5 Career Tips Every Job Seeker Needs To Know

By Selipha Kihagi

In the career journey, job seekers will come across a series of advices along the way. Some helpful and others sometimes misleading, if they are not followed by a reasonable explanation or example to support their importance.

While these advices may vary between people of different professions, there are those that every job seeker needs to know for a successful career.

5 Career Tips Every Job Seeker Should Know

1. If your job search strategy is not working, it’s time to stop
Are you always applying to jobs but not getting called to interviews or receiving job offers? If you are, then your strategy needs to undergo a review. For instance, you cannot say you have made over 100 applications but have not been successful.

If so, there is something you are doing wrong in the process and you need to stop and come up with a better plan.

2. More education will not guarantee you your next job
Some job seekers believe that the reason they are not getting jobs is because they do not have a Masters or additional qualifications, that they are not competitive enough and that’s a misleading notion.

Perminus Wainaina, a Recruiting Manager at Corporate Staffing Services says pursuing an MBA because you want to be competitive or pass time will not guarantee you a job, especially for fresh graduates.

“For entry level position you don’t need an MBA. Over 99% of all recruitment we do at Corporate Staffing require only a degree and a professional certification,” he says.

3. Jobs and Growth potential lie in Small Companies
Are you always applying to jobs in large companies because you believe it is best for your career and neglecting the small firms in your applications? If you are, it’s time to stop and try your luck in the small companies.

Firms that are just starting off operations are at a better position to give you the experience top employers are looking for.

4. Any experience is good experience
Most job seekers will not get jobs because they do not believe that some of their experience counts so they leave it out all together. As a job seeker, you need to know that employers are more concerned with your skills and what you can do for them so include any industry related activity you have been part of.

5. Do not beg the employer for a job
You may have encountered a series of frustrations in your job search and are now really feeling desperate. However frustrated, you should avoid insisting how much you want the job or mentioning your struggles to the hiring employer. Instead, stay focused and tell the employer what the value you will be bringing to the company.

To be successful in your job search process, you need to know what works and what doesn’t. Have a strategy.