Humera

1. Quality trumps quantity – When I begin a job search I always have a hard time deciding which job application to tackle first – I want to apply to all of them to ensure I’m not passing up an opportunity! But I find myself getting overwhelmed and copying and pasting more of my cover letters than I should. I eventually learned that quality always trumps quantity when it comes to applying to jobs. I now try to narrow down the jobs I find to be the absolute best fit and then I limit myself to applying to only one or two per week. Also, to ensure I’m not getting too overwhelmed, I break down the job application process into sections and dedicate two or three uninterrupted hours each day to working on my application materials. I also delay getting something that I want, which typically includes a delicious treat of some sort or bingeing a series on Netflix, until I’ve finished my application tasks for the day. Nothing helps me focus more than the promise of chocolate or Love is Blind!

    

2. Let people know you’re on the hunt – In addition to applying for a select number of jobs, I also let my friends and family know I am on the job hunt. Once I mention I’m searching for a new job, I almost always have a friend or family member tell me they know of a position I would like or could get me in touch with someone at a great company. People want to put themselves out there for you, so let them! While I didn’t end up using my network to find a job, I did find my position by reaching out to staffing agencies. Some of them didn’t get back to me (don’t let that get you down) but the one that I secured my position with got back to me within minutes of reaching out and by the end of two weeks I had a job offer! You never know which door might open for you, so don’t be afraid to go knocking on all of them.

    

3. Research before you begin applying - Since I typically hold a position for three to four years before I begin looking for a new job, I have found it incredibly helpful to spend some time reading recent articles on tips and tricks for the job hunting process. Even in the span of a couple years, there’s always new job hunting etiquette rules to follow (does your LinkedIn match your resume?), new job application trends to observe (do you need to include bullet points in your cover letter?) and new ways to approach the job search for your field (what new job search engines cater to your job interests?)

Overall the best thing to keep in mind when you are in the depths of job searching is you will get a new job, it’s just a matter of when. So until then, keep your head up and keep applying!