Top tips to jumpstart your 2020 job hunting

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Happy New Year everyone! With the start of 2020 I know some of you are also starting new things. Some might even look for new jobs. And if you're looking for one right now you are in the right place because this blog post will discuss about tips on job hunting.

Let's jump right into it.

Before looking for a new job:

DO NOT leave your current job if you have not found a new one yet. But in my own experience I needed to resign from my previous job because it did not give me the urgency to find a new one. It only made me procrastinate more. But that's just me. Seriously, if you are planning to leave your job before finding your next one make sure you have enough savings that you can use when you're already unemployed.

Now onto the job hunting:

1. When looking for job roles to apply for always check if all the job requirements match with your experience and skills. Don't just click the apply button and wonder why you have not heard from the companies you applied to.

2. Check if your expected salary matches with the job you're applying for. Don't apply for a 10K job if your expected salary is 20-30K. Don't waste your time. That's common sense.

3. Know more about your possible company.

- You need to know more about the company you're applying to. One of the most effective ways is to check their website so you’ll be get important information about the company.

- Go to job portals and look for reviews on your target companies. Check the reviews made by current and previous employees about the company. This is a helpful tool because it saves you time from applying to toxic and bad companies. Although some portal have this, always do additional research from other sources. Ask employees personally and use Pinoyexchange to find work-related threads that are still active and are useful for your job hunting.

Important note: There is no perfect company. There will always be pressure, toxic workmates, office politics and many other things that would make your job difficult. Also, company reviews are not that accurate. But at least you can use these as well as other guidelines you have in choosing your next company.

Here are some of the factors I use in my job-hunting:

1. The company's culture aligns with mine

2. Work-life balance is practiced

3. Professional and personal growth is highly encouraged

4. Proximity from where I live

5. Work schedule is fixed

Note that you can easily check if the company meets your guidelines through their website and company reviews.

Preparing for the interview:

1. When you're invited for a face-to-face interview make sure that you know how to get to the company's address. Prepare ahead of time so you can have an idea of the travel time and arrive early for your interview.

2. Once you hit that apply button familiarize yourself with the job responsibilities. Make sure you can explain how you can meet and execute those expectations once you get the job. This will be very important during the interview. Do some additional research about the company. And while you're at it include latest news about the company, important people from the company, and the company's recent social media posts.

3. The internet is full of resources that would help you prepare for the job interview. Make sure you provide personalized answers to questions.

4. Always be prepared and be honest. With the information available online such as the possible interview questions, one can easily come up with answers that would focus on pleasing the interviewer. This can be a slippery slope because you can always lie yourself into a job but in the long run there will always be consequences.

During the interview:

1. Be professional but also be yourself.

2. Make eye contact and be mindful of your gestures - these speak louder than words.

3. After the interview you can send a thank you email to the person who interviewed you. Whether they reply or not it's important that you make them know of how grateful you are for the opportunity.

Additional Tips:

• Look for a job that you love doing. Although nowadays it's a luxury to work for something you are passionate about, you can always start a side project you have been wanting to do. Make time for things you enjoy and love. Who knows that side project you have would become your source of income?
• Don't get all too occupied with your job that you forget to live a life.
• When the rejection email comes move on and look for another job. There will always be opportunities for those searching. If there aren’t any then make one.
• Always be learning and growing.

Here’s to hoping 2020 will be a year of opportunities and career growth!