We all know the struggle of trying to find a new job. Trailing through job adverts after job adverts trying to find that one position that catches your eye. It can become tiresome, can’t it? And even if you do find the ideal position, rewriting your cover letter or CV to getting to the interview stage makes the process even more complex. However, do you ever find yourself applying for a job because… well because you need employment and something is better than nothing? Many of us find ourselves in such situations. We ask, ' Is it ok to be picky when it comes to finding that perfect job?'
Let’s look at it from one point of view. If you apply to a job that kind of ticks the boxes, kind of doesn’t, then what are you doing for yourself and the employer? Nobody wants to get up every day dreading going to work, and employers certainly don’t want employees that aren’t going to give the job their best shot. It wastes time and can be damaging for both parties. However, you could look at it from another point of view that any experience is better than no experience. This is especially relevant for those who have just came out of education and are trying to climb the career ladder or test different industries that they want to work in. It can be difficult when you receive knock back after knock back, and even cause confidence issues.
So, is it ok to be picky? We say yes! Think quality over quantity. Be wise about your choices and focus on where you see yourself in five or ten years. And although that may change it will give you a starting point. Take your time when your applying to jobs. Forget mindlessly applying to different jobs with the same CV and cover letters. It’s likely that if you spend a longer period on adapting your CV and cover letter to a specific job then the greater the chance of getting to the interview stage and landing your desired job.
However, we know that everything should be taken with a pinch of salt. So, to get you on your way to finding the right role for you, here’s three tips that you can implement into your job search [1]:
1. Be Precise - Stick to what you know or where you want to go. Even if you don’t get the position that you’re after why don’t you go for a similar role? A step into the industry that you want to work in can be very beneficial when it comes to applying for your desired job role. Likewise experience in a similar role will give you a taste tester of whether the sector is for you or not. Also know what you want from the job role... training and development, career progression? Make it clear to your employers about your ambitions.
2. Be Open - It can be easy to get caught up in your career and where you want to go, but remember to always keep an open mind. You never know what opportunities lie ahead, and with the average person changing their job ten to fifteen times throughout their career, you just never know where you may end up [2]!
3. Be Persistent and Realistic - There’s nothing worse than putting pressure on yourself. And realistically you’re probably going to have to go down some different paths to get where you want to go in your career. Make your goals realistic, and remember that hard work will always pay off even if it doesn’t seem like that way!
Happy job searching!
[1] http://under30ceo.com/how-picky-should-you-be-when-looking-for-a-new-job/
[2] https://www.thebalance.com/how-often-do-people-change-jobs-2060467