For lots of people, “job hunting” is considered as one of their New Year resolutions. Regardless of the reason behind the need for a new job/employer, neither a satisfying result, i.e. finding a new job, nor the time frame needed to realize it are guaranteed.
Throughout the years, searching for a new job has been long process that is becoming more and more complicated. With the alarming unemployment rate, continuous economic and political turmoil, endless shutdown of companies, obvious reluctance of companies to hire, searching for a job is indeed a challenging process.
Since we defined the “Job Hunting” as process, it is mandatory to consider some dos and don’ts throughout our journey as to avoid the pitfalls and insure we are on the right track. Below are some “Job-Hunting Etiquette Tips” every job seeker needs to know and apply:
- Build a professional LinkedIn account: it is the era of social media. Having a well-structured LinkedIn profile (where your contact details are updated and easily available) is a must for every job seeker. Recruiters and Talent Acquisition managers are spending more time on such professional social medium to headhunt the most qualified candidates. Let your LinkedIn account promote your profile and encourage the recruiter to get in touch with you through a text message or phone call. Prompt reply to any message you receive on LinkedIn is highly appreciated. Remember: lots of people formulate New Year resolution and work hard to find a new job.
- Attend business events: knowing more people will help in enlarging your network and increasing the probability of getting hired. Attending networking events, business conferences, seminars, job fairs, etc. is essential for any job seeker in creating contacts and opening doors to potential hiring. Doing a follow up with the key people met at any business event is by far an effective tactic any job seeker is expected to do.
- Be well prepared: getting a decent offer straight after the very first interview a job seeker does is kind of a myth. Job Hunting is a long process accompanied with few successes and lots of bitterness. Be prepared to attend interviews with managers who did not prepare for the interview! Be prepared to attend several interviews at the same company and to feel that you are close enough to get hired; and then be prepared to not hearing back from anyone, not even to inform you that you were not shortlisted. Yes, be prepared and do not give up.
- Apply for a job that suits you: Looking for a job means looking and looking and then looking some more, here and there and everywhere: Company Websites, Online Recruitment Databases, Social Media Platforms, etc. However, it’s not a “must” that the job seeker applies for every single job opportunity they find! An example will clarify this idea: if a job seeker, with a BA degree and 5 years of experience, applies for 5 vacancies a day, all requiring a Master degree and a minimum of 10 years of experience, they will definitely not get any feedback! The process in this case was “sending CVs” and not “Job Hunting”. Golden rule for any job seeker: Search for “job vacancies” and apply for only the vacancy that matches your profile. Period.
I admit that talking about “Job Hunting Etiquette Tips” is way easier than applying it. Job seekers get frustrated after so much CV sharing, interviews, promises, feedback waiting, etc. However, violating any of the above tips will not lead to a rewarding outcome either. Having said so, Job Seekers are required first, to be patient and resilient and second, to be aware of what might harm their reputation and prohibit them from getting hired. Finding a new job is like undertaking a project; the above Etiquette tips are the guidelines to follow to successfully achieve it. Good luck!
by: Georgina Ibrahim
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