7 Steps On How To Find A Job If You Are Unemployed | A guide for Job seekers

Life can be hard sometimes, and living can be especially difficult when you do not have a job or a source an income stream to fall on financially. Once you're jobless, it feels so cruel that more individuals with occupations are getting new jobs under their belts, and you begin to ponder how you might enjoy the same enchantment that working people do. This article is to help guide you in finding a job if you have been jobless for a very long time and or never had a job. Your chances of getting callbacks and interviews might be impacted if you've been unemployed for a year. Yet many prospective employers place more value on how you used your free time than they do on the fact that you didn't hold down a regular job. If you give a good reason for the interruption in employment and demonstrate your commitment and willingness to work, many companies won't disregard you only because of it.

Many people feel that having their current job makes it simpler to get a new one and this is true. According to one research, working individuals actively seeking employment receive more than 50% of all job offers, compared to jobless individuals who only receive 16% of the overall offers. Also, the offers were greater for those who were in jobs.



Below are 7 steps to guide you in finding a job if you are jobless or employed, do not be frustrated – we hope these tips help you to land your next job successfully.

1. Create and update your resume and cover letter

Every job position listed comes with its own requirements and demands and so should your resume and cover letter. For most people, for every job they apply to, they use the same one formatted CV and cover letter without making any changes to suit the demands of the new job role they are applying for. This may make you an unfavorable candidate to a recruiter or employer as your one-time resume favourable for one job may not be favourable to the present job you are applying for! Learn to modify your resume to suit every job role you apply for.

The rule is: Before submitting a resume for a job vacancy consideration, check and ensure your resume reflects the demands of the job description. Always make changes and updates your CV when necessary to enhance your chances of being shortlisted – You can check out 4 tips on how to win the heart of an interviewer during a job interview for what to do in the next phase.

2. Try and find temporary or part-time

Finding temporary employment or working with a temp agency is one of the simplest methods to fill up the time between jobs. While many jobless people diligently look for work, keep in mind to include temporary staffing firms in your search.

You will have a better financial situation while looking for a long-term solution, even though it is not a permanent one. A temp agency is a hiring company that serves as a middleman between job seekers and businesses in need of temporary workers. Approaching such organizations and sharing your willingness to work may do you good when you get a job and your resume reflects such a job role.

3. Learn some new abilities

Find techniques to increase your marketability to companies while you are looking for a job. Learn a new skill, volunteer, and take a course. Help a friend with their personal business if you must. When you do these activities, don't forget to update your cover letter and CV. Employers arguably enjoy hiring job seekers who they believe have a great passion and attitude towards work. A person who took on some tasks or did some activity while they were searching for a more permanent work position. The work you may do to get the new skills and techniques may not pay big, but remember why you are doing it – for the skills to help secure a more permanent job and a well-deserving salary. Do not stay overly idle when you begin to search for a job and it takes longer to find one. Ideally, after three to six months of not being able to secure a job during your search, try and find some new skills. Depending on your level of qualification, you may want to look at developing new skills within 6 months to 2 years.

4. Form new connections and be open to seeking for referrals

Conventional job fairs might be a good location to meet recruiters, but there are other areas where you can make fresh connections with companies. Accepting a volunteer role could put you in touch with people who could provide you with a paying gig because local nonprofit organizations usually have regional business executives on their executive committees.

This voluntary effort can be listed on your CV as well. You may go to a physical office to meet business professionals and inquire if their companies have any openings. Feel free to seek referrals from your connections, do not be shy to ask if there are any job openings in their businesses or if they have any links to other companies that might be in need of your services. It is usually very easy to be employed by a company when someone they already know and trust refers you to them but be sure not to tarnish their reputation. If you know you are not up for the task, do not accept the offer.

5. Describe your professional life in the present Tense

Instead of stressing about the gap in your job, one of the many crucial things you can do while you're jobless is to emphasize the skills and expertise that you'll bring to the workplace. You may cover up a time when you were unemployed on your resume by carefully doing so, which will assist employers to understand what a fantastic asset you might be.

6. Apply to jobs both online and offline

Another sure to find employment is to apply for job vacancies that become available. Most of these jobs are advertised online and offline. Be sure to follow up on such job vacancies when they become available, visit companies if you can, and try and network with recruiters, this may be a hard bit of task especially if you are unemployed with very limited to no resources but pushing you best to network and make physical visits may help with your chances of finding a job. By visiting a company, you never know whom you may meet on the physical ground who may be your new acquaintance and or friend, a possible opening to hearing about openings in that company, or any alternative company job vacancies.

Online job vacancies are also another great way to find a job. You may want to go online and send CVs to reputable websites such as africanbaggrecruitment.com and apply for job vacancies. For our website, you can create a free job seeker account and get notifications when there is any job opening and/or tips on career advancement.

7. Keep your options open

Jobs may come in different shapes and sizes; your expertise may be in one field but you may also have great skills in another area. Do not limit your job search to only skills you studied in school but also keep it open to other skills you have mastered along the way. These may be the fountain through which you may find employment with a company and while you are there, you can upgrade your position when new positions arise and your skills have been upskilled and can match up to the new vacancies.

By learning to keep your options open, you may get hired based on skills you picked up outside of school and once you are in the company, you can volunteer your other skills and if good work and commitment, your employer may be willing to position you in another field.

Conclusion

Searching for a job may be hard, but clearly is it not impossible. We hope the tips shared in this article serve as a stepping stone to finding that next big job! All the best and feel free and create an account on our website as a job seeker if you have not done so already. We give you a bagg of opportunities.

Reference

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Ashford, K. (n.d.). How to job hunt when you're unemployed. Monster. https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/find-a-job-when-unemployed


Indeed Editorial Team (February 28, 2022). How To Find a Job After Long-Term Unemployment. Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-find-a-job-after-long-term-unemployment


Howington, J. (n.d.). 7 Resume Tips for Unemployed Job Seekers. Flexjobs. https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/resume-tips-for-unemployed-job-seekers/


Jarosch, G. & Pilossoph, L. (August 8, 2016). The longer you're unemployed, the less likely you are to find a job. Why. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/how-to-find-job-after-being-unemployed-for-long-time/


Basuthakur, R. (October 11, 2022). What To Do While Unemployed: 10 Action Items. Upwork. https://www.upwork.com/resources/what-to-do-while-unemployed


ZipRecruiter et al. ( April 8, 2022). 5 Things To Do If You're Unemployed. Work It Daily. https://www.workitdaily.com/things-to-do-while-unemployed


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