Career-1:Five Ways that make your job search smarter

Five Ways that make your job search smarter

Bangalore: If you're having trouble finding a job, maybe it's time to refresh and restart your search strategy. Job hunting can be very stressful if you don't strike into the right resources and networks. Achieving your career goals requires an organized strategy and disciplined approach, and if you don't follow it, you can lose your time in finding the job that's right for you. Simply sitting around and just applying to listings are not going to bring you your desired job anymore. Then how will you make sure that your job search is smart enough to cut it for you? Below are five ways that will give you the answer.

1.Try to identify the target companies, not the positions

If you dream of working in a specific industry, don't wait for an opportunity to come on your way. Go ahead and identify a list of 5-10 target companies from the industry you are interested. After that approach them for an informational interview so that you can get to know about the employees at the company. If you can impress them, chances are there that they might recommend your name to an opening. Don't always hanker after the positions. Once you get in to your desired industry, you'll surely come across growth opportunities.

2.Build your network and reach out to them

Believe it or not, research shows that more than 60 percent of all jobs are found through networking. Networking is just about starting conversations with people you meet probably in the library, the gym or anywhere you go. It's an opportunity to talk with other professionals in a comfortable setting and thereby, drive your job search forward. Everyone you know or meet in any situation can be an opportunity to grow your network. If you have networks, reach out to them with a simple e-mail or a phone call.

3.Become active online

If you are looking for a job but still not stepping out of your comfort zone, it's better for you to be more active as there is no room for being passive in job search today. Social media platforms are the most useful tools to brand yourself as an expert professional. So create account in social media sites like LinkedIn if you don't have any and become active. You can also create a professional portfolio website in order to showcase your experience and accomplishments to potential employers.

4.Market yourself and sell your unique value point

Employers generally look for employees who have something unique in them. Find out what is the special trait that makes you unique from the rest of the crowd. While marketing yourself, always make your "unique value proposition" an integral part of your self-marketing plan. Whether you in a face-to-face interview or you are making your CV, always try to communicate your value and highlight how your skills can solve prospective employers' problems.

5.Strap up your creativity

Few years back smart job applicants used coloured papers to print their resumes in order to attract the employer's attention. But time has changed now. What employers look for today are those potential employees who know how to present things in a much more creative and attractive manner. You must go with the changing time and try new ways of presenting yourself. You can produce project portfolios or video resumes and showcase your candidacy in a much more creative and stronger way than others.