Time-saving strategies for a faster job search

99% of everything you read about getting a new job is probably completely useless.

If you are googling around, there is a lot of advice available, but very little that helps. A tip that often appears about job interviews is, for instance, "be yourself". But how does one do that?

In this guide, we go behind the scenes. We give nothing but clear and straightforward advice that makes a real difference. Checklists you can follow to know that you are doing what you need to do and may stop feeling that you are searching randomly.

But before moving on, here’s a reality check so we start at the right end. You are not entitled to a job. And recruitment is not about justice.

Its just like dating. It is not a right that you should find a person to live with. And its not a matter of justice or injustice when you get ditched, and you see someone else go on a date with the person you like instead. So it might feel like that sometimes, but its important not to see it that way. Because if you see it that way, you will unfortunately not get that far.

Getting a job is a process, much like sales. First, you need to know what it is you are selling. Then you must think about who wants to buy it. Then you need to reach just those people and convince them that your product is the best. And finally, the price needs to be negotiated.

"But I am not a product, I am a human being!" Of course. No one claims otherwise. But let’s compare with dating again: Of course, if you get ready for a date. Of course, youre thinking about who you want. Of course, you are thinking about how to look good. You need to do this when applying for a job as well.

The essential points:

1. Job search is a process. Step by step, explore and refine what you are looking for until you finally find the right one. Be systematic, take one thing at a time, process and follow up.
2. You have to be proactive in the process.  Both you and the employer are interested in it being good, but you are also both in a get-to-know-you phase where neither of you has really decided. Do not just leave things hanging so that someone more driving takes precedence.
3. Be focused when looking for a job.  It does not work to send 100 identical applications. The key is to be targeted and specific. Instead, try to get a high-quality job than spend time on bad applications that do not move you forward.
4. Only a few jobs are advertised. And those who are announced are the most competitive. So spend 80% of your time on jobs that are not advertised.
5. Have a look from the employers perspective.  Understand what an employer is looking for and what problems and challenges they face.
6. Add something beyond what everyone else has. The vast majority of candidates check point by point in a list of requirements set by the employer. This means that everyone is the same. If you want to move on, you need to find a way to stand out. You need to add something more.
7. Before you apply: Become searchable. Review your communication; how do you describe yourself on LinkedIn? Show others that you are open to new opportunities.

Applying for a job is all about getting closer to the right job, step by step. That is, where you are fit for the job, and the job is suitable for you. You are a perfect match for the organization, and they are a perfect match for you. 

Its not quite that simple. What you need and what they need is based on many different factors. There is a lot that must be agreed on to be "right".

Even if you think, "but I have the skills, Ill just find someone who needs it", it is much more complex than that. It can be frustrating. It is frustrating. At the same time, its not just something difficult. The complexity is also because we want to find the right one. The employer does not just like anyone who can do specific tasks. And you do not want that either. You do not just want a job of any kind, but something you like and where you can contribute to something meaningful.

Job search is a process that involves step by step exploring and refining what you are looking for until you finally find the right one. Just as for the employer: Step by step evaluate until they feel they have found the right person. What can make it frustrating is that both do not have to think the same thing. You may feel that it is just right for you, but they decide to move on with someone else. Or they may give you an offer, but you choose to move on with someone else.

Let’s break this down step by step:

• Get to know your market.  You have a picture of where you are heading; now, its essential to find out more, get to know the market, confirm that you have thought right. Because you are not just looking for a job. You are looking for the right job. Partly because it will give you more, feel better. Partly because it will be easier to get. In a new industry? Find out how it works. A completely new role? Get in touch with others already there to make sure your picture is correct. On the way to the same position, but in a new type of organization? Get to know them, their competitors, and their challenges.
• Make a wish list.  Now you have a deeper picture of the industry, the type of organization you want, and your role. Time to make a list and prioritize your options! Start by listing some jobs you could apply for. Maybe you have found an ad or heard from a friend about an organization looking for someone with your skills. Perhaps you are looking for a specific role and can already list the 5 employers you would prefer to be working with. Top up your list and prioritise the employers and types of most interesting positions.
• Book an interview. Find a way to get a more profound contact and express that you are looking for a job. Sometimes its through an ad. Sometimes it is through a spontaneous application. Often it is through contacts. Exactly what you need to apply for the job varies. You always need a clear picture of what you offer and why you are the right person for the job. You need a strong CV and a convincing cover letter for the most part.
• Follow up.  If you want the job, you have to show it. If you book an interview, meet the employer, and they never hear from you again, you can not be surprised if they do not get in contact with you after. We return to the dating parable again. If you go on a date and they never hear from you again, how will it be perceived? Hardly that you are particularly interested. 
• Learn your lesson.  If you have met the right person, then the job feels right, and the employer thinks you feel right, then you have reached the finish line. Well done! Otherwise, it is now that you learn from your research, your conversations and your interview. What was good about this employer? What was less good? What did they think of you, what strengths and weaknesses did they see in you as a candidate? What would it have been like to work there? What else have you learned along the way? Have they mentioned any competitors that might be interesting for you to apply for? Have they told you anything more about how they see the industry and where it is headed? What does it tell you about prospects there?
• Understand yourself better.  Now we come to the part where we talk about the middle ground. Take a stand on what you have learned - about yourself and about what you enjoy. If this felt like a perfect organization and role for you - what was it that felt so good? Try to be as specific as possible, so you can use it as you go along. Complete your picture of your strengths, what you can and what you are good at. Complete the vision of what you want, what interests you have and what drives you. Clarify what context you wish to be in, in what type of organization, with what kind of manager and with precisely what tasks.
• Clarify your direction. Sometimes tricky, sometimes completely obvious. Now its essential to look at who you are - what you can, what you want and in what context you thrive - and think about where it is needed the most and where you can get the most out of it. For example, if you have realized that you are very analytical, good at structuring information and thrive best when you can sit in peace and work with deep focus, it is now time to think roughly about what to do with it. 
• Think about: What type of organization would work best? What kind of culture, what kind of leadership does it have, in what phase is it? And what kind of role? Responsibilities, tasks? Which industry? Or even bigger: Is it time to start a business instead? Write down three different directions that your job life could go from where you are now. For example: "I want to be a project manager in the public sector".
• Help others find you.  Increase the power of your continued job search by reviewing your communication. Write some short and exciting sentences about yourself and what you are looking for. Update your LinkedIn profile and other channels you use.
• Get to know your market again. So, now were back where we started but hopefully a lot wiser. Now start from the directions you set earlier and work systematically to find out more about them. If we continue on the example above: Is it really as you think that you will thrive better and have a greater chance of a small and newly formed public authority?
• Make a list of new opportunities. Based on what you learned about your market and the directions you set earlier. Identify opportunities for each one of them. For example, try to find 10 organizations that you would like to work for in each particular direction. If we continue on the example above: Which 10 authorities are the newest?

Yes. The circle continues. Do not despair. It will go faster and faster lap by lap. You learn more and more. You become clearer and clearer.

See this process as support at work, not as a recipe to follow point by point. You can start where you want, and you do not have to take it step by step. However, what is important to remember is that it is a circular process where you continuously test what works, evaluate and adjust your direction. Often, when you get stuck, it is because you have been too locked in a single step: You have thought about yourself without going out into the world and checking out what works. Or vice versa, they have gone far too broad and taken lots of action without really stopping and evaluating what works.

But where do I start? 

We recommend starting by helping others find you. Based on the experience we have from thousands of people who apply for employment, we have seen that it often leads to new opportunities as soon as you start to hear from them and tell them what you are looking for. In some cases, job offers are already there.

But really, it does not matter where you start. Be practical. Begin where you feel like it. As long as you grab it and move on to the next step. Keep in mind that this is not a linear process. The actions follow each other roughly, but in practice, you will, of course, jump around a bit. And you will probably have several processes going on at the same time, so that you may be in several places in the process at the same time.

When we move on, we will assume that you already have a good picture of yourself and some directions youd like to go.

We assume that you have already written down three directions that your career could go from where you are now. Something like these:

• I want to continue as a project manager in the public sector. Still, I want to be in a relatively small and new authority that gives me the opportunity to be involved and build something before all routines are set.
• I want to work more practically and therefore believe that I will drop project management and become a designer again.
• I want to stay in the field of finance. But I want to get in touch with more different contexts, so I think I should work as a financial consultant instead of an employee.

The most important methods to find out more

The more information you get, the wiser you will become. There are various ways to find information about an industry, organization or labour market.

• Do your interviews.  This is what usually gives the most. Ask someone who has the role you want or works in the industry or organization you want to work with. If you are heading into retail, call an exciting employer and say that you want to enter the sector later and look around for opportunities, you do not have to say that you are looking for a job right now. Ask, for instance, what is essential for someone who has the role you have in mind, what competitors they have and how the different organizations stand out. If you are on your way to a new position for yourself as a buyer, call someone who has that job today and ask them for some input in your process. This may feel uncomfortable for some, and its okay just to send emails or private messages.
• Get help from your network. Who do you know who has worked with what you see in front of you? Who has been in the business? In many cases, you can have more informal conversations over a coffee or a glass of wine to get their perspective. It is often much better to get first-hand information than to read news through online sources.
• Google and social media.  Googling around may seem obvious, but it still needs to be emphasized. Also, keep in mind that you can find out a lot via social media. For example, try to find information by looking up a hashtag; if you search for #formex on Twitter, you will get a lot of information about what happened at the latest Formex fair and which organizations are most discussed.
• Trade unions. Here you can get a lot of information about which organizations are being talked about right now and, in this way, get an idea of ​​what is happening in the industry. Industry associations also, in many cases, arrange conferences and seminars on current topics for the industry. 
• Industry magazines and industry pages.  Some newspapers and websites target specific industries. Here you can, of course, find information, but keep in mind that it is often angled to be favourable to the industry and may not always be the best truth-tellers. A tip is also to start following the newsletters offered through these channels.
• Job advertisements.  You can get a lot of information about what is happening in an industry and organization by looking at job advertisements. The advertisement often describes what phase the organization is in, and you can, of course, also get a lot of info about what is required when recruiting. If there is any particular organization you are interested in knowing more about, then look at all of their ads and not just those that pertain to your professional field. Also, try to map the recruitment companies and consultants available for your specific focus so that you can find ads and jobs more efficiently.

Fast forward your research

The best way to be effective in research is to choose suitable methods and then focus on questions that give a lot.

Here are some of the questions that often go the farthest. They are not always easy to get acquainted with, but you quickly notice that you have gained a completely different understanding and can learn more much faster once you are there.

About the industry:

Who are the 3-5 more dominant players in the industry?

Which 3-5 challengers can you find that challenge the established players in the industry?

What significant challenges does the industry face in the coming years?

Which educations/certifications are most common in the industry?

What search methods does the industry/employer generally use to find staff?

About the organization:

What makes some employers feel extra attractive to you?

What experiences are good to bring to these organizations?

What is the background of the people who work in organizations today?

What significant challenges does the organization face in the coming years?

What are the employment needs for the coming year?

About the job:

What seems to be the most crucial success factors in this role?

What do supply and demand look like for the positions you envision?

Those who have this role today, how did they get there?

What do your competitors look like? Age, experience, education, other backgrounds?

How has the role changed in recent years?