Hey. We know job searching can be tough – especially if you’re working full-time. The last thing you want to do after a full day of dealing with work tasks is to put in more effort after work. After you’ve tried everything from registering on every job portal, to applying to every job you see on Facebook, it’s exhausting to have to try to find creative ways to improve your job search. That’s why we’re giving you 3 easy tips that are so quick and simple, you can do them in your lunchbreak.
1. Use your lunchbreak to request informal interviews
You don’t need to wait around to be invited for a formal interview. If there is a company you’re interested in or industry you’d like to work in, put your feelers out. Email the company to ask if they would be willing to meet for an informal interview. Don’t go in with expectations of actually getting a job. If it does lead to you being offered a role, that’s amazing. Your main goal, however, is to get a foot in the door.
Prepare relevant and pointed questions, specifically around the things that draw you to the company or industry, and be prepared to answer questions about yourself in return. First prize for any company is finding people who are as passionate about their brand as they are. So even if it doesn’t initially lead to an offer, when a role does open up, you will already be at the top of their mind. Reach out and see what happens. The worst they can say is no.
2. Use your lunchbreak to prepare your pitch
Take some time to figure out how you want to market yourself. One of the easiest ways to do this is to figure out what makes you unique as a candidate. Map out your skills and experience and figure out the combinations that make you a stand-out candidate. You might have similar skills to another candidate, but no one has the exact combination of skills you do. No one has those skills with your particular experience.
Once you figure out what sets you apart, make sure that you prepare the most interesting and impressive highlights of your career. Did you successfully lead a big project with a large budget? Figure out how to add it to your pitch. Do you have unique extracurricular experiences that complement your professional skill set? Talk about it! Having a strong pitch is key to having a strong CV, winning cover letter, and interviewing well.
3. Use your lunchbreak to grow your skills
Is there a particular skill that would help you break into your ideal industry? Are there ways that you could take your current skills and expand on them. You don’t need to enrol yourself in a formal course to build your skills – although all accreditations help. What’s important is the knowledge that helps you complete tasks as accurately and efficiently as possible.
YouTube is an amazing resource for learning new skills fast. Find video tutorials on a skill you want to learn. And if you want to go more in depth but don’t necessarily have the money to sign up for a full certificate programme, find a free course! There are so many websites that present courses for free and offer the opportunity to pay for an optional formal accreditation at the end. Here are some of the most popular:
There are so many ways to work towards building your skillset, and taking a few minutes of your lunchbreak every day to work on it will help you grow yourself as a sought-after candidate.
Remember:
Sometimes it’s the small changes and pushes that lead to the biggest results. On a job search, it can feel like you’re putting in a heap of effort for no reward, but keep going. Any time spent growing your network, fine-tuning your sales pitch, and growing your skillset is time spent well.
You’ve got this!
