Endlessly scrolling over the internet. Looking for that one fantastic new job. After every Google search query I became more and more demotivated. ‘I will never find that job’, I told myself.
Everyday I googled for a specific job type, scrolling through job boards, hoping one day I was lucky. I never got any energy out of it, until the moment I found out that I used a wrong search method and that I hadn’t done my homework.
Today I would like to prevent you from making the same mistake. Here are 3 tips to stay motivated and have a good start.
1. Increase your self-knowledge
Do you know exactly what you are looking for and what job fits YOU? Are you aware of your personal skills and values? Knowing your strengths and energy-givers enables you to transfer this to others as well. The better you know yourself, the better you know which direction to go and the easier it is to explain your motivation in an application or job interview.
Do some self-searching and list your personal values, your skills, work goals and ambitions in life. Write down all activities you did in your past: your hobbies, your after school jobs, any voluntary work, internships, traineeships, first job. Look for any overlap in activities and rank them. Which activities gave energy? What do you find important in life, in a job and in an organization?
I hear you think: ‘do I really need to do this?’ It feels like a lot of work, but I assure you that it saves time and energy later on. This kind of self-analysis is the start of your new job search. It gives purpose and the right motivation.
2. Network
Some of us are natural networkers, others hate it. I was one of the haters. Although I am a sociable person, I don’t like the idea of talking to strangers and ‘selling’ myself. Until I realized that it has nothing to do with that. The goal of networking is to get information.
Once I finished my self-analysis, I wanted to verify if I was right. I thought of friends, relatives, family members and old classmates who have a job I might like or who are working in an organization that align with my values. I invited them for a coffee drink or dinner at my place. I asked them how a typical work day looks like, what kind of activities they did and why they liked the organization. I got so much information and at the same time I was having fun and catching up with an old friend.
In this way networking is fun! It might also encourage you to ask someone you don’t know the next time ;)
3. Brand yourself
When you know your strengths and ambitions, put it out there! Tell everyone you are looking for a job. Be visible online. Have you ever Googled yourself? Think of what you want others (read: new employers) to see. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Employers are using social media to find new employees more and more. In the Netherlands LinkedIn is widely used. Do you have a LinkedIn profile? Make sure it is up-to-date and mention your experiences and ambitions clearly. This is your digital business card. Especially the summary is an important field. It allows you to write about your personality and what you are looking for.
I had a lot of fun creating a resume that fits my personality. No plain document, but a well-structured, nice looking one. Your resume and cover letter are probably the first things a new employer sees of you. This is your first possibility to stand out. Make sure your education and experiences are well structured. Your resume needs to be scannable. Search the internet for a free CV template and pimp up your resume a bit.
Let the job find you!
After these tips, it is time to search for jobs. How about letting the job find you? The only thing you need to do is setting an e-mail alert of your search criteria at AcademicTransfer.com. Fill in your scientific field and the job type you are looking for on our homepage and click on the button e-mail alert. Leave your e-mail address and we will send you new jobs that fit your criteria automatically by e-mail.
Let’s have fun again!