When it comes to job hunting, many things are left unsaid. In the minds of many, it is always an ideal scenario – brush up your CV, apply for a job, go for the interviews, and land your dream job. However, more often than not, this scenario cannot be farther from the truth. It’s almost always difficult to land the perfect new job. And with the flood of people applying for online jobs, the chances can only get slimmer.
It takes an average of six+ months to get the perfect job. There is usually a long waiting time because most available positions receive a sea of applicants. And this is especially true for jobs that are advertised online. There are countless pieces of advice on how to get the perfect job – the internet is replete with them. But despite all these tips and hints, there are still so many things that people fail to talk about. To help many job seekers, I have decided to share some secrets in the hiring process that HR won’t spill. I hope you use this information to gain an edge over the competition.
Five Things That No One Tells You About Searching for Jobs Online
The following tips about searching for jobs online aren’t so well-publicized. If you digest and use them appropriately, they could go a long way towards helping you secure attractive job offers. So, without further ado, let’s consider five things that no one tells you about searching for jobs online.
- The job you’ve applied for may already have a suitable candidate
If you are applying to a job online that a large brand has posted, the chances are that the Hiring Manager already has a few candidates for that position. He’s just executing the company’s HR process. I’ll let you in on an inside scoop: the art of hiring people to fill in certain positions is not transparent. When a company does post a vacant position and advertise for applicants online, they may already have someone they want to fill in the position. In other words, the advertisement was only placed to “fulfill all righteousness.” Yes, let that stick! Most hiring managers post jobs simply to go through the motion!
When you don’t hear back from a hiring manager, it is not necessarily because you do not meet the requirements. It could be that behind the scenes, that job may have been given to someone else in the first place – usually a friend, a friend’s friend, a current employee – the list is endless. This scenery is usually the case for executive and management positions. Even when you attend interviews for certain positions, the hiring managers may merely be following formalities in order to justify the candidate they want to bring in.
I’ll let you in on a secret: if you want to nail your dream job in time, you need to up your networking game! An excellent way to start would be by updating your LinkedIn profile. Double down on your networking now, and you’ll be glad you did!
- Networking doesn’t happen at events
Another thing you should know is that networking doesn’t happen at events – most of the time. In fact, 99 percent of networking events are only a waste of time. This is true because most people hardly know what it means to network at events or attend such events with the wrong mindset. If you want to build a strong network, you need to do much more than attending different events and meeting important people. Networking happens when you deliberately build strategic relationships.
It is important to note that attending cocktail events or business receptions at least once a month is not a bad idea – if you have the right mindset and know-how to network. You have to be intentional and deliberate when you meet people at events. Learn to stay in touch with people you meet. It would do you no good to appear out of nowhere and start narrating the story of how you met them at a cocktail party some two years ago and that you “kind of” need their help now. Duh.
To network the proper way, drop a mail to say “Hello” a night or two after meeting someone who made an impression on you at an event. Briefly remind them how they met you and that you would like to connect with them. This remarkable move can help you solidify your bond with almost anyone, even if you don’t meet them again after a long time.
- The most rewarding jobs are not usually posted online
Have you ever heard about the hidden job market? The hidden job market refers to jobs that are not publicly listed online, on job boards, or elsewhere. To land one of the jobs in the hidden job market, you must find it first. But how can you land a job you cannot find? Well, the only way to access and land these types of jobs is through networking, referrals, or by having the hiring manager reach out to you directly.
That said, your dream job may never be posted online. So, if you think companies usually post their most rewarding jobs online, then you’re making a huge mistake. Who dishes out their most rewarding jobs to people they hardly know? Not many people! The same is true for most companies that need people to fill in super essential roles in their organization. More often than not, high rewarding jobs are shelled out to people that the hiring manager or company knows or someone with a reputation for handling such jobs.
So, while a company does not post their most rewarding jobs online, they develop them specifically for a candidate – and that could be you!
- The job posting has a lot of requirements that may not be required to succeed in the actual job
It is the experiences you have that matter most to hiring managers. This tip is one of the job search truth that most job seekers don’t know about. More often than not, most job-seekers are more qualified than they think. Note that while people may focus solely on degrees or past job titles, what matters the most are the qualifications that reside inside of you. Most job ads send many job seekers reeling back in terror at the requirements stated – the job ads are simply delusional. A typical j0b seeker will read these requirements and think, “How in the hell do they expect a job seeker to have such qualifications?”
Well, the truth is that you do not need to have all of the listed qualifications to succeed at that job; most hiring managers know that. So, the good news is that a job-seeker can confidently apply for a job if they possess about fifty percent of the requirements listed in the job advertisement. Make yourself meet most requirements by focusing on getting experience. You can quickly gather the necessary experiences and land your dream job by applying for internships, volunteering, etc. The skills that you learn is the requirement that matters the most.
- Your CV is the most important element of the job application after connecting with the hiring manager
After you connect with the hiring manager, your CV becomes the most critical factor determining if you’ll get the job. Your CV is the first and perhaps only direct communication with a potential employer. So, your CV should paint a perfect picture in as few words as possible. It should tell them about your professional history, achievement, abilities, and skills. In summary, it should highlight why you’re the best fit for the job in question. My advice to you? Make a great impression with your CV and boost your chances of getting your dream job!
Final Thoughts
So that’s it – five hard truths that no one tells you about searching for jobs online! Follow the suggestions and land your dream job in less than no time!
