avatarDenys Opria

Summary

The article outlines three critical pitfalls to avoid during a job search to secure a well-paid position at a top company: inadequate preparation, selecting the wrong job or field, and lacking confidence.

Abstract

The job search process is fraught with challenges, requiring more than just a good resume and interview skills. The article emphasizes that 80% of job seekers fail to adequately prepare, which includes crafting a professional CV with a suitable photo, clear work experience, and accessible contact information, as well as honing soft skills for interviews. It also highlights the importance of choosing the right job and field, which may involve researching current market demands and considering personal interests and long-term goals. The article argues that confidence is key in interviews and meetings, suggesting that appearing confident can be as important as actual skills. By mastering preparation, making informed job choices, and exuding confidence, candidates can distinguish themselves from the majority of job seekers.

Opinions

  • Preparation is crucial: A well-prepared CV and readiness for interviews significantly increase the chances of job search success.
  • The job search is not a passive process: Actively researching and considering various fields and positions is necessary to find the right fit.
  • Soft skills and communication are highly valued: Employers look for candidates with strong interpersonal skills, which can be improved through reading or watching educational content.
  • Appearance matters: Professional attire and grooming can positively influence interview outcomes.
  • Confidence trumps perfection: Employers prefer confident candidates over those who may have better skills but lack self-assurance.
  • Past experience can be an asset: Even if unrelated to the new field, previous management or leadership roles can be beneficial when transitioning careers.
  • Self-presentation is key: "Faking it till you make it" in terms of confidence can lead to actual improvements in self-assurance over time.

Job Search | Money | Jobs

3 Things That Can Ruin Your Job Search

Avoid them to get a well-paid job at a top company.

Photo by Jenni Jones on Unsplash

Job search is a stressful process. You need to create a CV — your resume. Apply to dozen companies. Then pass a crazy amount of online and live interviews. And, in the end, this does not guarantee a well-paid job.

Finding the right job is not easy. Many smart people and excellent experts have trouble searching for jobs. It requires certain skills and knowledge that are not taught in school.

During the search, it’s important to avoid traps that await you along the way. I will tell you in this article about the most dangerous of them.

#1 Leaving Preparation to the Will of God

80% of candidates do it. They just don’t know that they can affect the result. They sincerely believe — all the will of God. These candidates only hope and wait for a perfect job to come.

But a perfect job doesn’t come by itself. You need to work hard to get it.

There are important things to prepare in advance to succeed in the job search. For example:

CV

CV is the first thing anyone will look at. A good CV increases your chances to get a job. A bad one will bury these chances. Every part of the CV is important.

You need to have a professional photo, preferably in the suit. The photo your girlfriend took with her cell phone isn’t good enough. The photo has to show your serious intentions and thoughtful approach.

Your work experience and education should be well organized with bullet points. It should be easy to skim the resume and get the main points:

  • What education do you have?
  • Where did your work previously?
  • What were your responsibilities there?

Your contacts should be on the top, separated from other parts of the CV. It should be easy to find them in the first seconds after opening the file.

Calls and interviews

The following stage is live communication with the HR specialist. At this stage, HR will test your soft skills. It’s nice to be prepared.

Your soft skill is basically your communication skills. So boosting them increases your chances of getting the desired job. To do that you may read some books about communication and teamwork. If you don’t like reading, spend 30 minutes on YouTube watching videos on the topic.

At a live interview, your appearance would play a great role. There is even research about it. The better you look — the more chances you have.

This point is not about being super pretty like DiCaprio or Brad Pitt. It’s about being clean and tidy. Your haircut should look good, not like you just get up from the bed. Your clothes should be clean and fit the same look. The suit isn’t mandatory, but it looks better than shorts and slippers.

Result of preparation

If you work in advance to increase your chance to get a job — you are better than 80% of candidates. They underestimate how important the small things are. Put in the extra effort, and the employer will appreciate it.

#2 Pick the Wrong Position or Field

It’s hard to find a perfect position.

This is mostly about lack of information. You don’t know what you don’t know. If you’ve never heard about that exact opportunity — you don’t know about that opportunity. It’s OK, we are all people. We don’t know a lot of things.

The best idea would be to research current job opportunities.

  • What fields are most popular in 2022?
  • What specialists market demands?
  • What jobs are paid the best?
  • What do I want to do for a long period of time?

The last question is the most important. You pick not the exact position, now you pick the sphere of interest. You can change position inside the same field. But it’s hard to switch between different fields.

For example: in the IT-sphere you can easily switch from QA engineer to developer or from software engineer to project manager. But it’s pretty complex to become a developer if you previously baked cakes for 20 years. It’s possible but hard to achieve.

On the other hand, the above should not be a reason not to try.

If you know that you like the IT field and want to get a big salary, you should go for it. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to enter the new field. All you need is a desire and pass a couple of online courses.

In the new field, you gonna learn a lot in the short term. Even if the first job wouldn’t be perfect the next one will be better. You can grow by changing companies and positions.

The key at the start is to understand the inner kitchen. How does the thing work, and what is interesting for you?

Only your desire and motivation matter on the start. You can learn how to do a good job later in the process.

Your previous experience does not limit you vice versa increases your potential. Trust me, if you managed a team of 50 people in the media field — you can easily manage 5 persons in the IT field.

#3 Mumbling in the Dark Corner

Only confident people win.

As a child, I knew how to play the guitar beautifully. I knew all the notes, but I sang softly. So, no one asked me to sing again.

There was a friend of mine, who knew only 3 chords, sang out of notes, but there were crowds of girls around him. He sang loudly and confidently, although he missed chords. I did everything right, but I mumbled.

Confidence — good, uncertainty — bad.

Everyone can mumble. Only a few can speak clearly, even if they are worried.

There is a trick to sound confident. You don’t really need more than to seem. Fake it till you make it.

Force your body to behave confidently. Let yourself tremble inside and want to cry. But you must speak and look confidently. Then, only over time, the brain will adjust to the body. Will get used to it.

It is super important at all live interviews and meetings. Your confidence is the key to a good impression. Comparing two similar candidates, the HR specialist will pick the more confident one, even if that one has worse hard skills.

Final Thoughts

The key to your well-paid job is these 3 elements: preparation, right position choice, and confidence. If you master them — you will be better than 80% of other candidates.

So do it and get your dream job!

P.S. If you liked this thing, follow me and clap a couple of times. Good luck!

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