5 Key pointers on how to manage your job search – practically and emotionally

Before analysing your application strategy for vacancies – it only works efficiently if you are confident your CV is of the right level and is good enough to get you interviews and interest from the vacancies your SHOULD be getting response for.

A great CV is the starting point for everything!

However, of course, after following the CV tips I put out yesterday and previously this is now in place! ??

The following is a brief guide to how to manage your application process in order to be as effective and motivated as possible.

The key message that runs through it is to “Focus on the things that you CAN control not the things you CAN’T”.

1) What you should apply for any what you shouldn’t apply for?

There are bound to be loads of clients and recruiters out there that may shoot me for this, but I am trying to look at this from an applicant’s perspective.

Apply for anything YOU feel meets the requirement of YOUR next role in term of type of role, sector, salary, and location.

Don’t waste YOUR time by applying for roles you hand on heart really don’t want.

But equally DON’T WORRY about what the recipients thoughts are on your suitability.

As I’ve said before the volume of CVs is the recipients problem like yours – and to be fair should be viewed as a nice problem to have – so don’t second guess your suitability, you never know there might be something in your CV they spot and really like.

2) Should I write a covering letter/email?

Yes! – but only as long as it’s a bespoke covering letter to that specific role – and expands on why this role is of particular interest to you.

For example

- If your last role was of a higher level but you are happy to look at a slightly lower level role, take time to explain why you have applied.

- If the area is slightly different to where you are located on your CV as you are relocating, then explain this.

- If the role is exceptionally closely related to your immediate background and as a result you are particularly keen then you have nothing to lose by highlighting this.

Do not, however

• Send out a waffled, standard covering letter you send with every CV – It defeats the purpose. I have a couple of candidates who send out the same covering letter to me for each role they apply for, however different, so it was apparent this was far from bespoke or personalised to the roles.
• Send out a generic covering letter saying what great experience you have, but without relating it to the role – If you are going to sell yourself a little bit extra then remember you are not just selling your “features” but also trying to hone in to the reader on what the “benefits” could be of pursuing your application.

As a rule only take time to put together a covering letter/email if it is bespoke and adds value or further information specific to the role other that what’s already on your CV.

3) Keep a track of your applications

I speak to a lot of candidates who are applying for a number of roles and who don’t record the applications they have applied for previously - generally it ends up with having no idea on which jobs they have applied for, on which job boards or even with any employer.

To be really slick and time effective on your job search you really have to keep track of what you are doing – Think about it from a sales perspective, you wouldn’t approach a volume of prospects without tracking your progress or who you have already followed up on – otherwise you would be continually wasting time duplicating activity.

This is the same as a candidate – You are the excellent product they need to buy – and these are your prospects.

Track closing dates, jobs you have applied for, responses back from them, first interviews, 2nd interviews and your follow ups.

This way you will avoid having a muddled job search where you can’t remember how many roles you have applied for, if you have applied before or even if you have had a response – duplicating applications or constantly reading through adverts to see if you have already applied is a waste of your time that could be best placed elsewhere and easily avoided.

It also allows you to keep track of following up on the roles you are particularly interested in.

4) How to handle response (or lack of response) to your applications – practically and emotionally

This is really important to keep your motivation up during times when you are sending out your CVs for a number of roles.

If you are looking for a new role whilst not in one – undoubtedly it’s more likely that you are going to be sending out a number of CVs to different roles – a lot more than if you were already in a role and being more selective.

This is fine – It’s only natural and advisable that IF YOU CAN – you demonstrate some flexibility whether it be location, salary, level or role or even industry sector.

That said you HAVE to manage your levels of expectation and therefore disappointment with levels of responses.

Here’s the first thing to accept – You will not get responses back from everyone you apply to (although I’ve seen a lot of coverage by candidates on LinkedIN about this).

The facts are whether this is right or wrong you cannot control or influence this.

What you CAN control is how you deal with this and not allow it to bring you down on your job search.

My recommendation is that whilst “Keeping track your applications” roughly grade your applications into 3 areas.

Grade 1 – Roles which are greatly aligned to your experience and background

These should be the roles which are a no brainer for companies to respond back to you on.

• Follow up on these roles after application
• Where possible push for feedback – If you are from a like for like background a request for more detailed feedback if not selected is reasonable and may give you an insight to what you can tweak for stronger roles.
• It is right to be disappointed with these if you are not hearing back and it’s likely that if you are not, then re-reviewing your CV or potentially adding a covering letter may help

Grade 2 – Roles which have connections to your background

Roles which you have some relevant experience but perhaps not a fully aligned background to the role.

i.e. it’s a step up or step down from the level of your last role, perhaps you are slightly out in terms of location, it’s a similar product but different route to market, the same market but different product area (i.e. you have been mainly Food wholesale and this is non-food wholesale).

There’s every reason to apply for these roles and in some circumstances you may be one of the stronger applicants based on the cross over areas between your experience and the role.

However, there is also a possibility that the “gap” areas could be the dealbreaker/key ones for the client.

• Still follow up on these roles
• Where possible try to get feedback to clarify why your background was just outside of the hiring manager’s needs (just to ensure they haven’t overlooked something)
• Don’t be too disappointed if the reason is only because they have more aligned candidate.

Grade 3 – Roles which are a way outside of your immediate experience and background

For these roles, completely look at these as a bonus if you receive response from them or interviews.

The fact is, it’s a competitive market at the moment with a lot of CVs on the market.

I completely get that transferrable skills are important and real – by not responding back companies are often not suggesting you cannot do the job it’s purely that companies can only select a limited amount of candidates for interview and more than often it is likely they will gravitate towards candidates with more recent and aligned experience.

Is this frustrating? - Massively

Can you influence it and control it? – Not really

Do not take any non response from these as a personal reflection on yourself or your CV – it probably really isn’t – and is likely to purely be that the hiring company (or recruiter) has more directly experience candidates.

As a result, you are better off just considering anything that comes from these as a “bonus” and not beating yourself up too much about.

5) Put set times aside to focus on your job search but also to do other things

I can’t stress how important this is but also how tough I know this is for some people.

I speak to candidates who due to fear of not working, are constantly on job boards at all hours of the day, reading adverts the very moment they are alerted and responding straight away, in an ad-hoc fashion.

Unless there is a specific closing date for a role – it really can wait for a few hours or until the next day for you to apply – I can 100% tell you from working in recruitment and with clients for almost 20 years – that being quickest to apply generally holds little weight at all and that it’s strength of CV and experience that gets interest.

Therefore, you don’t have to worry about being first off the mark – Instead put dedicated time aside which is dedicated to your job search – where you focus for a period on looking at job boards, applying for roles following up (as mentioned earlier), seeking out recruitment companies specific to your skill set and even keeping your content on LinkedIN fluid.

Outside of this turn off laptop and alerts at certain times – just stay alert to any phone calls or emails from potential employers – and try to take time out to do the things you enjoy, whether this be the gym, time with family, anything that takes your focus for a while off job searching.

Take a day off or the weekend from job searching if you can – if the role is there on Saturday it is almost certainly going to be there on Monday morning.

Maybe there is something you haven’t had chance to do whilst working full time – where this is the chance to do it – don’t feel guilty about this, it’s positive, completely within your control and gives you a sense of achieving something and that feel good factor.

Looking for work whilst not in work can be really stressful, uncertain and draining and this will reflect on the quality of your focus on times you have dedicated towards your job search and even verbal conversations and interviews you have off the back off them.

You want to come across as positive, buoyant and fresh to new employers.