How to improve chances of landing a job

Here are some tips that will ensure you have every chance of landing the job you apply for.

Understand the requirements of the job

Make sure you understand the full requirements of the job and the skills that are expected of you and then make a character reference of yourself. This will allow you to put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer/s. If your skills do not match up well with requirements of the job then it is probably wise not to apply for that particular role because there will be someone else that has better qualities for this particular role.

Be selective in your approach to job hunting

One big mistake job hunters do is to apply for jobs almost at random. They have the impression that applying for as many jobs as you possibly can will eventually result in you landing a job. This is the wrong attitude to take because it is both inefficient and not likely to get you the job you are really after.

It is much better to be selective in your approach to job hunting and carefully analyse the requirements of the job first.

Once you have determined that a job is the right one for you because you have the necessary requirements, you have to make sure you learn all about the company from the perspective of what they do and how it is that you would be able to help them in your role.

Networking

Today, networking is incredibly important to land your dream job because a candidate for a job that has either been recommended or has had a referral in some way will have a far greater advantage of landing a job than those who simply apply for a job the traditional way of going through the formalities of the process of applying for a job.

Often firms use a computer to weed out candidates. Even though one would assume a someone would take the time to go through every application that has been made to filter our out candidates with better prospect from those who have less chance, unfortunately, many firms that get hundreds or even thousands of applications for a job won't have the time to manually go through each one.

Candidates that have been referred (recommended) get preferential treatment by those judging the applicants. Theoretically, perhaps also from a practical point of view, having candidates that have been recommended in some way tells the company that the candidate already has some credentials as potential employee of the firm and will be able to contribute to its success.

There are lots of different techniques for networking. Many people take the opportunity to network at every opportune moment. If you are internet savvy, you should also use various sites to add to your contacts.

Before job interview

Some job interview tips:

• Analyse your self – what can you offer to them that will make an impression on the interviewers/s and take notice.

• It might make sense to call the company before your interview (if you have been invited for one) to find out a few things about the organization. This can be really good way to make an impression and will get the message across of your keenness.

• Say something impressive to leave a lasting impression – too often there is almost a monotonous nature to job interviews where everything seems planned in advance. By being different you will set yourself apart form the rest. We are not talking about trying to impress them by making remarks that are irrelevant to the job you are being interviewed for, but something that will impress them as long as it is relevant. It is very important to ingrain something in the minds of the job interviewers.

• On the day of the interview, make sure you are polite and interact well with the receptionist. Many organizations, without your knowledge of course, would use the receptionist to gauge the type of character you are and the initial impression you make on them. Of course, not all organizations will do this but some will. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing, so it is highly advisable that you treat the receptionist, if you come across one as your first point chance to impress.