Ten 'Success-filled' habits Job Seekers MUST have for 2020 and beyond!

by S. Jeffery

Ah! A new year! New beginning! 2020 is here and picking up speed! Time is moving fast friends: many of us made vows to ourselves that this year would a better year for prosperity, and for some of us we hope that our circumstances will change and we'll finally be able to receive the job we've prayed for.
The reality is that we live in an extremely competitive job market and while we wish there were more jobs, the truth is that employment prospects are few compared to the number of qualified persons hunting for them. So now I'm sure you're asking me...what do you do? There must be something that can be done to give you the edge you need to stand out at an interview (or even get an interview in the first place). This blog post will seek to help you chart a more successful course for the new year! So read on...
The job market is highly competitive, which can be quite intimidating for job seekers especially when they didn’t graduate at the top of their class. However, according to former CEO of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Dennis Chung, “the most competent or brightest do not necessarily make the most productive employees”.
In fact, he claims that employers may often prefer someone who has a positive attitude: someone willing to learn, as opposed to someone who is a ‘know it all’.
Believe me, an attitude open to learning new skills and develop abilities will always make job seekers viable in the job market. With that said here are 10 habits job seekers should have to be successful in landing an interview or earn a place in the company of their choice.

Young graduates may think that after finishing university getting a job would be automatic, the sad truth is... it nuh guh suh!

1. Match your qualifications to the job you seek
First of all, you have to recognise that your qualifications must match the job that you are seeking. You may realise that the market requires more than what you have and that you may need to put in additional work to be on par with what the job market demands.

2. Attend workshops

Improving on yourself is a valuable tool. Workshops will broaden your scope and knowledge on a plethora of subjects and employers value having rounded people on their teams.

3. Volunteer/Network

If you are unemployed, the first thing that you want to consider is volunteering. It is the best way to get into the job market. It is also a very good way to meet people so that you can exchange numbers and build relationships. So, whenever you can offer a helping hand, do it, and you might find that another helping hand will be offered to you.

4. Make your resume specific

What you put on your résumé is what actually sells you. Remember, the person interviewing you has never met you before so you have to ensure that you have done a good job at compiling your résumé. Make sure that you are not giving them more than two pages. A resume with more pages often gets overlooked because job seekers include skills that are not relevant to the job they are seeking. Additionally, be clear about the job that you desire. Please don’t say that you wish to be hired into any available position. That shows desperation. Allow the employer to make that decision based on the company’s needs.

5. Don’t change jobs frequently
It doesn’t have to be several years of service but your loyalty to an institution is important. If you seem ‘nomadic’ in your job pattern this can be a turn-off since companies are looking to train and invest in people for the long term.
6. Learn to sell yourself

...Especially when you have not worked anywhere else or you cannot say what you have done at work. Many employees are willing to listen about personal achievements because these could say a lot about your character and potentially the kind of employee that you could be. So, for example, if you play sports and you have been doing well, if you are involved and have been doing well in community work or a club, many employees will be willing to listen and consider you based on how you have presented yourself. Playing team sports suggests that you would have been exposed to working in a team, to respecting those whom you work with, and to conflict resolution, which are all important in business.

7. Don’t think of any job as too low for you
If a job is offered below your pay grade or what you may believe to be menial you may want to consider accepting it. These ‘menial jobs’ could present a gateway to a very big opportunity but employers are keen on testing whom they take onto their teams. Often, employers offer the job and note that there will be a possibility for promotion, so hang on to the opportunity.

8. Do your homework (research the company and their expectations)

It is easy to settle when you are overwhelmed by joblessness, but being happy with your job is very important to the contribution and the value that you add to your workplace. So, it is important to do your research and apply according to your findings. Do a complete a research on the organisation with which you desire to work, as well as who heads it, their values, interests, and whether they have ever commented on what they expect of employees. Knowing these could work in your favour at the interview.
9. Do not focus on academics alone
Employers also search for persons with soft skills. So even before you become job-seekers think about extracurricular activities. Employers find that these employees usually have a wealth of knowledge from their involvement in different groups to share.
10. Keep Up Appearances

Always keep a clean presentable suit, even if it is just one. You also always want to be well groomed.

Hope this was helpful to you guys. Remember to follow this blog for useful career tips like these.

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