More effective job hunting

I’ve decided I want to change my job, but, with the current economic climate and everything, I’m finding it really difficult. I’ve had a number of interviews but without success. What can you advise?

By Unicorn Jobs

I’m sorry to hear that – you must be very fed up. But don’t lose heart. Here are some pointers.

Firstly, it may be that you need to focus more – reject the scatter gun approach and remember a few good applications will have more success than tens of mediocre ones. Remember that success will very much depend on quality rather than quantity. Some people think if you apply for every job going in the world one will come up trumps. But a good job application takes time – which means those who adopt the blanket bomb approach to job applications aren’t submitting good applications, which is possibly why you’re sending off so many applications with no success.

So think very hard about what job it is that you’re looking for and what job you will be good at. Are you looking for a similar job to the one you currently have but with more money, or are you looking to change the area of PR you work in, or to switch from agency to in-house or vice versa? You need to make these decisions before you start your job search, and then hone in specifically on those jobs being advertised that fit the bill.

Be realistic at this stage – few people are going to enjoy huge salary leaps in the current economy, and if the industry you’re trying to move into is particularly struggling at the moment it might be worth waiting a few more months – if a PR job in a city bank is your dream job, you might have to wait a while before the ideal job becomes available.

Once you have focussed and picked out the few relevant jobs being advertised, how do you then make your application ‘good’?

Well, for a start, read the ad very carefully. Make sure that everything about your application addresses this advertisement. That means making a fresh copy of your CV and highlighting the skills and experience which this specific job requires. Your covering letter is crucial too. Concentrate on the list of requirements in the job ad and give practical examples of how you fit the bill. Think hard about what the employer is looking for and try to give it to them. A good job application should echo the job ad. This sounds obvious, but so many people don’t make the effort. Do your research about the company and let that show in the covering letter. They will be flattered – and impressed.

If you are hoping to move into a different area of PR you need to demonstrate how the skills you have picked up in your current job are transferable into a different part of the industry. If you are looking to move up the hierarchy and increase your salary you need to demonstrate why you are ready for such a move.

Remember too that not all jobs are advertised. As well as responding to job ads, think about companies or organisations that you would like to work for, do your research and apply direct – ‘on spec’. Find out who heads up the department you’d like to work in, or the name of the person who handles job applications and apply to them by name. Again, small details like that make a difference.

Finally, whenever you do get rejected, use this as an opportunity and drop the company a line or call and ask if they would mind giving you feedback. You’d be surprised that many companies are more than happy to do this and that way you can learn and – we hope – do better next time.

Adopting this approach to job hunting should mean you’re sending off less applications each week, but that you should get a better return.