1. Use the right keywords. You need to know what you want. Obviously. Not knowing what kind of job you want can make a search quite impossible. For tips on finding out what suits you and which keywords to use read my previous blog post. You could also try mind mapping. "Mind mapping is one of the best ways to capture your thoughts and bring them to life in visual form" You can read more about it here.
2. Adapt your CV and LinkedIn profile. Once you have a certain job in mind, adapt your CV and LinkedIn profile, so it is obvious that your profile matches the job profile. Do go through your CV every time you send it to someone or upload it to a website to see if it still matches its purpose. Remember your CV has to be clear and to the point. Nobody is going to look at in longer than 2 minutes initially. There are many websites and blog posts about writing a good CV.
3. Sign up for e-mail alerts and mailing lists. Once you have your keywords you can update set e-mail alerts on general vacancy databases, like Indeed or Trovit. I used a daily e-mail notification and sorted the jobs on date of posting. I would only check those vacancies that are not older than 24 hours, so I wouldn't miss a thing.
4. Make a list of companies you are interested in. I knew I was interested in a very specific area. Luckily I came across an association for companies in my area, where more than 40 of them were listed, so I had my list ready. You can also make a list yourself. I'm sure you already know a handful of company names. Follow them on LinkedIn, and you will get similar company suggestions. Once you have your list you can systematically follow their vacancy section online. I grouped the companies in my list into 5 groups (one group for every weekday) and I checked the vacancies on a weekly basis. Some websites also had e-mail alert options, so obviously I subscribed for that.
5. Call before applying. If you find that perfect vacancy, and a phone number is mentioned, please call them before you apply for the position. Make sure you have some questions ready. Find out what kind of person they are looking for in more detail than what is written in the vacancy text, because those are often still very general. You could also ask about the team setting, work atmosphere, hierarchy, and job specific questions. Not just to find out for yourself, but also to show your enthusiasm. Whatever extra information you get, use it to your best advantage in your letter. Refer to the phone call at the start of your letter, mention the name of the person you spoke to, and the date. This will hopefully make them remember you, so they put your CV in the 'yay' folder instead of 'nay' directly.
6. Never put all your hopes in one application. Always have a plan B and C. And start looking for D. Because waiting sucks. And rejections suck even more. You will get rejections. Many. If you make sending one application every day or every alternate day your goal, you always have the next thing to look for, prepare for, read about, look into, apply for. And if you get a rejection you can easily say 'Oh well, their loss. I've got other options'.
7. Speak to recruiters. In the end I didn't get a job through any of the recruiters, but they have helped me get there. I am talking about recruiters recruiting in a specific field, by the way. You can find them online and at career events (I can certainly advise you to visit those). Every time you talk to a recruiter you have to explain what you are looking for, what your experience is and why you are motivated. Very general questions you know the answer to, but it's always good to practice telling someone else, because people quickly loose their interest when you start blabbering for too long. Good practise for job interviews, I would say. Besides that you can ask recruiters about how to make your CV more interesting, about similar jobs you could look into, about different ways to get where you want to be, about salary expectations, and many other things. Oh, all the advantages! But if you want recruiters to actually do something for you, you have to keep in touch with them. There are too many others looking for jobs, so if you are not on their radar they will forget about you.
8. Network. Not just to find jobs. There are many reasons why you would want to network like crazy. I have spoken to several recruiters, HR staff and managers, and they want to make sure that you as a candidate have the right picture of the job they are offering. So make sure you know what to expect. Talk to people who already have the job you'd want to have, know what skills are essential, know what the challenges are for this job and how you would deal with such situations. If you are lucky it might even be possible to join your new contact on the job for a day (or more), so you get an insiders perspective. It's called job shadowing, and is a great way to show you are determined and enthusiastic on your CV or to mention during job interviews.
9. Prepare well for interviews. Obviously. Make sure you have an example of every skill you need to have for the job. They will always want you to explain why you think you are good at team work, time management, finding resourceful solutions, etc. Everything you say should be backed up with an example. I am usually not great at digging my memory to come up with a brilliant example on the spot, so you better list your favourite moments and actions beforehand. Also prepare for question like "You are working as a [your job of interest] and [this work related problem] occurs. What would you do?" Also think about what you wear, what your body language tells about you, and sometimes take a few seconds to think about what to say, before you start blabbering and actually don't even answer their question. Once you are invited for a job interview it is more important to show enthusiasm than experience, because based on your CV and motivation letter they already decided to invite you. Your enthusiasm and determination is what is going to impress them and hire you.
10. Never give up and learn form your mistakes. There is no use in blaming yourself for writing a bad letter or screwing up at a job interview. People rarely land a job after their first application or interview. You will make mistakes, and you will learn from them. So when that perfect job comes around you will be ready for it. I once had two interviews in one week. I felt like I totally messed up the first time. I could tell from their reactions during the interview already. I made sure I didn't make the same mistakes the second interview, and look where I am now. Whatever happens, never give up!
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