A Day in the Life of a Job Seeker

Once you have made yourself as attractive as possible to potential employers, it’s time to get your face, name, profile, application or CV in front of them. This is probably harder than the actual job interview both emotionally and physically. The old adage is true here “treat looking for a job like a job”. If you want that dream job that doesn’t feel like a job you will have to take this seriously and invest in the process. Trust me though, the process works.

Many people hate the “job searching job” almost as much as they hate the job they want to escape from! The repetitive form filling, cold calling and rejection, what’s to like? If you’re not careful you can make yourself hate anything if you focus on the negatives long enough. Positive self-talk becomes so important at the beginning of the job search. Self-talk is simply the conversations we have in our heads every day. Almost every waking minute, we are talking to ourselves, usually without being fully aware of it and the consequences to our physical and emotional health.

What do you tell yourself when you think about beginning to make a move out of the professional rut you find yourself in?

•  “I might be unhappy here but at least I know what I’m getting, it might be worse somewhere else.”
•  “I have performed so badly in this role, why would anyone give me a chance?”
•  “There is so much competition in the job market, how will I ever find my dream job?”
• “I’m no good at interviews”
• “I’m too young/old/disabled/inexperienced/(insert false self-perceived barrier here)”

If you read nothing else I ever write, please read this:

“STOP TALKING TO YOURSELF LIKE THAT”

This is a massive subject worthy of its own blog but in a nutshell:

Negative self-talk leads to negative emotions, which results in negative internal and external effects (poor posture, body language, lack of energy, lack of self-confidence etc), which of course leads to poor performance that reinforces the negative self-talk.

Being unemployed or working in an unfulfilling job you hate can be a lonely place. Your confidence is likely to be low and you plough through the day on autopilot. However, done properly, the job search can energise you with a sense of purpose and vitality.

The following is my thoughts on doing the job search job properly. Even if you are employed full time, I would advise you to take a Thursday and Friday off to go through this process.

Get up early every day around the time you would if you had your ideal job. Get dressed as you would if you were going into that ideal job, eat breakfast and go attack your first proper day on the job search job!

I recommend the following in an order that suits you best:

• 8:30-10:00 On-line job boards, LinkedIn and job search related emails.

A lot of job seekers don’t really look past this step, it is important but it should only be the start of your job searching day. Spend the first hour registering and searching the larger job sites. Most will ask you to upload your CV, which you should have sparkling after last week’s post!

Once registered, narrow down your search to the ideal roles and industry you are interested in. Do not waste your time looking for just any job. The purpose of today is to get an interview for your ideal job with your dream employer.

Save the roles you want to apply for so you can go back at the end of your search and apply. Take your time over the applications and make sure you tick the boxes asked. The key to applications is in making sure it’s easy for the shortlisting panel to see how you meet the essential and desirable criteria. For example, if the job asks for “3 years’ experience in a customer facing role”, make sure your application form and/or CV clearly shows this. In this example, I would highlight the starting and finishing dates of each position, followed by the time spent in months and then, under ‘duties and responsibilities’ make sure the words “customer facing position involving …” frame the entry.

This is also the time to join online communities connected with your ideal profession. If your dream is to work in HR, join the CIPD, if its engineering, join CIWEM or Institute of Water etc. Membership of specific industry bodies will give you access to job advertisements in your chosen sector that you might not find anywhere else. 

Spend 10-20 minutes on LinkedIn before you leave the house. Check the job adverts which LinkedIn has helpfully sorted for you. Read down the newsfeed, commenting and interacting with other members where you can and taking part in group discussions. It all helps raise your profile and increases the chances of getting that interview!

Finally, check your inbox. If you’ve received an invite to interview; reply and accept. If you’ve been rejected; reply to thank the employer for letting you know and ask if they could give you any feedback on where you fell short.

• 10:00-12:30 Hit the Town

First stop, the local library where you will print out a couple of dozen copies of your CV. Next, find recruitment agencies which specialise in the area you’re interested in. Recruitment has become a massive business over the past 10-15 years. A recruiter matches staff to employers and takes a percentage of your starting salary from the employer if they give you the job.

Recruiters are (or should be) driven, professional and competent sales people. You are the product they want to sell and it costs you nothing! Why not have them do part of the work for you? They will have a 20-30-minute conversation with you to get an understanding of your background and skills, take your CV then get to work finding you the perfect role.

• 12:30-13:30 Lunch

Job hunting can be lonely. Find a friend, family member old school/university acquaintance or even one of one of your new LinkedIn connections and enjoy a nice lunch. It’s important to take time to relax and just be yourself with someone who knows you.

•  13:30-16:30 The Cold Calls

OK, so you read the heading and thought you’d either call it a day or extend lunch with your new LinkedIn friend. NO! This is job, take it seriously!

I was working with a client over the summer who owned a very high-end restaurant chain. She explained how they had finance and premises for an expansion but staff were the limiting factor. The owner told me how they used to get 10-15 people a weekend coming in off the street to hand in their CV and enquire about work, now they’d be lucky to get one. No matter what the sector, employers will appreciate you showing an interest in their business specifically.

Look around the city or town you’ve found yourself in and pick out the companies you would really love to work for. Call in, ask to speak to the sales/finance/HR/operations manager, depending on the area you are interested in. If they won’t see you or they’re not available, don’t take it personally; smile, leave your CV and ask if you could make a 5-minute appointment for next week.

If they come down to see you, smile, shake hands and give them a very quick elevator pitch: “Good afternoon Mr Smith and thank you for taking time to see me. I’m sure you’re busy and I’ll not take up any of your time but I’ve wanted to work in (job role) with a company like this one my whole life. Here is my CV, would you be able to give me any idea if you plan to hire in that area?”

I know employers in hospitality, car sales, marketing and web development who would usually give a trial to someone who showed initiative, passion and drive to approach them in this way. Even if nothing comes from the attempt, that manager will recruit eventually and if you come in front of him, your enthusiasm and interest will be remembered.

•  16:30 – 22:30 Stop

Go home, to the gym, park, bar, or wherever you go when your time is your own. You worked hard today, put yourself out there and did your best. Time to call it a day and switch off. This is a job but it’s no more or less important than that. You need time to spend with your friends, family or recharge on your own because tomorrow your back at work!

If you would like any specific guidance on your job search or even where you should be searching, please get in touch with us www.2000weeks.co.uk

Thank you