Maybe it’s time for a new challenge, and the only thing standing in your way is finding that perfect job. It isn’t always easy, especially if you don’t have any connections, which may matter more than you think, as nearly 80% of available jobs are never listed on the major online job boards. Even if you don’t have a lot of connections, there are still several things that can help you land the perfect job while searching from home.
Take a Fresh Inventory of Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Many people forget this one in the beginning stages of their job search. It should be a given, but it’s easy to get distracted by any urgency or need to locate another job as soon as possible. Since you’ve been in your last position, try to think of various new strengths you’ve learned or interpersonal obstacles you conquered. For example, can you now work with difficult team members easier than you could in the past? Or perhaps, have you worked your way into a senior or managerial role, whereas in the past this wasn’t the case?
Also, be honest about your weaknesses. It’s perfectly alright to reframe them in a positive light. For example, if you’re still a bit of a perfectionist, you can say so; however, consider reframing it with something like, ‘Yes, I’m a perfectionist, but sometimes that need for excellence is what propels me into a flow state, which can increase my output.’ Try listing each of your weaknesses and then writing a reframing statement for each.
Be Memorable in Your Job Interviews
Memorizing all the right answers to most standard interview questions is always good, but only use that as a base for the answers you give. Interviewers speak to many candidates, have competing priorities for the rest of their workdays, and may involuntary begin to tune out canned answers.
Feel free to put unique and positive spins on those answers. Bring interesting life wisdom to mix with the standard answers to showcase some of your other knowledge and talents. When talking with recruiters, you should also do this simply because nearly 60% of them initially size up a potential employee to see how well they might fit into a company culture before going too much further.
Use Present Tense Language in Your Descriptions
When writing your resume job descriptions, make sure to use present tense throughout. For example, say ‘edit documents’ instead of ‘edited documents.’ Doing this wherever possible gives your resume a fresh feeling and will communicate more positive energy to the person reviewing it.
Trim Unnecessary Things From Your Resume
Only put relevant jobs on your resume for the position you’re applying for. In the introduction section of the resume, note that while you have other job histories, you’ve only included the relevant ones for this position for the sake of convenience. Your goal is to get your resume as short as possible. Avoid including anything from more than ten years ago unless it’s directly related to the position. Don’t include hobbies, how many pets you have, anything about your marital status, religious affiliation, or musical instruments you play.
Bring Back Thank You Notes
Sending an authentic thank you note to each person you interviewed with can make all the difference in whether you receive a job offer. Many people no longer do this for a variety of reasons. However, if you can obtain where to send a thank you note (even only if it is electronically), you should send one. Since many people don’t do this anymore, you doing it can make you stand out above the other candidates.
Audit Your Other Social Media Accounts
Your resume isn’t the only thing potential employers see when applying for a job. Some employers locate your public social media feeds and scour them for offensive or controversial content. Take a day and go through each social media feed to remove this type of content, pictures, or videos from your profiles. If you don’t want to remove them, consider making those pieces of content private.
It’s well worth it to take the time to slow down and analyze how you’ve improved in your last position. While they take some initial upfront time to perform, using some of these tips can help give you an edge. When you need a new job, that slight edge may make all the difference.
