Five Things Job Candidates Must Consider To Advance Their Careers

It is common for decision-makers to be torn between two job candidates. Stack the odds in your favor by considering these five things your competition may not think about...

People Perks: What Do Employers Look For In Job Candidates?

If you’ve spent any time looking for a new job over the last few years, you’ve probably experienced some challenges. There are more people in the world than ever before. But the number of jobs available simply hasn’t grown as the population has risen in some niches.

This creates competitive spaces that often leave perfectly qualified professionals without personally rewarding work. In turn, not everyone knows what they can do to improve their chances of securing a role that they love.

Below, we will explore some of the "personal perks" you can develop to stand out from your competition - Whether you are searching for a job with an employer, or a role as a contractor collaborating with other entrepreneurs.

Here are five things job candidates must consider to advance their careers...

Your Education

School can be a chaotic time for many people. It is not uncommon to take breaks due to affordability concerns.  While most people perfectly understand this, finding job candidates is usually easier for employers than it is easier for job seekers looking for work.

Thankfully, though, this isn’t the end of the world, as long as you’re willing to go back to school. The world has been spinning at light speed, and new skills are necessary for jobs no one knew would exist ten years ago! It would be naive not to consider that one of the methods for recruiting job candidates is to look at the level of education achieved.

For example, a masters degree in business management is far more likely to land you a good job than the equivalent in the form of a bachelors degree. If you already have a degree, boosting it to a higher achievement can take as little as six months. Note, online courses offer the opportunity to complete a program far faster than traditional school settings. 

It can be hard to know what to expect when you’re looking at the job market. Some companies will be eager to hire people based on the skills and experience, while others will consider education to be the most important factor.

To get an idea of what to expect in your chosen industry, do some research, using recruitment sites and existing advertisements to understand expectations of the job candidates. 

Your Work Experience

Hiring an employee can be a big risk for a business. Not only do they have to pay their new team member’s salary, but they also need the services of:

• Accountant
• Recruiter
• Law firm
• HR processing

And other expenses, to complete the hiring process of just one new employee. It is quite an investment! Which makes it crucial that they get it right for the first time.

So, you might understand, they will almost always be very critical of your previous work. If you don’t have any industry experience whatsoever, doing some volunteer work is a wise option. Here, job candidates should bee realistic - Remember, you're looking to improve your resume, not change the entire world.

There are some cases where the experience you have may not be optimal. If you were working for a company which has gone out of business, for example, it will be worth thinking about the reputation which comes with their name before telling your prospective boss about that position.

For those who have been fired or were not in a job for a long time, giving yourself a clean slate might be the only option you have. You have the right to choose what you tell employers. Showcase the higher points in your career.

Your Additional Experience

The experience you gain over the years is very important for your future roles. Of course, a lot of people focus too hard on the time they spend in work, squandering what they have when they get home.

Employers are usually happy to see candidates with a rich and interesting personal life. Not only can this make you look more intelligent, but it can also show that you have more to offer to the job than other people. For example, if you wanted to be a team manager, spend some time working as a volunteer sports team coach. This will show you have experience leading a team.

At the same time, employers will expect their team members to be dedicated to their work. Having too many outside commitments could make it difficult to fulfill the role and work level expected.

While an employer can’t fire someone for failing to take on extra hours, they don’t have to hire job candidates when they are unsure about whether or not they can perform. Along with this, it will also be worth thinking about the public opinion surrounding the extra activities you do in your spare time. Telling an employer about something that some people view as negative or strange isn’t the best way to win them over.

Your Interpersonal Skills

Being able to run a business smoothly and efficiently takes more than simply hiring people who are good at what they do. A good team needs to be able to communicate effectively, and this takes strong interpersonal skills from everyone who is part of it.

The first chance you will have to show your related qualifications will be in your resume and cover letter. These documents need to be:

• Well-written
• Free of spelling and grammar errors
• Strategically concise

Yet inclusive as much relevant information as possible. A job search resume should be impeccable - So, have a few trusted people proofread it for you.

If you’re successful with the first part of this, you may find yourself with another chance to show off your people skills, only this time it will be in the form of an interview. This is where talking will be most important, and is the easiest place to make mistakes during this process.

To ensure that you are successful, spend some time practicing beforehand. Find other successful people judge what you have prepared. If a question is asked that you aren’t ready for, simply request a moment to think about it. By doing this you display that you find accuracy more important than haste.

Finally, there could be one final piece of communication job candidates must hurdle before getting the job. Email, SMS, and instant messaging services have become incredibly popular over the last few years. Unlike other forms of written communication, these systems are most effective when the information conveyed is as concise as possible. It’s alright to give people well-wishes, but avoid going into too much detail, ensuring that the content of your messages is kept nice and brief. This isn’t a huge issue, but will show supervisors that you won’t be wasting time on crafting text rather than working.

Finding Some Support

Making yourself look most optimal to potential employers can feel like a huge challenge. You never have to go through any process completely alone. The best place to find support is your family.  Most families will be completely behind their loved ones when they want to make a better life. This gives you people to practice with, to help you with your applications, and offer emotional support when it comes to tackling daunting interviews.

Recruitment agencies will always be happy to lend advice. Nurturing skilled professionals is always a benefit to them. Some governments also offer support. In addition, don't be afraid to collaborate with other job candidates in non-competing fields to brainstorm and practice interviewing.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of securing your perfect gig. Putting time into improving yourself is always worth it, but will take more than simply jumping onto an online course. There are several factors that make for good employees, with more than your education playing a role in your success.

FJ