When you’ve been job hunting for a while with no success, you might find yourself in a bit of a rut. It can be disheartening to not receive any job offers after having made countless applications and attended many interviews, but it is also important to analyze your situation. There may be points in your job application process that you can improve on. If you don’t know where to start, below are some pointers you can follow. With these five tips, you’ll be sure to land those Manila jobs you’re applying for.
Improve Your Interview Preparations
Take a moment to review how you’ve been responding to interview questions. Have you been stuttering or struggling to answer some of the questions? If yes, then take note of the questions that you struggle with. Prepare answers beforehand and practice saying them with confidence to family or friends. You can also do additional research and practice questions you haven’t been asked before to cover all your bases.
And whether you’re doing your job interviews online or face-to-face, you shouldn’t forget to look presentable and wear business-appropriate clothes. Paying attention to these details will show your professionalism and readiness for the interview.
Customize Your Resume Per Job Application
When you’re applying for a job, you should try to match your resume to its qualifications and requirements. Using the right keywords and phrases can help your application stand out, especially when recruiters use software to filter through the resumes they receive. And you should strive to do this for every job you apply for, even if it means taking out achievements and experiences that aren’t related to the role. This is especially true if you’re changing industries.
For example, if you used to be an engineer but are now pursuing a career in medicine, don’t include your work experience as an engineer. Instead, write down your NMAT score, if you were a topnotcher for your batch, and any other rewards and achievements you received while you were in medical school.
Widen Your Job Search
If you’re not having any luck with finding work in a certain industry, try expanding your job search to positions in a somewhat unrelated field. An example of this is when you’re an accountant looking to work for a different company. If there aren’t many openings for accountant jobs, you can try to search for work as a finance writer instead.
Branching out to a different industry could prove to be a positive experience. It allows you to explore a new career path, which you may like even better than your previous one. If you would like to go back to it later on, you can choose a career that will still give you skills you can transfer if you still want to go back to your previous industry.
Use Your Network and Connections
Many people have shared success stories of finding jobs through their friends, previous colleagues, and even old employers they’re close with. Your connections could have openings in their current companies or know of vacancies that may be suited for you. And since these people already have an idea of your work ethic, they can successfully recommend you for the job.
These connections are also a great support system you can rely on, as they may have had the same or similar experience. They can give you tips on refining your job application process or simply listen to your concerns.
Gain New Skills and Certifications
There is a possibility that you have been getting rejected because you lack the right qualifications. If you are keen to secure a certain role, then it may be worth investing more effort into getting it. Consider doing internships or freelance work to build up your experience, or go back to school to receive the necessary training.
Internships and Freelance Work
Internships are a great way to gain experience and get your foot into a company. If you start with a company through an internship and produce excellent outputs, there is a chance you’ll be offered a full-time position.
However, some internships are unpaid, so you might prefer to work freelance if you want to gain skills while earning money. Most industries will have some jobs you can do as a freelancer, like being an assistant, writer, designer, and more. These opportunities will give you the experience you need and can hone your skills into something more suited for the full-time role you’re applying for.
Certifications and Schooling
Going back to school or attending classes to get certifications is a good way to prove that you have the skills or knowledge needed for a job. For example, if you want to be a foreign language translator or interpreter, attend foreign language classes. You can also get certification once you’ve passed a language proficiency test. Combining training with work experience also shows employers that you are skilled, knowledgeable, and passionate about the job you’re applying for. They’re likely to appreciate the effort and commitment you have put into pursuing this career path, which improves your chance of success.
Everyone struggles with the job application process, and sometimes, the whole thing can be discouraging. But to keep going, you need to find ways to improve yourself so you can be marketable to future employers. Take a break to recover from the rejections and think about how you can do better. And when you’re feeling better emotionally and physically, you can start applying for jobs again.
