When searching for a new job, how do you decide which ones to apply for? Do you spend hours sending your resume for every position you see advertised, or would you rather focus on jobs and companies that are a good fit for your skills, experience, and personality?
What type of company do you want to work for?
Do you enjoy being part of a smaller team, or a large organization? You can often get a feel for company culture on their website, and even from a well-written job advert. If you enjoy working with a team but the ad talks about working autonomously, and only checking in once in a while, will that work for you – and will it work for them?
Our search feature gives you scope to use more keywords, so you can find matches in the areas that are most important to you. If you’re looking for a strong team, go ahead and add “team” to your search! Want to work for a national or global business? Add that too!
Is the job title clear?
These days, one job can be called many different things. What some call a software developer, others may call a chief software engineer, and it’s worth searching for different titles. Often, candidates have transferrable skills that can make them a great fit for jobs they hadn’t even considered before.
What are your core skills, and which skills do you want to develop?
If you’re an excellent manager but want to work on your budgeting skills, it’s worth seeing if those match with advertised jobs too. Many companies will be happy to hire someone who knows their strengths and eareas for improvement, and is committed to learning and achieving more.
How do you describe yourself?
Are you extremely well-organized with precise attention to detail? Do you take a strategic approach to problem-solving? Do you have excellent technical skills? Think about the projects that bring you the most compliments, and which you have enjoyed the most. What made you so good at those tasks, and can you use them to describe who you are to a potential employer?
Once again, recruiters often talk about these traits in their job descriptions, so it can be useful to search for characteristics that you’d like to highlight.
All The Details
Remember to refine your search for type of job that will work for you. Are you looking for full-time or part time? Office based, home based, or hybrid? Is there a city you want to stay in, or are you open to relocating? Do you want a long-term contract or something just for now?
When you get specific, you’ll find far more jobs that match you and what you’re looking for, without having to wade through hundreds of “nice but not quite right” options. You can also save time and make your job search far more efficient when you avoid sending your resume to jobs that you don’t really want, or that don’t meet your requirements.
You’ll have more time to get your cover letter and resume right for those jobs that match you well, and make the entire process far more effective and enjoyable.
