67 ways to get hired

Looking for a job at any time is difficult, add a pandemic, economic struggle, lockdown and retrenchments and it is now even more difficult to get hired! With Mandela month we thought we would share 67 ways to get hired!!!

1. Update your email to be professional like your name, surname from something like hottie@gmail.com
2. Take a new professional photo – get dressed up for the job you want and take a selfie against a white wall with good lighting
3. Ensure your social media platforms all speak about what you do (work wise)
4. Upload your professional photo on all your virtual call platforms
5. Research the company on social media and their website and on google before the interview (its an interview both ways)
6. Add colour to your CV – CVs with colour stand out by more than 80% than black and white CVs
7. Update your CV with your latest job and education/courses you have completed
8. Add your photo (professional one) to your CV
9. Have a resume (a 1 or 2 pager short version of your CV)
10. Get a CV writer to write up your CV
11. Ensure your CV is saved in a PDF format
12. Ensure your CV and LinkedIn profile match on dates on education and work history
13. Use industry buzzwords on your CV (many recruiters and systems do keyword searches on your CV)
14. Have a summary of your key skills on your CV (and your LinkedIn Profile)
15. Add a professional photo to your LinkedIn Profile
16. Get recommendations on your LinkedIn profile from previous line managers, colleagues, customers etc.
17. Put that you open for new opportunities on LinkedIn
18. Send a message on LinkedIn to your network to check if they have any roles available for you – be specific in what you looking for
19. Do a skills test on LinkedIn
20. Add your skills to LinkedIn
21. Add yourself to the right groups in your industry on LinkedIn and Facebook and look for jobs in these groups
22. Take a free course on Youtube to help when you get the job (excel pivot tables or word tricks)
23. Reach out to your address book who you trust to let them know you looking for a job
24. Add job alerts on job portals such as www.pnet.co.za and www.careers24.co.za
25. Try searching for jobs on other job portals like www.bestjobs.co.za and https://www.executiveplacements.com/
26. Upload your CV to job portals
27. Look at alternative job titles for your current job title (not everyone calls your job the same thing)
28. Add a google alert for a new job with your required job title and location (https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/4815696?hl=en)
29. Learn to do a Boolean search (tip: (“cape town” OR “western cape”) AND “IT manager”
30. Use different browsers when searching for jobs (there are many like Firefox; Chrome; Internet Explorer)
31.  Use different search engines when searching for jobs (ever tried yahoo, bing?)
32. Get out of your google bubble and try go private mode or incognito and then search for jobs
33. Try to freelance while looking for a job www.freelancer.com or https://www.upwork.com/
34. Volunteer at a charity to ensure you don’t have ‘open space’ on your CV try https://www.forgood.co.za/
35. Check your credit report, you get one free a year www.transunion.co.za
36. Should you have a minor criminal record and it was more than 10 years ago you can have this removed from your name – https://www.gov.za/faq/justice-and-crime-prevention/how-do-i-remove-or-expunge-my%C2%A0criminal-record
37. Get written references from your previous line managers to have on file
38. Ensure you have your matric certificate in safe storage
39. Dress up each day – dress like you have the job
40. Look for a career coach
41. Contact 3 good agencies that specialise in your field
42. Create a About.me page
43. Contact your old employers to see if they have any job openings
44. Be open to work on contract
45. Get a book for the library on interview questions to start preparing
46. Buy/borrow a good outfit for an interview
47. Test google hangouts, MS teams, skype, zoom for virtual interviews (ensure you have all downloaded they all free)
48. Look out for good blogs on how to find a job (www.jobcrystal.co.za/blog or www.themuse.com)
49. Call the company you want to work for and contact the HR to ask for any possible roles
50. Be specific on what you are looking for (not too specific but don’t say you will take anything)
51. Be open to different roles that you may not have thought of
52. Can you work remotely? If so why not apply for overseas roles?
53. Study – look at doing a short course or finally complete that dress/honours/masters
54. Visualize getting the job (just like a sports star would to ensure they win)
55. Be positive (and stay positive)
56. Look at part time or flexi jobs – you never know if you get to show your worth if it will go permanent!
57. Contact old colleagues to see if they can introduce you to their HR departments
58. Attend a free virtual webinar on finding a job or building your career
59. Make a list of companies you would like to work for
60. Find a mentor
61. Keep a spreadsheet on where you have applied (this will help follow up on the jobs you want)
62. Don’t apply for EVERYTHING
63. Use specific subject lines (not Hello or Hi or Job Application) – stand out
64. Look at guest blogging (you never know who will see it)
65. Look at medium and see if you can contribute or learn something there (www.medium.com)
66. Write your cover emails with several varieties and see which one works best
67. ALWAYS say thank you after an interview to the interviewers