A strong job search comes from a strong foundation, but where do you start?

Before you actively start looking at postings, make sure you know yourself and what you are looking for. What are your values, interests, skills, abilities, or motivators? Does money, impact, or individuality factor more strongly into your ideal career? How does this guide what position you are looking for? Understanding yourself, your wants, and what you can offer will help your narrow your search and filter potential opportunities.

When actively searching, make sure you take stock of the various options available to you. Think about what type of position you are looking for (internship, grad scheme, experienced hire) at what kind of organisation (a small start up or a big organization?). Once you know this, diversify your search! Consult different sites – generalist sites (such as CareerHub and LinkedIn) will provide different results than more sector specific or company sites.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of speculative applications! It can feel strange reaching out to someone you don’t know, but there are polite ways to ask for support. It’s worth reaching out to contacts listed on job postings to get a better idea of the organization and what they are looking for specifically. (For more on speculative applications and approaches, see slides from our webinar here).

Another key component to strategizing is time management. Dedicate a specific amount of time to job searching and applying, and remember, everyone works in a different style so don’t compare how you work to others. A productive day doesn’t necessarily mean sending out applications. Simply doing research and finding an answer to a question you’ve had can provide effective foundations for your job search.

Job searching requires strategy. Moving forward with a clear understanding of how you are going to approach the process, where you should look for jobs, and how to contact potential employers is a great way to stay organised and focused in your career journey.

Looking for more insight into how you can plan and organise your job search? Listen back to our job search strategy on CareerHub.