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Tips for job hunting in tight economic times
Job hunting during an economic downturn can sometimes be tough as there’s more competition in the labour market. To get ahead in the candidate race, here are some tips that may be able to help with your job hunt.
Tidy up your CV
A good starting point is getting your CV in tip-top order. Double check for any spelling or grammatical errors and get a friend to look over it to make sure it reads well and gives the employer a good impression of your achievements and experience to date.
Do your research
You will stand out if a company sees you’ve put some effort into finding out what they do, and you’ve tailored your CV and cover letter to reflect this. There are many ways to research a company before you apply for a job with them.
Visiting the company website is the best starting point, but you can also visit the actual business or speak to people that work in the job to get an idea of what sort of employees they are looking for and what they do.
Perfect your interviewing technique
Congratulations! You’ve got an interview. The next step is to think about what might be asked of you in the interview. Try and predict some of the questions an employer might ask and rehearse your answers to them. It’s also useful to prepare some questions that you’d like to ask the employer. Think about how you want to present yourself.
Ask a friend to do a mock interview with you so you can get used to the feeling of being asked questions and having to answer on the spot.
- Get more advice about how to prepare for a job interview
- Let's Thrive website - seven pointers to give you a great interview
- Guardian website - 10 lethal interview questions
- Guardian website - Body language in an interview
Look after yourself
Keep yourself fit and healthy. If you have a good sense of well-being both physically and emotionally, you’ll be able to handle the highs and lows of job hunting a whole lot better. You can do this by meeting up with your friends, sticking to a routine and keeping up your hobbies so that the job hunt and the disappointments it might entail don’t become all-consuming.
"I’ve found it difficult when people ask what my salary expectations are. I know what I’d like, but to be realistic the marketplace is not paying much at the moment, so it’s a case of being flexible. I say to them, ‘I’m negotiable, make me an offer’.
"You sometimes have to adjust your expectations."
Be adaptable
When times are tough, employers like people who can show a bit of initiative and adaptability. Sometimes this means you might have to compromise on something. For example, the employer might only be prepared to take you on part time when you were hoping to work a 40-hour week. Or maybe you are not offered the money you were hoping for.
Keeping an open mind and being prepared to be flexible might open doors further down the line so try to consider all options offered to you, and never say never.
Keep on top of your finances
If you are looking for work, chances are money is going to be a little tight. You will want to keep on top of your financial situation so you don’t have added stress. Work out a personal budget and try to stick to it. There are ways of keeping on top of your finances even when you don’t have a regular wage coming in, and there are organisations that can help you with this.
Browse the Sorted website for tools to help you get ahead with budgeting or if you’re really worried about things, book an appointment with your bank manager and go through some budgeting options with them.
Keep your ear to the ground
Quite often in life it isn’t what you know; it’s who you know. Alert friends, family and whānau that you’re job hunting and keep them in the loop about your progress. Ask people to check the intranet at work to see if there are any job vacancies advertised that you might be able to apply for. See every social situation as a possible way of hearing about your dream job or meeting someone that just might be able to help you with a contact.
Use the career tools that are available to you
Besides Career Services, there are lots of other agencies in New Zealand that can help you find a job. Career Services now links to a number of recruitment agencies and there are also other government and non-governmental charities in New Zealand that provide free employment advice and support.
Keep positive
The job-hunting process can sometimes be hard and after a while you might find your self-esteem slipping. It’s important to look after your emotions by keeping things in perspective and not taking things too personally. Be disciplined with yourself and try not to dwell on the negatives. See every challenge as a step that is taking you toward your goals. Good luck and kia kaha!
