Top 15 Things to Know When Searching For a Job

Top 15 Things to Know When Searching For a Job

Searching for a job is one of the biggest nightmares many people don’t pray to find themselves in.

However, some people still find themselves in this situation even after expressing fears of having to do this for a prolonged time.

This raises a lot of questions in the mind of the job seeker like, “Is there something I need to do that I have not done?” “Where do I go from here?” And many other similar questions.

This is what this article will tackle with some valid reasons that could be the cause of this situation.

So below are some of the important things you need to know when searching for a job:

Top 15 Things to Know When Searching For a Job

1. Passion

This is one of the things you have to consider when searching for a job. This is important because your passion should determine the kind of job you should do.

By this, we mean what you have interest in doing. This should be a priority to you.

Sometimes, job seekers are tempted to seek for a job in an industry where they have little or no passion for.

This could be counterproductive in the long run due to the fact that this is not what you would like to work if you are given an opportunity to decide.

So, put your passion under consideration and ensure that no matter how long it takes, you will definitely get what you want hopefully.

If you apply for a job in an industry where you don’t have any passion, you may not enjoy that job for long.

2. Hours needed

This is also too important to be ignored. Every organization has its own modus operandi, and the number of hours that employees work is one of the main things that make up their mode of operation.

So, it is important that you have this at the back of your mind while searching for a job.

You might want to apply for a job in an organization but it will be damning for you not to make enquiry to know what it looks like working in that organization in terms of hours needed.

This should be one of the things you will need to research about while seeking for a job in an organization.

Again, don’t allow desperation to becloud your sense of judgment.

You don’t take up a job simply because you need a job urgently, you need to consider your health status and ensure that your body can carry the weight and stress of working in that organization.

3. Office culture

By this we mean the average working condition in the office or workplace.

The culture of the organization you are seeking employment from is also important if you must consider searching for a job there.

Though you may not have a complete knowledge of the culture of the office you want to work, but you have to research to learn about it.

In every organization, there are daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly routines that are binding on every staff of the organization.

In some hospitals, all the staff members pray every morning. In such a case, if you are not the religious type, you may not fancy working there.

So, you cannot afford to sweep this under the carpet because it might hunt you in the future if you end up getting that job in that organization.

Ask questions and consider the organizational culture of where you are looking to work as one of the details of the job which you need to agree to if you must cope.

4. Benefits

What are the benefits you hope to derive while searching for a job? Benefits could be individualistic and as such we cannot generalize what benefits you can enjoy in an organization.

Consider the benefits you want to get in a job before applying for it in any organization.

Benefits are important in a job as that is what drives most employees to do an excellent job.

When the benefits are minimal, the desire to do better might be on the decline for most employees and you may not be different if you find yourself in an organization without much benefits accrued to employees.

The benefits go beyond salary. Apart from salaries, there are incentives which come on different timeframes depending on the organization.

Some organizations give leave at intervals, some give additional stipends, some all paid trainings and travels, etc. these incentives go a long way to arouse the interest of employees.

So consider it while searching for that job.

5. Growth opportunities

There are organizations that might not be interested in your career growth or what happens to your personal life.

So, you need to ask yourself if you would like to work in an organization that doesn’t have your career growth at heart.

That question is something you have to ask yourself while searching for a job.

It is an outright no if you have the intention of developing your career to a higher level in the future.

If you have such intention, then you should not consider a job where you have little or no time for yourself to work on your career.

So, while searching for a job, consider the hours of work you need to put in and also try to know if there are special programs geared towards improving the employees occasionally.

If there is none, then you have to consider other options.

6. Organization history/background

The credibility of an organization matters a lot. The credibility is the image or legacy they have set over the years, be it negative or positive.

You have to factor this in in your search for a job. The background of the organization should matter to you.

There are organizations that have better legacy and name than others.

One of the legacies could be timeliness of payment to employees in the organization.

Some organizations can owe for months while some pay even days before the end of the month.

So, if you cannot endure battling with delayed salaries and incentives, you should bypass organizations that are known to default in the payment of salaries as at when due.

Also, consider how social such organizations are for the sake of prestige.

7. Clean up any social media mess

This is a serious matter. Sometimes, people don’t know that their social media activities could be a hindrance to them getting their dream jobs.

On several occasions we have seen top ranking officials losing their jobs because of some careless social media activities.

Job recruiters today usually demand for your social media profiles (username) on your social media platforms or handles so they can check them out.

The essence of this is to ensure that you are not a bad influence on the social media so that they don’t lose patronage because of you.

Many organizations are mindful of their employees’ behavior online and wouldn’t hesitate to wield the axe when an employee is found guilty of engaging in social media activities that go against the ethics of the organization, or activities that could ward off potential clients.

8. Excellent resume

When searching for a job, your resume is the first thing your potential employer will look at before venturing further into knowing you more.

A lot of people fail at this stage because their resumes are not good enough to warrant them getting to the next stage of the hiring process.

It is not a bad idea for you to go online to find good ways of writing your resume, taking cognizance of what needs to be found in your resume and what should be avoided while writing and submitting your resume.

This could be helpful to you in your job search.

Employers are attracted first by your resume since they might not know who you are on a personal note.

It is the impression you create with your resume that could determine whether you could be contacted for interview or not.

Again, go and work on your resume if it is not great yet.

9. Improve your choice of words

The choice of words you use in your resume could be a pointer to your potential employer on whether or not you are suitable for the job that you are applying for.

You need to sound professional and up to date with customer friendly languages.

You need to be careful of the words you use on people you meet in the interview hall or in the workplace; it can affect your chances of gaining employment with an organization.

You need to understand that your interview starts basically from the gate of the organization you are looking to secure a job from.

When you enter through the gates, greet the security personnel there and do likewise with anyone you see in a polite manner with your body language aligning with your greeting.

Rudeness cannot get you that job.

10. Focus on your accomplishments

These could appear in two ways, stating your achievements clearly without ambiguity in your resume and also making a reference to them in an interview.

It is your achievements that could compel your potential employer to consider giving you the job.

Most employers would not entertain a resume that does not include your strengths and achievements over the years in the same or similar job.

They would like to see your strengths and achievements and from there make up their minds if you are suited for the job.

Also, when you are asked why you should be considered for the job as most recruiters would ask, ensure that your achievements are the major reference you should make.

This could make a strong case for you, especially if your achievements could be verified.

11. Patience is needed

Some job seekers make the mistake of trying to contact their potential employers who have promised to get back to them.

This is a sign of impatience in most cases. Though sometimes some employers could be forgetful but don’t be tempted to get in touch unless you are permitted to do so.

You could lose the job even before you gain it if impatience is sighted as one of your major weaknesses.

As you know, some organizations would not hire someone known to be impatient.

It could be catastrophic and unbeneficial to the organization.

So, if you are told by your recruiter to wait, please try and wait.

Don’t be tempted to break processes simply because you are in a hurry; that could spell a bad end for you in the whole job searching process.

12. Be open-minded

To a great extent, your level of improvement depends on how open minded you can be, especially when you are being corrected by someone who knows better than you.

Honestly, you need to gain some knowledge from the expertise of other people to actually do well.

Being an open-minded person means that you do not take offense when you are corrected by someone else.

This is important if you will gain the favor of other people in the organization where you desire to work.

Some corrections might come in the form of criticisms, so you need to get the main point of the criticism and try to improve yourself.

This is necessary while searching for a job and even when you get it.

13. Your dressing matters a lot

This should be quite obvious. It is necessary that you dress corporately when searching for a job.

This is one of the factors your potential employer may consider before deciding whether or not to give you that job.

If you are not good in this aspect, then finding a job could be a fruitless effort.

When knotting your tie, ensure that the tip touches your belt. This is the right way to knot your tie.

Also, ensure that the color of your tie does not negate the general color code you are wearing. This matters a lot.

Also, ensure that the belt you are wearing has the same color as your shoes.

It is wrong to have a belt with a different color from the shoes.

Learn how to knot a tie.

When you are on corporate dressing, your bare legs are not supposed to be seen.

Your dressing should present you as a smart person.

14. Consider the competitiveness of the industry

There are usually more competitions for the small jobs because most people can qualify for them.

It is important to note that a lot of people might be chasing the job that you want, and that means you will have to compete for the job.

Beating your opponents for a job is all down to what you know, which could be verified through your strengths and achievements, which are stated clearly in your resume.

You have to be the best in order to beat the best in the industry.

So, work on building your knowledge of the industry to have an edge over others and increase your chances of gaining the job that you desire.

15. Your skills

You have to consider the skills you have. Your skills should match the job you want to have.

It will be bad on your side to possess skills different from what your job description demand.

So, look into this and make the necessary adjustment.

There are skills peculiar to some industries while we also have general skills.

First is to possess the skills peculiar to your industry and then boosting them with the general skills.

Your skills are probably the most important aspect of your resume accompanied by your past accomplishments.

There is no way you can convince a potential employer to give you a chance if you are not able to bring your skills to the fore.

Conclusion

Having the necessary skills and certifications may still not be enough to land you that dream job that you want.

There are other things you need to know when searching for a job, to increase your chances of getting it.