Why the job hunt doesn't have to be scary
Whether you’re a recent graduate with minimal experience or a veteran in your field looking for a new venture, the job hunt can be daunting. From financial pressures to candidate competition, there’s an endless amount of fears and pressures that many of us tend to put on ourselves when embarking on the job hunt. It’s important to note, many of these fears are self-made, or a product of overthinking.
Whilst the job hunt is important, it’s nothing to be afraid of – and in the spirit of Halloween, we’ve compiled a list of your biggest job hunt fears and will be offering solutions to overcome all of them!
Fear #1 You need to spend all of your free time on it
From CV creation and sifting through the thousands of job listings to find opportunities that fit your experience, interests and needs, to the application process and multiple interview stages, the job hunt process is not a short one.
Many put off doing these tasks simply because it seems like a heavy workload, and when you look at it like that it’s hard to disagree. A key tip to conquering this is to optimize your search time. Split each task up and set aside block times to complete each one. For example, rather than tell yourself you’ll get it all done on the weekend, set a specific time and date (e.g “I will complete my cover letter for that role on Friday night from 7 to 8 PM.).
Fear #2 You’re not qualified
We’ve all been in the position where we’ve found our dream role, it almost sounds too good to be true when- oh, I need how many years of experience? And experience using every CRM system known to man?
It’s imperative to note that for the most part, job descriptions are idealistic descriptions of the dream candidate for the role in question. Hiring managers won’t expect you to match every single qualification listed. So long as you are selling yourself to the best of your ability, there is a good chance you will be considered.
Fear #3 You’ll never find a role
The job hunt is a marathon, not a sprint. Rather than expecting an instant job offer, be realistic and continue applying for as many suitable roles as possible. Whilst you’re waiting to hear back, why not read educational articles and enrol onto online courses to expand on your existing knowledge to increase your employability.
Not only this, but there are hundreds of thousands of external support and outlets, such as Recruitment companies and career advisors to assist you in your job search (please see resources below). Registering with a recruitment agency is a great way to gain exposure to a plethora of jobs that haven’t even been advertised yet, and they’re willing to do all the heavy lifting for you.
Fear #4 you’ll get ghosted
In recent years, ghosting has become a widespread commonplace practice. With the job market like it is, organisations are inundated with hundreds of CV’s for each role leaving them unable to respond to unsuccessful candidates.
Rather than spending your time feeling disheartened and defeated, why not take this time to reflect on why you might have been unsuccessful? Take a look at your CV, are you selling yourself to the best of your ability? Are all of your key skills and qualifications listed?
You can always give the hiring manager a call or drop them an email to request feedback on why you were unsuccessful on this occasion, and what you can do to improve your chances in the future.
Resources
To register with Hoop, give us a call on 02922 400 519 to discuss our current opportunities. Alternatively, click the link below to register with us:
https://www.hooprecruitment.co.uk/user/registration
For career advice, please see the following:
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/
