Issue 11: Top tips for Job Hunting | Barry Walsh

Top tips for Job Hunting

Over ten years of job searching, 11 short-term contracts, approximately 135 interviews and being unemployed several times, I've acquired something of a knack for applying to jobs. Through this, I've developed several strategies that I have found helpful, and I hope others will find them useful too:

Ask yourself, "What am I best at?

Business graduates will be aware of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat Analysis (SWOT Analysis). Do an internal review of yourself to understand what you are best at and the areas you need to improve. It is also likely to indicate industries that you may thrive in or industries to avoid.

Create a spreadsheet of companies you'd like to work for.

If you want to work in business, download the 1000 top-performing companies in your country. Add in any smaller companies you like. Ask yourself, how much do you want to work there? Rate them; use a scale: some will be 5, some will be 1. Start researching and finding what they do and where they're based. By the end of this process, you will have a better idea of what areas you want to work in.

Leverage or grow your network

Create a LinkedIn page. Add family, friends, college contacts, previous colleagues etc. It's easier to get into a company through a referral. If any of your friends or families work there, see if they can refer you the next time the company is hiring.

Reach out to companies you like

Research potential companies and reach out to appropriate staff in your company's spreadsheet. Aim to speak to middle or lower leadership. Don't directly ask them for a job or send in your CV. Instead, ask for a 30-minute meeting to get advice on how best to move into their industry. You'd be surprised how many have been in your position and are happy to help.

Look at underrated recruitment websites

There are obvious starting points for recruitment websites such as LinkedIn, indeed.com, Irishjobs, jobs.ie, activelink.ie etc. However, don't forget about the associations of the industry you wish to enter. College careers pages or Twitter #jobfairy are underrated in this area. Newer organisations such as growremote.ie even advocate for remote working positions.

Use a traffic light system for jobs you're interested in

If you're interested in a job listing, copy, and paste the job description in Microsoft Word. For every bullet point on the job description, do the below:

• If you have a lot of experience/knowledge, highlight it in green.
• If you have some experience/knowledge, highlight it orange.
• If you have no experience/knowledge, highlight it in red.

If you have a lot of green/orange, apply for the job. When you've applied for the job, save the word doc. Then, if you get called for an interview, you can return to the job description and remind yourself of what you're good at.

Get a Job Coach

To start with, if you know any friends/family in recruitment or HR or if you know someone who is particularly good at English, spelling and grammar, ask them to help review your CV/Cover Letter. Then look into job coaching services. See if you can access free ones. They give you advice on your CV, Cover Letter and interview preparation. Support from a job coach gives you a far greater chance of getting a job.

Exercise

This is essential. Every day you should get out of the house. Go for a walk, go out jogging, go to the gym or pool, anything to get out of your own head for a while.

Keep in touch with the industry

Find relevant people on social media. Read, watch YouTube clips or listen to podcasts in your industry. Go to free online or in-person events. Stay as up-to-date as you can.

Avoid the "what you need to do is" brigade

You will face them, EVERY! SINGLE!! DAY!!! You will always meet people who will give you advice in an area of employment they may know nothing about. All the advice I can give is to smile and nod at these people - but listen to very little of it. You know what you can do best, not them.

Look at alternative or new types of employment.

9-5 Monday-Friday jobs are becoming more and more competitive. Look into alternative pathways to employment. Freelancing, the gig economy, retail shift work, part-time work, give grinds, start your own blog or start your own company (do as much research as possible before embarking on this). Try anything that will impress a potential recruiter in the future.

Watch out for Red Flags

When you're job-searching for a while, you'll begin to see some big red flags that will tell you not to apply to that company. Posting the same job often means they are either too picky or don't pay enough. If you see a position advertised regularly, they may just want your data; there is no job there. If you're concerned, watch out for buzzwords such as 'superstar', 'guru', 'wizard' etc. Ask friends or family or get on review websites such as Glassdoor to see what the company's staff think of the organisation. If you have concerns, it may not be the job for you.

Keep a record

In another spreadsheet, keep a detailed record of every meeting, event, and interview you attended and every application you put in. You'll begin to see what went well and what went wrong. It could show you areas where you probably shine. You can then work with your job coach to give you a better chance of being successful.

Barry Walsh

In March 2021, I created my website focusondiversity.ie to amplify diverse voices in Ireland that are being proactive in the area of Diversity and Inclusion. I also provide tips or advice for neurodiversity people or their families. The website features over 100 companies. I've written articles on neurodiversity, tips for job hunting, writing a CV/Cover Letter, etc. I'm driven to continue reaching as many neurodiverse people as possible so that others don't have to go through what I went through to get a job where they can thrive.

Extracts from Dystinct Magazine