For every human being to function correctly in society, the individual needs to be able to provide all the required physiological needs of life.
If you are reading this article and you don’t have a job because you lost the last one or you’ve never worked before, it is normal to feel anxious about your chances of landing one. Those who have never worked previously may feel nervous about entering the labour market because it is their first time, but for those who left their last job after a nasty experience, the feeling of the experience repeating itself can leave one in a state of flux.
Or maybe you are naturally shy and find it awkward talking to strangers or replying to their questions, here are 10 job hunting tips to ease your fears and give you the confidence boost you need as you embark on your journey into social inclusiveness.
1. Be Positive About the Future
The first thing you need to do before you approach any potential employer is to work on your psyche. Be positive about your future no matter how terrible your past has been. Philosophers say that the only thing greater than fear is hope and they are right to say that.
Hope is what should keep you positive moving forward. If you are positive about your chances of nailing not just any job, but a good job, your chances of getting one will increase even before you commence your search. Never discountenance the power of positive affirmation.
2. Identify Your Skills/Strengths
In which areas do you excel? Focusing on jobs that can afford you the opportunity to project your skills should be something everyone does. Sometimes, qualifications matter, but not in all cases. Employers are looking for people who can deliver on targets regardless of their lack of a college education.
Skill is everything in the workplace. Identify what your skills are and harness it to its fullest potential. If you are a timid person, for example, you have no business applying for a job that requires you to stand in front of cameras or to interact with large groups.
3. Take Baby Steps
Since you are only just starting, you shouldn’t attempt to do everything at once. Draw up a professional CV for starters and include in the CV details about yourself, including your level of qualification. Add your skills and hobbies. Then take your time to list industries you feel you will do well. Don’t rush yourself. Take it one step at a time, and you will be fine.
4. Cast Your Net Far
Don’t limit your job hunt to a few job niches or locations. By doing this, you are limiting your chances of bagging a job that fits your potential. Go beyond your comfort zone or the areas you know well. It is entirely okay to start with places you know, but take the least risk of delving into territories you are not so familiar with. The most pleasant surprises in life come wrapped in unexpected packages at times and places we least expect.
5. Prepare Well for Interviews
To get a job, you must be prepared to answer the employer’s questions. If you are already feeling uneasy at this point, you don’t have to be. Besides asking you some questions about your educational background and work experience, what most employers are most interested in is your personality as a person and how your character and skill can positively affect the fortunes of the business.
You may not be very experienced but if you are cheerful and open all through the duration of the interview and you do your homework well in getting precise information about the employer and the business or organization your chances of landing the job is made brighter.
6. Be Objective
Before the interview, be objective. Do not let your subjective, negative judgment destroy your confidence. If your inner voice keeps telling you that you are not good enough or that you are not going to get the job, then you should disregard that voice because IT IS A LIE.
You are going to get it!
7. Practice Scenarios
One way to control your anxiety is to practice possible scenarios that may occur during the interview. Predict specific questions the interviewer or interviewers may ask and attempt to answer them.
You may not be able to predict every question in detail, but if you keep practicing for several days or weeks before time, your confidence will improve significantly.
8. Keep Expectations at a Minimum
Remember that nothing in life is definite except death. You may or may not get a job at your first attempt, but that is entirely normal. Most job applicants are not always successful the first time they go for an interview. I wasn’t, and I know many of my friends who failed on their first try.
If you keep expectations at a minimum during a job hunting, should you fail at the first attempt, it won’t get at you too much. Instead, you should see it as a positive sign! If one employer found you interesting enough to call you forward for an interview, you are going to meet another employer who is going to appreciate working with you.
9. Stay positive
Just like the above point, stay positive and live each day as it comes. Life is full of possibilities and those who are patient and prepared eventually get what they want.
As the old saying goes, “be careful what you wish for, or you might just get it.”
If you want a job so much that you search and prepare for it, the opportunity will show up sooner than you expected.
10. Let Things Play Out…Don’t Force It
Finally, don’t be too forceful. Take your time, do your best for job hunting and leave the rest. Let life play itself out. If you are too forceful and aggressive about landing that job you desire, or you talk down on yourself, employers you meet will see through your unease and won’t find you attractive enough to get you on board.
Be hopeful, say a prayer or two if you believe in them, Live, Love, Laugh, and Wait. Your time will come.
