Land A Job in 10 Application Attempts

Please, do not read this article if you:

• don't believe on-line applications work
• are tired of sending CVs for jobs
• do not believe this article will help
• do not have confidence in your skills and abilities

If you want to land a good job with your next 10 applications, then ride with me and ensure you complete all exercises at the end of each paragraph.

1. FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT

This is the most important stage in landing your dream job. At this point, you need to identify the field(s) where you have the highest competitive advantage.

Did I hear someone say "I want a Federal Government job?"

Did someone say "I want any job?"

Nah! This is totally unacceptable. ANY job is no job.

The following questions can help you narrow down on the job you want:

• What skills do you possess? Can you sell? Can you teach? Can you repair simple machines? Can you sew? etc.
  If you find it hard to say one or two things you can do, then you may need to acquire a new skill
• Where do you want to be in the next 4 - 6 years? What kind of training and experience do you need to get there? In which organization or setting can you acquire these skills?
• What is your priority now - money or skill?

Your ability to define what you want is essential in our 10 applications for a job ride.

2. FIRE UP YOUR CV AND COVER LETTER

If you are a fan of one CV fits all, then this ride is not for you. You must modify your CV to fit each position you are applying for; as each job has its own peculiarities.

Do not be too lazy or weak to modify and fine tune your CV as this is the first impression  recruiters get.

IN OUR NEXT SERIES, YOU SHALL BE PROVIDE YOU WITH SEVERAL CV FORMATS FOR DIFFERENT JOB TYPES AND LEVELS.

3. APPLY FOR THE RIGHT JOBS

Applying for 50 jobs you are not qualified for daily does not increase your chances of hitting a job. Ensure you read the description and requirements end-to-end before applying.

Also, avoid the following pitfalls.

• Copying (Cc) several recruiters in an email
• Forwarding an email you've sent to another recruiter. Please use a fresh email for each position, we do not need to see your application history.
• Using an existing cover letter without modifying the position being applied for and other details
• Omitting a simple introduction (cover letter) in your email and leaving the default signature e.g "sent from Samsung Mobile" or "Sent from Blackberry". You may argue that this does not matter but when a recruiter needs to take a decision between two people, one with only "Sent from Samsung Mobile" and the other a nice cover, the recruiter will obviously feel that the latter really needs the job and may be more committed too.
• Copying and pasting your CV in the body of the email unless otherwise stated.
• Don't Bcc a recruiter
• Forgetting jobs you have applied for! It's bad when you are called up and it seems you can't remember a thing about the position applied for.

This is Part 1 of our 10 applications for a job series. In our Part 2, we will be making available several CV formats for download.

You must secure that job soon.