The three steps of a successful job search.
14 July 2011
Read by 1783 persons
Finding a job is not easy in a tense economic climate. To be effective, know that it is not the quantity of applications sent but their quality that will make the difference. Exploration, organization and preparation: these are the three key steps to succeed in aiming right and convincing.
1) Target your search
Before rushing to job boards, you need to take stock and think about your goals: what are my skills? What do I have to offer an employer? What are my weaknesses? What are my motivations? What type of job and company should I target? For what salary? Which geographical area?...
"You shouldn't spread yourself too thin but target what you're looking for and be able to explain it clearly," advises Fabrice Mazoir, editorial manager of Régions Jobs in Brittany. A recruiter receiving an application that doesn't match what they're looking for will eliminate it very quickly."
The same targeting effort is required when writing your CV and cover letter: "It's certainly not a matter of falsifying your profile to make it exactly match the job offer, but of personalizing it according to the position sought, highlighting the most relevant aspects and significant experiences."
Don't forget that the CV databases of many companies work with a keyword system: to find CVs, recruiters type terms related to the position into the CV database search engine. You should therefore think about these keywords and make them appear clearly in your CV and cover letter.
2) Get organized
Often neglected, organization is essential in a job search. It's about taking good notes on all the details of each position and each application: the company you applied to, for what position, what missions, on what date, what contacts you had with them, etc. "The reason is simple," explains Fabrice Mazoir, "if you ever receive an unexpected phone call from a recruiter interested in your profile and you no longer remember either the offer or when you responded to it, the interview may start badly."
Good organization also includes regularly updating your profile on job sites and using a specific email address to send your application and collect responses, with a simple presentation, such as "firstname.lastname@server.com". A way to better archive but also to better present yourself to employers. "It's frankly not serious to send an application by email from a personal address with a wacky title, it can immediately give a bad image of you."
3) Prepare yourself
Before any interview with a recruiter, you should prepare. You must collect as much information as possible about the position to be filled, the missions, the contact, the company's activity, its results, its market, its operation, its values... so as to show your seriousness and motivation during the interview. "You need to go to the company's website to find out about its news, its development strategy... everything that will allow you to demonstrate to the recruiter that you didn't come as a tourist but, on the contrary, that you have prepared for the interview," says Fabrice Mazoir.
Régis Delano
Vocatis.fr
Posted online July 14, 2011.
1) Target your search
Before rushing to job boards, you need to take stock and think about your goals: what are my skills? What do I have to offer an employer? What are my weaknesses? What are my motivations? What type of job and company should I target? For what salary? Which geographical area?...
"You shouldn't spread yourself too thin but target what you're looking for and be able to explain it clearly," advises Fabrice Mazoir, editorial manager of Régions Jobs in Brittany. A recruiter receiving an application that doesn't match what they're looking for will eliminate it very quickly."
The same targeting effort is required when writing your CV and cover letter: "It's certainly not a matter of falsifying your profile to make it exactly match the job offer, but of personalizing it according to the position sought, highlighting the most relevant aspects and significant experiences."
Don't forget that the CV databases of many companies work with a keyword system: to find CVs, recruiters type terms related to the position into the CV database search engine. You should therefore think about these keywords and make them appear clearly in your CV and cover letter.
2) Get organized
Often neglected, organization is essential in a job search. It's about taking good notes on all the details of each position and each application: the company you applied to, for what position, what missions, on what date, what contacts you had with them, etc. "The reason is simple," explains Fabrice Mazoir, "if you ever receive an unexpected phone call from a recruiter interested in your profile and you no longer remember either the offer or when you responded to it, the interview may start badly."
Good organization also includes regularly updating your profile on job sites and using a specific email address to send your application and collect responses, with a simple presentation, such as "firstname.lastname@server.com". A way to better archive but also to better present yourself to employers. "It's frankly not serious to send an application by email from a personal address with a wacky title, it can immediately give a bad image of you."
3) Prepare yourself
Before any interview with a recruiter, you should prepare. You must collect as much information as possible about the position to be filled, the missions, the contact, the company's activity, its results, its market, its operation, its values... so as to show your seriousness and motivation during the interview. "You need to go to the company's website to find out about its news, its development strategy... everything that will allow you to demonstrate to the recruiter that you didn't come as a tourist but, on the contrary, that you have prepared for the interview," says Fabrice Mazoir.
Régis Delano
Vocatis.fr
Posted online July 14, 2011.
