Besides skills, knowledge, credentials and experience, getting the job you want requires planning, strategy, organization and commitment to your future. Yet, there are so much available positions, that it can be overwhelming, even sometimes frustrating.

You will need patience, effort, and time to find those positions or roles that interest you. It will be a challenge, but the good news is with perseverance, success will come.

IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS
Before you start job hunting, identify why you need that job. Explore your experience, values, skills, and accomplishments that help you determine which opportunities to focus on.

RESEARCH
If you found a job offer, read it carefully, take notes, highlight the keywords. Search the organization’s website, read about what they do, dig deeper into their values, mission, and vision to understand how the culture works.

PLANNING
Organize a job search action plan that includes how you are going to look for job opportunities, how much time you are going to invest every day, what your preferences are in terms of organizations or industries, establish a routine.

CURRICULUM VITAE AND COVER LETTER
Adapt your resume and cover letter to the job you are applying for, locate the keywords in the job description, they give you a clue about what would be the ideal candidate they are looking for.

Both documents need to be short, concise, and clear, easy to read for the ATS system and the hiring manager. You must pay attention to details like grammar, fonts, and formatting. (See our blog: Write a resume to be one step closer to getting your dream job)

GET CONNECTED ONLINE
Sign up on those companies, groups, associations that cover topics that interest you, become an active member of a community that matters to you. That can help you figure out events, job opportunities, professional advice, or volunteering. Get involved and let people know you are job hunting.

NETWORKING
In a study made by Job Seeker Nation Survey, they found that 50% of job seekers heard about job opportunities from their friends, while 37% say they also find out about jobs on professional networks.

Develop contacts: friends, family, university alumni, people in associations. Contact everyone you know, by phone, by mail, post content related to your field and comment on topics that interest you.

USE JOB ALERTS
Large and small businesses post thousands of new jobs on job sites every day. Create a job alert and receive a list so you can access opportunities aligned with your preferences and skills, saving you precious search time.

GET REFERENCE
It is important to have a list of references, including name, company, contact details and job titles ready. Recruiters will ask for them. Make sure you have their consent before using those people as a reference. They need to know in advance that the contact of the organization you are applying for work will call them.

FOLLOW UP
It’s good to send a thank-you message after every job interview. If you do not receive an answer after the interview, you can send a message by email asking questions about the company or the job, which you may have forgotten to do during the interview. You keep in contact with the person who interviewed you and continue to show interest in the company.

IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS
Learn industry-relevant technologies, be more prepared, make sure that you are a good fit for the position you are looking for. By improving your skills, you have more employment opportunities. Keep your resume and cover letter up to date.

KEEP A RECORD
Keeping track of your job search progress will help you determine which strategies are working and identify things that need improvement.

Include the documents you submitted as part of your application, keep the resume and cover letter on file, take notes about your interview, add the contact information of the person in charge of the recruitment process and the date you applied and had the interview.

BE PROACTIVE
You could write a proposal to an organization that interests you, demonstrating how you or your idea could help them achieve their goals. If you cannot find an existing organization, start your own. Show your capabilities.

PREPARE FOR INTERVIEWS
A successful job search leads to an interview. Prepare yourself, look for examples of questions, practice a lot because practice is the key to a successful interview. Keep eye contact and interest. Use your hands to exhibit open body language.

We advise you to craft your answer using the STAR method:

• Situation: Explain the challenge you faced
• Task: Describe your role
• Action: Explain the steps you took in the situation
• Result: Describe what your action led to

You must apply as soon as possible, put yourself in the employer’s place and their needs, obstacles, and limitations, but overall, be professional in all your communications with the employer.

Behind every job search, there is a series of No followed by a Yes, but keep in mind that a “No” takes you one step closer to finding the desired job. Keep a positive attitude to make your search successful.