How Do I Get A Job? Tips and Tricks

How do I get a job? This may seem like a pretty boring, obvious or lame question at surface level. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, this question is being asked now by people with a different intent due to the current workplace landscape. The rates of unemployment are rising worldwide, and the hardest-hit group is young people.

Undoubtedly, entering a job market is not an easy task, and for some during the pandemic, it has been a nightmare. Not only will you have to compete against your peers, but you are also up against a large number of unemployed people. Besides, this army of unemployed people may have more experience than you.

Although it can be challenging to get a job during the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing is impossible because businesses still exist and they are still hiring! Quality employees are still extremely in high demand. All of that bein said, in today’s article, we will answer the question you may be asking: “How do I get a job?”

Allow me to help and provide you with a few practical tips to snag that interview and get hired. Read on!

How Do I Get A Job?

When it seems challenging to find a job, there are numerous factors at key. For instance, your job search practices may be inefficient. For instance, you may not have the right knowledge to carry out the application process. Additionally, your skills may not align with the job or industry. Regardless of the reason, here are a few tips to streamline the entire process.

Believe In Yourself

This may sounds like a cliché piece of self-help garbage advice, especially considering that you are searching for a job. But if you have zero confidence you will not put in the right amount of effort to succeed at this. So yes, believe in yourself from the perspective of your skills, ability, and experience. If there is a large applicant pool, it can feel like a hopeless task to get hired. It can feel intimidating and discouraging. You may be tempted to think, “What is the point in even trying?”

Although you may not initially believe your chances for success in this situation are not great, the fact remains that the odds are is that the company will hire someone! Why not you? I do not want to turn this into an emotional cheer up session, but put some positivity in your life. Remember, you are fortunate regardless of whether you get hired or not.

Update and Upgrade Your Resume

Your resume clearly plays a crucial role in securing an interview.

Your resume is the building block, the foundation, the cornerstone, and the very first and most important step required to navigate your journey to gain employment.

Please take my recommendation to craft the highest quality resume that you possibly can. And when I say that you need to create the highest quality resume possible, I specifically mean THE CONTENT OF YOUR RESUME. The purpose is to make employers of different organizations or companies want you for the job.

Keep it simple, short, concise, and powerful. And you probably know this but check out the blog I wrote on how you create the best content possible on your resume: the bullet points articulating your job experience. If you are not that far yet, start out today by picking up my e-book on how to craft your resume, pick up my resume template bundle so you can get started immediately.

The most important point for you to remember when you craft your resume is this: Your resume is not an autobiography but a highlight reel of your achievements and skills.

Prepare for the Interview

Next, you have to actually do your homework to prepare for an interview. Preparation is key. You may ask yourself, “How do I get a job without preparing for the interview?” The easy answer is: “you don't because it's impossible.” When you reach the point of receiving an invitation from a company to attend an interview, it is time to plan and prepare. Though not always possible, I recommend you ask what type of interview you will go through so you can prepare accordingly. Besides the traditional one-on-one meeting, some additional, common interview formats are:

• Group interviews
• Phone and video interviews
• Out-of-office interviews

Knowing the type of interview helps you make small decisions that can demonstrated your preparation. Something as simple as choosing the right outfit can mentally prepare you. And yes, I recommend you practice greeting people at the company. Whether you are are shaking hands with the recruiting manager, the technical staff, the accounting department, or the CEO, know what you want to say!

Another tip is to analyze your resume through the lens of the interviewing company. Ask yourself, “If I were them reading my resume for the first time, what would they ask me?” Then go through those questions in your mind and have the answers ready. Yes, you will like get common interview questions but they are going to you ask you about you and your skills and experience. I always recommend researching the company and learning as much as you can from their website, LinkedIn profile, ZoomInfo, Glass Door profile, etc… And make sure you go back and analyze the job position description one last time!

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice is often overlooked and undervalued, yet it plays a crucial role in improving your skills, allowing you to answer difficult interview questions. If you are nervous, go ask a friend or family member to conduct a mock interview. For instance, you could give them your resume without any background or context and simply tell them to grill you in an intense interview style for 30 minutes. Try it, see what happens, see how you feel, observe how you react, and change what you need to change.

And as awful as this sounds, record yourself to know how you sound and come across when you answer interview questions. Most people hate watching or listening to themselves but it can truly help. If you record a video, watch your body language. If you record audio of your answers, listen how you handle questions and detail your own experience. This can give you a chance to change your approach if it's needed.

Make a Positive Impression

Making a positive first impression can be essential to get a job, and you can do this by dressing right. (I have a blog post in the works on what you should wear to an interview. When I publish it, I will come back and link it here for your reference.) Make sure your clothes fit well and avoid wearing complex accessories. A welcoming and presentable personality can illustrate that you can form relationships that will help you succeed in the job position. And yes, it can still increase your chances of getting the job. This is another reason you should do research on the organization: Because understanding the company as best you can may give you insight whether you should dress formally or more casually.

Conclusion

The tips above certainly are not comprehensive but hopefully you learned one tip or piece of advice that provided you with the right knowledge to increase your chances of getting a job. Lastly, please do not forget to follow up after an interview! Make sure you write a short email to thank the recruiting manager or employer after the interview. It is crucial to reiterate your interest in the organization and emphasize your passion for the job. Good Luck on your job search!