Job Seeker Tips #3: Be Smart When Applying

So now that you know what you want and you’ve worked on your resume it’s time to start applying for jobs. But be careful – the application process is where many candidates have the most difficulty.

You can ensure you’re putting your best foot forward by following these guidelines:

• Don’t flood a company with applications. Applying to 50 jobs at one company doesn’t make you look eager – it makes you look desperate and unfocused. Most companies have a central recruitment function (with a centralized database) which stores information for all candidates, so applying to only one or two positions will ensure that you’re ‘in the system’ and will be considered for relevant positions as they become available. (Also, in most cases you shouldn’t apply to a company more often than once every 3-6 months.)
  
• Improve your chances by identifying yourself as a diverse candidate. Many organizations have diversity hiring mandates or programs – so they’re actively looking for diverse candidates. Having the required skills and experience for a role is, of course, fundamental; identifying yourself as a diverse candidate can give you an extra advantage. Applying for jobs through Talent Oyster is a good way to let potential employers know that you’re a ‘diversity’ candidate and ensure they take a second look.
  
• Make sure your resume and profile is viewable to employers. Not all job opportunities are posted online or publicly – when they’re looking for specific skills and experience, many employers and recruiters search resume databases (such as Talent Oyster) to find candidates. So ensuring that your resume and profile are complete and current will help make sure recruiters and employers find you the next time they’re looking for someone with your skills and experience.
  
• Networking, introductions and referrals are very valuable. There’s an old saying: When it comes to looking for a job, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. An introduction, recommendation or referral from someone the employer or recruiter knows and trusts can make sure your application goes to the top of the list. In our next entry, we’ll be looking at how to build, manage and leverage a network; in the meantime, start networking by making sure your friends, family and colleagues know you’re in the job market – you never know when one of them will hear about an opportunity and can recommend or refer you!
  

Job Seeker Tips - #2 Developing your resume

Once you've identified what you are looking for in a job, your next step is to create a resume that will give you the best chance of landing the job you want. Every industry and position has different requirements and standards, so there isn't one magic answer for every role, but there are some basic tips that are applicable to every resume.

• Watch the length. Even for experienced professionals, a resume longer than 3 pages is usually a bad idea. Remember, your resume is supposed to be a brief summary of your skills, education and experience - more than 3 pages is too much detail. If a recruiter or potential employer wants more information or details, they'll ask you for it.


• Put your best foot forward. Make sure that your strongest skills and experiences can be found on the first page of your resume, ideally on the top half of the page. Expanding on your work experiences, education and technical skills where applicable are all important things but the first page of your resume should tell someone who is reading it a lot about what exactly you are capable of. When your best skills and experiences clear at the beginning, readers will be more interested to read the rest of your resume.


• Know your audience. Do some research and find out what sort of structure for your resume works best for the industry or category of job you want. Look at job posts online, talk to recruiters and hiring managers, and find out what sorts of things are important to address in your field. (Almost all of them will tell you that specific statements like "My project was delivered on time and with a cost savings of 20%" are best!)


• Spelling counts! Always be sure to at the very least spell check your resume and it's even better if you can have another person or two proof-read it. Your resume is a reflection of you and spelling mistakes and typos reflect poorly on you as a candidate.

Job Seeker Tips - #1 Know what you want

In partnership with our employers and partners we are developing a series of simple "job seeker tips" to help candidates find meaningful employment. Each week we will be posting new tips to our blog and writing about them in our newsletter. For the "freshest" tips be sure to subscribe to our newsletter which you can do in the bottom right corner of our Home page.

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Successfully landing a meaningful job starts with knowing just what job you are actually looking for.

If you're new to Canada or to the workforce, you may think "I need any job I can find!" That's okay - but you still need to have a plan to help you get from 'survivor' to 'dream job'.

Before you start preparing your resume and applying for jobs, take some time do some research. Ask yourself:

• What criteria are you looking for in a job? (What is the minimum pay rate you need to cover your expenses? Are you looking for full- or part-time? What hours would you prefer to work? What location do you prefer? Is transportation a concern?)
  
• What kinds of experience and skills do the jobs you want require? Do you have those skills/experience?
  
• What sort of terminology do employers use to describe the job and related skills/experience? (Knowing the lingo will help you find and connect to the jobs you want)
  
• What employers hire for the job you want and where are they located?
  

Giving some thought to what your ideal job looks like - and doing some research about the marketplace for those jobs - will help you identify potential employers

Most importantly, being able to identify your strengths and mapping them into what employers are looking for will help ensure you have a more successful job hunt - and get you to your dream job faster.