5 Quick Job Hunting Tips for Job Seekers

Looking for a Job can be a very frustrating experience at times, especially in a volatile job market like the South African job market. South Africa currently has an unemployment rate of over 25%. Thousands of people are looking for work out there – thousands of people in dire need of job hunting tips.

We realize that a lot of the Job Seekers reading this blog post are frustrated beyond belief. Today the Job Mail team would like to make things a little easier for you, and give you a little hope, so don’t despair. Today we’re providing you with 5 Quick Job Hunting Tips that will make your life a little easier.

1) Spruce Up Your CV: Note that a professional CV is one that is professional and stands out from the rest. Employers take notice of these CVs. It’s advisable that you use powerful words to describe your skills and experience that re related to the industry and field. And remember to always keep it brief – just say what needs to be said using numbers or bullets. Also ensure that your CV’s content is field and industry related. Take note that there’s no such thing as a having a general or standard resume.

2) Write a Show Stopper Cover Letter:  Remember: the simple purpose of a cover letter is to show the potential employer why you would be the perfect person for the job. Think of your cover letter as a compelling proposal and not a summarized version of your CV. Start the cover letter by stating the position you’re applying for. The following paragraphs should highlight the critical elements of the job description and explain why you are the perfect fit for the job. It’s also important to stick to the hirer’s language. Go back to the vacancy’s advert to see if your strong skills and personality skills match the match or exceed the requirements for the positions you are looking to apply for.

3) Make Sure You Have A Social Media Strategy: Before you form any professional online relationship, make sure that you have a spotless social media track record. Any tweets on Twitter or status updates on Facebook that are personal or pictures of you doing crazy stuff should only be seen by your friends. You should definitely have adjusted public social media profiles for the different networks you have (friends, colleagues, careers, business networks, etc). On Twitter you should follow the right people, like human resource companies, successful people in the industry and companies you have an interest in and you should tweet or retweet appropriate stuff.

4) Before Your Interview Make Sure You Research, Plan and Prepare: Remember: Google is your best friend. You will be amazed to see how much you can find out about a company just by doing an online search. Just make sure you don’t just scan through the info – read and understand it. Also read every section of their website (if they have one). If you don’t find out much with online research, call them up and ask the right questions to find out more about the organization. Keep it professional and never talk negatively about your previous employer or colleagues. Make sure that you prepare two or three pertinent questions that you would like to ask the interviewer about the organization in your interview. If you have been unemployed for a while never tell your potential employer that you haven’t been doing anything in your spare time.

5) Never Give Up! Have an Attitude Adjustment! An Unemployed person’s only job is to find a job. Treat networking like a full time occupation – you never know who others know. Make sure you talk, search and attend as many free networking sessions or seminars as you can.

We hope that you find these Job Hunting Tips useful. If you do, please share them with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. If you have another tip you’d like to add, comment on this post.

Remember that you follow Job Mail on Twitter via @jobmail – take note that we send out regular job alerts via this profile. You can also check out the Job Mail Facebook Page for regular updates.

Also feel free to check out these posts on the Job Mail blog for more Useful Tips:

1. Get That Job – Let Your Body Speak the right language
2. Why Honesty on Your CV is the best policy
3. Didn’t Get Into University? Now What?
4. What is Your Unique Value Proposition
5. Job Mail Reality Check: Reasons Why You Should Update Your CV