Job seeking is, no doubt, a stressful and time-consuming process. Whether you’re a new graduate or have been in your industry for years, if you’re job searching, the next goal is to find that next job that excites you, and secure it! The job market is constantly changing, and at a low unemployment rate, it is a job-seekers market. HR managers and employers are constantly in search of top talent because a good workforce directly contributes to improved competitive advantage. But due to high competition in the market, job seekers encounter challenging and frustrating situations during their application process, and even after a lot of effort, not everyone gets selected. 

A survey suggests that 75% of the job seeker resumes are rejected before getting past the applicant tracking system. Why? Because it doesn’t include the content that makes the candidate stand out. A major battle is the application process. It can be overwhelming, but we’re here to help you make your application process productive and successful.

Find Your Why 

Knowing your purpose in every aspect of your life is essential as it helps in living your life with integrity gives you a meaning. People who understand themselves, their needs, what they are, and their “why” live a life true to their primary values. Finding your why means to comprehend the reasons of what you are doing and why you are doing it. 

When you are looking for a job, make sure you know your motivation and why you are applying for a specific position. List down the companies you want to apply for and why you want to become a part of them. This will help you in your interview as recruiters and employers mostly select those candidates who know their motivation. Such as why they are applying for the specific position, why they want to work with them, etc. In some cases, the candidate’s passion and motivation are given utmost importance as it helps the recruiters choose the best-fit candidate.  

Here are six effective tips to help you be more productive during the entire application process. 

6 Job Application Tips 

1. Create A Plan And Stick To Your Goals

Time and again, you get to hear this phrase from motivational and political speakers that “make a plan and stick to it”. This tip is actually very helpful in the job searching process, too. Creating a plan will help you in prioritizing your tasks. 

When you set your time aside every day, you will be able to apply for the vacancies before the deadline expires. It will also hold you in being accountable to look for your desired job. Set a “To-do list” for each day and strive to complete all your job search-related tasks every day. This will help you to track your progress and tell you how productive you have been for the whole week.

When you have actionable goals like listing down potential companies, updating your resume, learning a new skill, or applying to 4-5 new companies, it will help you stay motivated and focused. When you don’t create a plan and practical goals, rather than being productive, you will spend most of the time in activities that won’t benefit you.  

Tip: set a timer every day that is dedicated to the job application process!

2. Tailor Your Resume

Another thing that you need to give importance to is tailor your resume to the particular job you are applying for. Most employers first ask for the resume to help choose the best candidates and bring them in for an interview. Most of the recruiters go through ten or more resumes every day, and it only takes them six seconds to decide which one to keep. 

Therefore, make sure your resume stands out in every possible way. Go through and observe the places where it is lacking and make sure it looks professional and is easy to read. If you want your resume to stand out more, take help from the people who are pro at it. 

Tip: don’t forget to add the keywords that are relevant to your field job. This will be immensely helpful while passing your resume through the applicant tracking system.

3. Utilize Contact Information

If you see the contact information mentioned in the job advertisement, utilize this opportunity to ask more about the job, responsibilities, and work. Never contact the person only to inquire about those things that are already mentioned in the given description – this will leave a bad impression. Once you have submitted your application, you can send a short message to the listed person and show your interest in the job. 

This will also highlight your profile in front of the recruiter and increase your chance of getting  through to the next step of the application process.

Tip: if possible, contact the listed person before you send the application. This will aid in getting useful information beforehand that will assist in improving your initial application. 

4. Create An Outstanding LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is one of the largest networking websites that is specifically designed for professionals to get connected with each other. This platform has a huge number of professionals and open doors for you to grab endless professional and career development opportunities. This platform will help you showcase your profile, build connections, gain exposure to hiring managers, and demonstrate your knowledge, expertise, and leadership abilities.

Work on making your profile look great. Invest your time and effort in completing your profile. It is better to avoid any glitches and loopholes in your LinkedIn profile so the recruiter can easily find you. Mention your skills, certification, and your former employment. This will help the recruiter to know more about you. Survey stats suggest that 60% of the job seekers are successful in finding jobs through networking. 

5. Keep Yourself Updated 

If you are looking for a high paying cool job, then work on making yourself better in every way possible. Furthermore, keep yourself up to date and read the latest trends in your field. Read about the potential organizations in your field, their achievements, recent projects, news, and current announcements that are making rounds in the media. Candidates who are well informed about the industry leave a good impression on the interviewer.

Your knowledge and skills will give you an edge over others. This will increase your chances of getting your desired job. Many job sites send job advertisements alerts. Take advantage of those sites and tools. Search websites, read blogs, and other articles to stay up to date. 

Tip: engage yourself in sharing your professional knowledge on various platforms, even on LinkedIn, as it will significantly contribute to your professional development and learning

6. Be Thorough

There is this misconception about job searching that it simply consists of sending resumes and emails to recruiters and just waiting for the response. That is not the case! Make sure that you thoroughly scrutinize your resume, create an error-free cover letter with professional tone and language. Mention the relevant details such as your key skills and abilities, and show your motivation through a cover letter.

Tip: double check and make sure each application goes to the correct company. Sounds basic, but mistakes happen!

Conclusion 

These amazing tips will help you in becoming an effective and productive job seeker and applicant. During your job search, make sure you utilize your social networks properly and let your friends and acquaintances know that you are on a job hunt.

Spend your time filling out the applications, networking, creating your application according to the job position, and on your learning. And staying productive during the process is important. It might be  tiring and frustrating, but implementing these tips will help in landing your next role!