure your applications are of high quality and you represent yourself in the best, positive way. Focusing on quality applications rather than quantity, will also take the pressure off yourself while being strategic with your job search actions.

The only thing you can control is being the best you can be, so focus, take time on your applications and be proactive by following up with employers. Those companies who are hiring in essential services and those supporting essential services are time poor and everything is time-critical. You picking up the phone to enquire regarding available positions, may save them some time and help you land an opportunity.

 5. Be Open to Pivoting your Job Search

You might have an ideal job in mind but perhaps now is an excellent time to think about how your skills and strengths can be adapted. Your skills may be easily transported across to support essentials services or work within essential services organisations themselves. This could be a temporary pivot where you will be able to help your local community and you might end up finding a new career path that you fall in love with.

6. Looking for Work – Make Sure You’re Job-ready

Go through the job readiness process and use a job tracker form to help you stay focused and on top of your job applications. Make sure your resume and cover letter are tailored to each specific job and that they highlight your skills and experience to adapt to the available opportunities.

7. Stay Connected and Keep up Your Networking

Staying connected with family, friends and colleagues will help you with maintain your morale and overall happiness. Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t connect with your network, it is just now conducted online.

Connecting and networking nowadays does look a little bit different, but you can organise a time, make a coffee and enjoy human contact over a virtual chat.

Now is a great opportunity to research where your potential, future employer may spend time online and perhaps re-connect with previous managers and colleagues. Being front of mind will put you in a more favourable position to find out about any new roles faster.

Many networking groups are now operating online and joining these could be an excellent way to increase your visibility.

At Katz Recruitment we have a Job Readiness Checklist and Job Tracker document you can download to help you look for work during these difficult times.

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We wish you all the very best with your job search. You’ve got this!

Katz Recruitment is a local recruitment specialist.