Are you job hunting but still can't seem to enjoy happy Mondays? Check if you're making these mistakes during your search—it's possible they're holding back your successful employment.
What do most people do as soon as they decide to look for a job? They start monitoring job boards and sending out resumes. However, we advise spending more time on the preparatory stage to understand exactly what job you’re looking for and what unique qualities you can offer the market.
Failing to do this initially, you risk finding a job that isn’t truly what you dream of, or not finding one at all, without understanding why.
What mistakes should you avoid at this stage?
Not Analyzing the Current Situation
If you’ve decided to change jobs or professions, don’t rush into action. Postpone thoughts of what to do next, but rather, understand what’s happening right now. For this, give yourself honest answers to questions like:
- Why did you decide to quit your previous job?
- What do you want to get rid of in a new job, and what do you want to keep?
- Are you experiencing burnout? Maybe a quality rest is enough, not a radical career change?
- Is the problem really with the job? Maybe discomfort comes from unresolved issues and conflicts in other areas?
It’s better to address these questions before resigning. Perhaps, all problems can be solved simply by talking to management, avoiding the difficult path of finding a new job.
Not Defining What You Are Looking For
Searching without knowing what for is no easy task. And applying to dozens of vacancies from different fields without any strategy is more akin to frantic job-hopping rather than meaningful employment.
Create a list of criteria important to you for choosing a job—what sphere/position/company, work schedule, team, career prospects, etc., it should be.
Without this, you won’t understand which offers are worth your time. Moreover, your dream job may require specific knowledge or experience you still need to gain. For instance, international organizations (like the UN or UNICEF) prefer candidates with volunteering experience. Hence, obtaining such a position overnight is unrealistic. To prepare, you need to have a clear understanding of your end goal.
Not Analyzing Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Without this, you can’t position yourself as a specialist and “sell” yourself to a future employer. Review all your experience in the context of the job you’re now seeking.
Highlighting your strengths helps understand what unique value you can offer the market, focusing on knowledge, mastery of a particular tool, or personal qualities. Recognizing your weaknesses identifies areas for development and improvement.
Not Securing a Safety Net
Finding a beloved job can take several months, or even a whole year if you need to find your calling or drastically change fields. During this time, you’ll invest significant resources (both material and psychological) in learning, technology, new projects, job hunting, etc.
Ensure you have enough time, money, internal resources, and support from loved ones for your search—this will be your safety net.
Forgetting About Networking
Today, connections solve a lot. So much so, that being an introvert is no longer an excuse.
Some vacancies aren’t posted on job sites but are offered to acquaintances or posted on social networks. For employers, this is cheaper and requires less effort, with a high chance of finding “their” person. The wider your network, the higher the chance you’ll be the first to know about a great vacancy.
We recommend maintaining as many contacts as possible in your field of interest, following HR managers and employees of companies where you want to work, meeting experts who inspire you, and following opinion leaders. Today, there are many ways to make the right acquaintances: conferences and lectures, Facebook, LinkedIn, Jobicy, and even special networking meetings.
Not Spending Enough Time on Applications
Your application is your first introduction to an employer, on which depends whether you’ll get a chance to prove yourself. Therefore, every element must be well thought out.
Resume—properly compiled, signed with your initials, neatly formatted, and tailored for each vacancy, only with relevant experience and skills.
Cover letter—separate for each application, tailored to a specific vacancy and company, not repeating the resume, but explaining why you are the right fit for the company, and vice versa.
Before applying, ensure you’ve met all the employer’s requirements—attached all files and links, added a portfolio if necessary, and—made no spelling mistakes.
Not Preparing for the Interview
How well a candidate prepares for an interview says a lot about their motivation. It doesn’t mean you’ll appear artificial or insincere. Good preparation is the interview’s framework, giving you confidence while leaving room for improvisation.
But a must-have for the interview is knowledge about the company, its competitors, and values, a well-thought-out self-presentation, and prepared answers to the most common questions.
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