Ever seen a hunter heading out into the woods for a kill? He goes prepared with all the necessary armoury.
Job searching or job hunting can be likened to animal hunting. It is important to be properly armed with the tools needed for a catch. For starters, the priority should be keeping your hunt organised.
This article shares 5 tips to help you get started and stay organised with your job search.
Prepare your documents
Your CV and cover letter are essential tools you need handy for a job hunt. As a matter of fact, your success or failure during a job search is largely dependent on the relevance of your CV.
Develop a CV and cover letter template for yourself, and ensure to always tailor them to every job search. Also, ensure to keep them updated as you add skills and experience. Double-check basic data like your name, address, phone number and email, to ensure they are correct.
Get a dedicated email
Job hunting period usually involves sending and receiving lots of emails, which can be overwhelming and can make your inbox look clumsy, thus making it difficult for you to track applications and separate other activities you have going on. Getting a dedicated email for your job search activities is a great way to keep things organised.
Create job-related folders and Search activity log
Since most of the job search you will be doing will be online, you need to organise your browser space. Creating job-related folders is usually a good start
Job folders allow you to organise your job search into different categories. For example, if you have been job hunting using search engines and job sites, you can create a folder for search engines, and another for job sites.
To further help you keep your job search organised, ensure to keep a search activity log. A search activity enables you to separate all your search activities using categories like; job title, date, organisation, email etc. This can be done on an excel sheet.
Prepare your resume for the internet
As recruiters rely more on the use of the internet for their recruitment process, it is no longer enough to just get your CV ready. Your CV should be prepared for the internet.
The internet uses keywords to help employers find suitable candidates for available jobs. Do research a list of top keywords relevant to the sector you are trying to find a job in, and ensure you include them in your CV.
Recruiters will most likely download your CV or view with a software. To ensure your CV is received as it was sent, it is best to save as PDF rather than word file. PDF formats ensure the formatting of your document is kept at the receiver end. It also allows the receiver to view your CV across different devices (desktop, laptop, and mobile). However, some recruiters specify the format your CV should be sent, please follow their instruction.
We hope this article helps you get started with your job search.