Whether you’ve consciously made the decision to move on, or found yourself victim to circumstance, job hunting can often be a daunting prospect. A lot of people have the perception that job hunting is a complicated process. Here’s the thing though, it really doesn’t have to be.

Here are our top tips on managing your search:

1. Get your CV ready

Once you’ve made that decision to enter the job market, it’s essential your CV is honed and ready to impress. An out of date CV will set the wrong tone from the start. 

When you’re happy with your CV, make sure you know it inside out. Be ready to talk through all the experience you’ve listed and to talk fluently about projects you’ve been involved with.

2. Be proactive

There’s a number of options open to you that will enhance your search and a positive, proactive approach will get the process off to the right start:

• Talk to specialist recruiters – we’re guessing if you’re reading this blog, that you’re in the marketing and creative in some shape or form, so give us a call.
• Keep a close eye on the specialist job boards and apply for roles that interest.
• Network – chances are you already know a few people in the industry who might be able to help, or at the very least, introduce you to other contacts.
• Use your social media network – done well and with a bit of thought, active participation on twitter and LinkedIn can yield huge dividends; regular tweets and LinkedIn posts about industry trends, what you’ve seen that you like, thoughts on campaigns, debates on hot topics, whatever it might be, they help set you apart and create stand out from other job seekers.

3. Be positive

There’s absolutely no doubting the fact that candidates with a positive attitude will always standout over a negative or lacklustre mindset.

Job hunting isn’t an exact science and even with best laid plans, it can often take longer than you expect; very often timing can be everything, no matter how good your experience is, how much talent you have, or how infectious your personality is.

You’re unlikely to land every role you apply for, so you’ll inevitably have to manage rejection whether that’s from an initial application, following an interview, or even the radio silence that often follows an application (we’re all too aware that many recruiters don’t feedback at all).

The most important thing is to not consider a ‘no’ as some sort of massive insult; it’s just part of the process and just because someone doesn’t see your value, it doesn’t make you any less valuable. It’s an old cliché, but every no means you’re one step closer to a ‘yes’, so the best possible advice is to stay positive and motivated if your search is taking longer than you’d hoped – it’s very apparent to interviewers if you’re feeling deflated and down.

4. Research & Prepare

This should be obvious, but trust us, so often candidates fail to prepare properly. Whether it’s preparing how to tailor your CV, putting together a compelling cover letter, or researching ahead of interviews, you’d be surprised how often a lack of preparation lets people down.

Make sure you’re aware of what your potential employer is doing in the market, their competitors, their opportunities and use this to demonstrate how you can add value. If you can use projects and experience to show an interviewer how you can quickly get up to speed, you’ll create immediate stand out from your competitors.

Remember, interviews are just conversations, not gestapo type interrogations. And here’s a little secret for you – interviewers want to like you.

So there you have it, when you break it down job hunting doesn’t have to be daunting. It may take time but if you prepare well, keep confident and take the knocks in your stride, you’ll be in a brilliant position to land your dream job. Happy hunting.