Define the Focus of Your Job Search Before You Get Started(!)

The podcast version is available at the bottom.

A big mistake many job seekers make is to actively search for open positions without having developed a clear focus for it first. This mistake usually renders the resulting job applications unsuccessful. In this case, even carefully crafted applications often receive no reply at all. Tragically, those applicants affected are rarely aware of this cause and keep wasting more and more energy on activities that are destined to fail.

In this context, you need to know that in most cases a vacant position is filled with the candidate whose personal characteristics match the job profile best. Here, it is often the small differences compared to the other (suitable) candidates that decide on acceptance or rejection. Therefore, if you do not pay enough attention to the small but unique advantages of your current profile of professional skills and experiences in your search for suitable positions and their representation in your job applications, you risk constant defeat even if you are perfectly qualified.

So, do not get busy applying for jobs whose description seem to match your professional background at large, throwing a random selection of past work experiences at the other side, but start with identifying the most important relevant special features, large AND small, that are likely to distinguish your profile from others beyond the required basic skill set. With those insights in mind, you can then specifically search and apply for open positions where your unique profile will stand out from the other applications. Of course, not only your application documents but also any other communication with the hiring company must consistently focus on those highlights that make the difference.

Following this approach will not only save you a lot of time by significantly reducing the number of unsuccessful applications. It also increases your chances of getting offered good jobs more frequently because the offers correspond better with your experience and interests.

? So, for example, don’t just look for open positions for logistics clerks.

? Based on your personal profile, you should specifically look for jobs that involve not only logistics but also aspects of Eastern European business, the specifics of the food industry, and advanced SAP user skills.

Of course, you can pursue different types of jobs at the same time. That’s not a problem at all but in such a case, you need to define a specific focus for each of them separately and tailor your application strategies and materials accordingly.

The article above is an abbreviated version of a brand-new section on the page The best job search: Smart, not hard! on my website.

Send your job search and applications on the road to success

Stay tuned for my further explanations and practical tips on the matter here every week.

If you would like to hear from me more often, subscribe to my email service by simply sending an empty email message to:

[email protected]

And if you can't wait to read on, visit my Toolbox for Job Seekers with Ambitious Goals right away and discover all the secrets still today.

For personal support, please go to this page or contact me directly.

Podcast version