Are you a fresh graduate, a student looking for an internship or just checking out for new challenges? It is your time now to catch the opportunities laying ahead of you. To kick-start your search, we have put together the ultimate checklist of what to do before applying for a job. These principles also apply to finding jobs in China
Do the Research
At first, you should start creating a list of companies that truly interest you and check out whether they are really a fit for your character. Moreover, go to their websites and check out their values. Can you identify yourself with them? You can also start writing a list of which kind of jobs and responsibilities you are interested in. Another important factor to filter your search is the location of the companies. Where do you want to work later on? Close to home? In another country? Make sure the companies you are interested in have locations there with the right department you wish to work in. This listing will keep your focus while applying later on and will prevent you from applying for that company your personality trails don’t fit.
Be Sure What You Can and Can not Do
You need to get into yourself and think about what your strengths and weaknesses are. Be honest with yourself about your qualifications and skills. If you lie to yourself, it will just slow down your job searching process and make you apply for jobs your skills are not a fit too. At first glance, a recruiter won’t take a lot of time to scan your application, so if you don’t fulfill the minimum required skills, they won’t take your application for further considerations and all your hard work of applying will be for nothing. Better make sure your skills fit the job requirements to not only give your prospective boss value but also make yourself happy with a job you can truly identify yourself with.
Update your Resume on a Regular Basis Job Search
We all know the struggle before applying for a job: Our resume hasn’t seen an update for several years. Always keep in mind, your resume is the key to your dream job, so keep it updated with your latest achievements and professional experiences. You will never know when you meet your future boss, so be sure it is always up to date. Furthermore, if you are thinking about applying in several countries it’s always of great advantage to prepare your resume in the language of the target country. This will even create proof of your language knowledge of the country and can create a more pleasant experience for your prospective employer by reading the resume in his/ her mother tongue.
Prepare a cover letter
For many people, cover letters are probably the most annoying part of an application; however, you should never skip it even when the job advertisement says it is optional. The letter can give your future boss or recruiter the first impression of your skills and motivation to get the job. Be careful! Don’t just write some mainstream phrases; this will indicate that you didn’t take the application seriously, which results in rejection even before you had an interview. Before starting your search, you should make a draft for a cover letter and adjust them later on according to the company you want to apply for and the job requirements.
Get references
References and recommendation letters are important application materials. You should ensure that you have them before applying for a job, in case your prospective boss is asking for them. References are always great for employers to get a first evaluation of your working skills, as well as social competencies, from a neutral person. That’s why you should always plan ahead and collect them during your whole career.
Update your LinkedIn profile
Nowadays social media is not only useful to stay in contact with friends far away but also a common method for employers and recruiters mining passive job seekers. Make sure to keep your professional profile up to date by adding all your latest information regarding knowledge, education, and skills. To increase your profile awareness, connect with your friends, former colleges, and employers there.
Clean up All Your Social Media Before Staring Job Search
Recruiters and employers are not only able to view your professional LinkedIn profile, but also your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Co. Take some time to assure private stuff stays private there so that your prospective boss doesn’t see your pictures of last year’s Halloween or Birthday Bash. If their first impression of you is an inappropriate picture on social media, chances are slim to get that interview invitation you deserve.
Do Some Mock Interviews
The best way in getting familiar and confident with talking about your own skills and achievements it practices. Meet up with your friends or family and let them interview you. Let them ask you some common questions like What are your strengths? What is your educational background? How could you create value for a company or team? Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? You can even talk to yourself in the car or shower. As more often you talk about yourself, the better you get and the easier it will be to sell yourself in a real interview.
Be the (good) gossip
Inform your friends, family, former colleagues, or study buddies! It’s not about asking them for a job but let them know that you are on the search. Sometimes they have great advice or even know people who are hiring. Getting recommended through contact is always the easiest way to get that interview invitation, where you can convince the decision-makers in person.
Of course, you don’t have to be in an active job search mode all the time but be sure your application materials are in place to save some stress if you really need them. Do you feel ready for your job hunt now? Or do you need some more guidance to write that perfect resume or cover letter? If so, check out our other articles to boost your hunting skills!
