Do you want to find a new job? Stick to the 4 rules!
Review job openings regularly and respond quickly
Every day, online job boards publish hundreds of job offers from all over the country. The portals allow for easy and quick selection of offers, m.in. in terms of location, industry, position level, knowledge of foreign languages and programs or form of employment. It is worth browsing specialized job portals, e.g. praca.pl, pracuj.pl or infopraca.pl, as well as the websites of employment agencies, district employment offices, local and national advertising websites, e.g. praca.gratka.pl, as well as multi-search engines that aggregate job offers from various websites. Job offers are also a source of knowledge about the current needs and requirements of employers. Thanks to this, you can prepare your application documents even better and take development activities to increase your chances of finding a job. Remember that an unlimited number of candidates have access to ads, so you need to act quickly and efficiently. So apply when you respond to the requirements in the advertisement in at least 80%. The sooner you match your application documents to the advertisement and send them to the employer, the better your chances of participating in the recruitment process.
Build a professional social media presence
Currently, social media, including GoldenLine and LinkedIn, which bring together both specialists from various industries and recruiters, play a key role in job search. Just setting up a profile on these sites increases the chances of finding a permanent job or participating in an interesting project. A profile on such a portal is a kind of CV, so it is worth taking the time to prepare your professional business card. The profile should include true information about the course of employment, the scope of previous duties, completed projects, professional successes, education, completed courses and training, level of foreign language skills or strengths. Thanks to social networks, you gain both access to interesting job offers and a chance that your profile will encourage the recruiter to invite you to participate in the recruitment process. Social networking sites can also be used to build your expert image. By joining professional groups and actively participating in discussions or expressing yourself on industry forums, you confirm your skills, competences and professional interests. If you run an industry blog, participate in business forums or comment on topics related to your industry, e.g. via Twitter, you can supplement your profile with links referring to these websites. It is also worth asking your previous employers, colleagues or business partners to give you references. This way, you can strengthen your credibility and build a professional image.
Make sure your friends know you’re looking for a job
According to the theory of six degrees of separation, each person is only six contacts away from any person in the world, which means that you are probably only six people away from your new employer. That is why networking is an important tool for job searching. Creating a business network of contacts is not so much about making new acquaintances, but above all about building trust and nurturing relationships, m.in. by selflessly maintaining contact, providing information or providing support. The idea of networking is particularly promoted at industry conferences, job fairs or social networks, which are conducive to the exchange of information and maintaining relationships. It is important that your friends know what you do, in what direction you want to develop and what you currently need to achieve your goals. Being aware of this, they will remember to inform you about the opportunities that arise in their environment. Thanks to networking, you can find out about a possible vacancy even before the information is made public, gain information about the working environment in a given organization or the requirements of employers. Many employers do not publish information about the vacancy at all. Instead, they look for candidates for a given position within their company or use networking in the hope of receiving a contact to a proven person from a trusted friend. Such a recommendation is of great value.
Create a list of dream employers and act
During the career development, our professional goals, interests, preferred directions of development and requirements for subsequent jobs crystallize. Knowing your needs and expectations, you can more consciously manage your professional development, look for a job more effectively and make choices consistent with your goals. A best practice is to make a list of the companies or industries you want to work in. Such a list strongly directs the job search process. The choice of potential employers should be justified, for example, by the possibility of development in a given area, the preferred organizational culture, or the prospects for the development of specific competences. Most companies have tabs on their websites with information about vacancies – it is worth visiting them regularly, because not all job offers go to job boards. Another effective method is the so-called spontaneous application through the company’s website in a situation where there is no information about current recruitment processes. It is important to remember to prepare your application documents properly. They should make it clear in which area you want to develop and on what basis you claim that you will prove yourself in a given role. It is also worth emphasizing in your CV the elements that can be appreciated in a given organization, e.g. due to the mission, vision and values promoted in it.
Doświadczony analityk rynku pracy, specjalizuje się w badaniach nad trendami zatrudnienia i zmianami w strukturze zawodowej. Jego artykuły, publikowane w renomowanych czasopismach branżowych, pomagają czytelnikom zrozumieć dynamikę rynku pracy.
