If you’ve recently engaged in career counselling as an existing professional or someone who’s just starting out, the next crucial step is job hunting. Two little words that cover a process that can be very frustrating and a little overwhelming when things don’t go as planned.
What can I do when my job hunting isn't working?
As recruitment-focused short courses online illustrate, it’s important not to lose hope. You can’t expect everything to go your way and by being patient, you remain calm enough for your interpersonal skills and expertise to shine through.
What are some good job-hunting strategies?
While it is possible to get lucky and fall into your ideal profession, for most of us, a job-hunting strategy of some kind is wise. Do the right things for long enough and you might just find your luck changes. Let’s now take a look at some of the things you should be doing to ensure your job hunting efforts are successful.
Focus On Having a Clear Direction
Before plunging into the job market and taking any free online courses, it’s vital that you know what kind of job you’re aiming for. If you’re not sure about which way to proceed, think about your interests, personal strengths and character traits - as they’ll help to guide your efforts. If you still can’t decide, try a career quiz or a spot of career counselling.
Create a Schedule & Stick to It
Creating a long-term plan can be really helpful in ensuring that you stay on track to meet your professional goals. With your diary open, clearly ring-fence the time you’ll spend on your development and stick to it. Many people let their career ambitions slip by because they don’t properly prioritize them, preferring instead to focus on the here and now.
Leverage Your Professional Network
As short courses online show, on average, around 60% of jobs are found through business contacts, so you absolutely shouldn’t overlook your professional network. LinkedIn is a great place to start looking for the kind of work you’re wanting to do - particularly as you can talk to people within the industry. Ensure your profile is spot on and you might even find recruiters contacting you first.
Make Sure Your Voicemail Message Is Professional
When job hunting, you’re typically sending out your personal details to everyone you think is relevant - which usually includes your mobile phone number. Naturally, when someone is interested, they’re going to call you, so ensure that your voicemail message is professional. The same principle applies to emails, so if yours isn’t professional-sounding, it may be an idea to change it.
Have Your CV Available in a Variety of Formats
Something else that career counselling shows us is that it’s important to read job descriptions properly. If you don’t, you could end up missing a part of the role that isn’t suitable or that the recruiter needs your CV to be sent in a particular format - like a PDF. Take the time to create your CV in a selection of formats and you’ll ensure you don’t get paper-sifted out as a result.
Realise Your Job Aspirations With OCA Short Courses Online
Getting your dream job relies upon a number of factors, so it’s all a matter of tipping the balance in your favour. Ensure that these basics are on point and you’ll do just that. Also, with OCA short courses online offering the best possible way to gain new skills, it’s never been easier to enhance your employability.
At OCA, our training is CPD-approved, industry-led and is delivered 100% online. It’s video-based too, meaning that it’s easy to digest and being modular, fitting it around your current obligations is easy. To find out more about this or our flexible payment options, visit us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au.
However, if you need some help with your career change learning, we’re here to assist. Just call us on 1300 611 404 and we’ll give you the support you need.