If you’re looking to land one of the jobs in high demand, you have your work cut out for you. Competition for these jobs can be stiff, and without the proper preparation, you might find yourself falling short of the requirements during the interview or in your application. If you want to beat out other applicants, try some of these tactics that will help you qualify for jobs in high demand.
1) Get a job
Now, just because your unemployment status has changed doesn’t mean you need to change jobs. If you’re happy with your current employer, then by all means stick it out. However, if you need a new gig that offers new challenges and opportunities, don’t be afraid to start fresh. Often times finding a job requires significantly less effort than landing a promotion—so take advantage of hiring periods and apply with gusto!
2) Get Paid on Time
As a new job seeker, you want to ensure you’re getting paid on time, especially when working on hourly or commissioned work. Most full-time jobs pay every two weeks and part-time jobs are often biweekly. If a check is late or bounces due to insufficient funds, contact your employer right away. If it happens again, consider looking elsewhere – especially if you’re financially dependent on that income. Consider freelance work instead of staff employment when it comes to hourly wage positions.
3) Maintain Regular Communication
When you’re dealing with job applications and screening interviews, it can be easy to feel like you have no idea what’s going on. Sometimes, it can take weeks or months before you hear anything at all about whether or not you will move forward in a position. Keeping regular communication lines open between yourself and employers is essential for staying on top of your application process and feeling like a valued candidate.
4) Show Up on Time (or Early!)
Believe it or not, if you are an hour late for a job interview, that is seen as a negative reflection on your punctuality. It can be difficult finding parking and getting into an office building sometimes, but you should still arrive 10-15 minutes early. You don’t want to give your interviewer any reason to think you won’t show up on time if hired.
5) Apply with Style (Resume, Cover Letter)
Your resume and cover letter are your chance to showcase why you’re perfect for a job opening. Make sure they’re top-notch! When you’re writing your resume, focus on presenting skills that are directly related to what hiring managers want. Focus on how you can help them—make sure they see how great you are. When you start looking at jobs online, make sure that your name, address, and email show up correctly so that recruiters can contact you easily.
6) Interview with Confidence
Asking questions during an interview is not only a great way to demonstrate your interest, but it also helps you learn more about what life at that company will be like. Focus on asking questions that demonstrate a clear understanding of their value proposition, culture and role expectations. Treat every interview as a potential partnership, and you’ll start building connections—and rapport—much faster.
7) Demonstrate Problem Solving Skills
Most applicants can demonstrate their work ethic, problem-solving skills, and creativity—all valuable qualities. However, if you want to give yourself an edge over other applicants with similar qualifications, then take a look at how you can incorporate these qualities into your resume. You should also consider how you can speak about them during interviews as well as how to showcase them on your LinkedIn profile.
8) Market Yourself as an Expert
When you’re a skilled candidate with relevant experience, it’s easy to get a job. But if you have a few gaps on your resume or experience that might not be as relevant, consider focusing on highlighting and showing off your skills. You can do so by focusing on these three aspects of marketing yourself
9) Meet Deadlines
Do you find yourself always missing deadlines? Do you have trouble sticking with anything long enough to see it through? If so, you need some type of reward system that will help motivate you. Whether it’s providing a tangible benefit (like some extra time off) or something intangible (like a positive mental boost), when you offer yourself rewards for meeting your goals, you feel more motivated and work harder at accomplishing them.
10) Hire Others
If you’re highly skilled at a task that’s in high demand, you can earn a substantial income by hiring yourself out. Here are a few jobs you could consider A senior-level copywriter can charge between $100 and $300 per hour, depending on her experience and skill level. A freelance writer with years of magazine writing experience may be able to get even more than that — up to $500 or even $600 per hour or more if she’s well connected and has deep expertise in her field.