Job Search Techniques - Sandbox Advisors

The COVID19 pandemic has led to an economic slowdown and the closure, hopefully temporarily, of many businesses. Numerous people have entered an already flat labour market and are seeking either permanent or temporary jobs. One area to focus on for the latter are where extra people are needed in coping with the effects of the pandemic, areas such as delivery drivers for the increased demand for food and other commodities, temperature screening, stocking supermarket shelfs, ancillary health services assistants, etc. Search these out.

Otherwise, use the extra available time to reflect on your future career. What is it that you want to work at for the immediate foreseeable future? What type of job(s) or career would you be passionate about? What type of job(s) or career will bring you job satisfaction and fulfilment, and therefore will perform well in? You may as well use this downtime to decide on a job that will make you happy!

Then have an honest look at your resume and at your skills-set. Take the time to upgrade your resume and have a separate version focused on the different type of jobs you are interested in. A generic resume rarely gets past the screening process, so work out what the key requirements are for each position you are interested in and make sure those keywords are prominent in the first half of the first page of your resume.

You should also do this for your LinkedIn profile - though your LinkedIn profile needs to be aimed at a wider audience than any of the versions of your resume. Google how to improve your LinkedIn profile and update it.

In relation to your skills, list ALL of the skills you have (those developed outside of work as well). Go through this list and mark those that you are good at. Then, from your list of skills that you are good at, mark those that you enjoy doing. These are your strengths - the skills that you are both good at and enjoy doing.

It is an interesting exercise to reflect on your strengths and see if there is a job that would facilitate you using as many of these as possible. When you work using your strengths, you not only perform well, but your job energises you and you feel satisfied and fulfilled.

Also, from your strengths list - using the words and phrases you used to describe your strengths, write a paragraph about yourself - this is a Strengths Profile. Incorporating this into both your resume’s ”Summary” or ”Professional Profile” and into the ”About” section of your LinkedIn profile will really add impact to both.

Then do a gap analysis between what you currently have in terms of QSE’s (qualifications, skills and experience) and those required for your target jobs. Identify those QSE’s you need to acquire or need to improve or update, and take action to do so!

Taking these steps now will leave you well placed when the labour market begins to recover.

In most cases, people have business cards to help them connect with new clients or partners.

However, a business card can also be useful when you are looking for a job.

Here’s some advantages of carrying a business card during your job search and a few tips as well.

1)Cards Can Beat Resumes

Resumes may have the benefit of having more information about your skills and experience, but a business card has the advantage of communicating information in an immediate and aesthetically pleasing manner.

Additionally, cards help cut down on the bulk of carrying around a heavy stack of resumes.

Cards can fit basically anywhere, whether it be a pocket, suitcase, or wallet, making it easy for both you, and the people you give them to, to carry around.

2) People Will Remember You

Unless you have a very memorable set of skills, people are more likely to remember your face before they remember your resume, name or background.

A business card makes it easier for people to recall more about you.

To really ensure people remember you, think about possibly placing a small portrait of yourself on your business card.

3) Networking Is Easier

When networking with people, everyone tends to prefer business cards to simple phone numbers.

Also when people give you their card it’s natural for you to hand one over in return.

If you want to ensure you don’t miss out on a potentially stellar connection, you need to have an easy to hand off business card on you at all times.

Types of Business Cards for Job Seekers

Generally speaking, there exist two kinds of business cards you can create: resume cards and personal business cards.

Resume Cards

Also referred to as “mini-resume” cards, a resume card functions as a smaller and streamlined version of your regular resume.

For those who worry about cutting their resume down to one page, this proposition can seem like a nightmare.

However, if done correctly, a resume card is a great way to impress future employers.

For a successful resume card, you should include the following:

Contact Details

A Photograph

List of Key Jobs/Education and Key Achievements from Your Current/Past Positions

Easier to carry than a resume, and certainly more visually attractive, a resume card is perfect to give out to individuals you specifically talk about future job positions with.

job search singapore - mini resume — Image courtesy https://jobmob.co.il

Personal Business Cards

A personal business card, on the other hand, looks more like a regular business card. It avoids mentioning that you’re looking for the job and also avoids providing details of previous employers.

Overall, this sort of card should simply aspire to represent how you see yourself as a professional.

Here are a few of the key things you could include on a successful personal business card:

Current Job Title or Profession
A few words about yourself
Your Website/LinkedIn Profile/Other Social Network Handles
A Photograph or Logo
Contact Details

Tag: Job Search Techniques

Job Searching during the Pandemic Lockdown

Advantages of using business cards during your job search