"What CAN I do?"
Tips and Tricks for Job Seekers
While there are so many economic, political and public health-related forces at play that directly impact your job search, there are some elements you can directly influence to gain traction in your search and help you look after yourself along the way!
Mental Health and Mindset
Being a job seeker during the Covid-19 pandemic can come with many emotions, frustrations, and apprehensions. Taking care of your mental health is so important to help you manage this, so we thought we would start off by including some of our favourite, free, mental wellbeing platforms.
● Mentemia is a fantastic app catered at supporting you and your mental wellbeing. It’s easy to download on your phone through the app store and the best part is, it’s free to use during Covid-19. Backed by a world-leading team of wellbeing experts, Mentemia can create happier, healthier, more resilient employees and individuals. Think of the app as a wellbeing coach in your pocket! If you want to find out more click here.
● Ted Talks offer some great videos covering global issues, business, mental health, personal growth and more. They are free to watch here.
Rejuvenate your Resume!
Now is a better time than ever to get your CV into tip-top shape. A strong resume is essential to landing a new job or role. It is your personal marketing document; thoughtfully designed and structured in a way that best sells your skills and abilities to a potential employer. Here are our top tips to get you ready:
● Link it all in. Adapt your resume to the online world - include links to your Linkedin, blogs and online work
● Add specific achievements to your experience section. Illustrate skills and strengths with achievements.
● Use figures to get your point across. Provide clear data to justify your achievements.
● Make sure your CV is clear and concise and tells a picture of your background, key skills, achievements, and responsibilities
● Spotlight key skills. Make sure the skills you list match the requirements in the job description. Read it carefully to see what systems, programmes and key words are mentioned.
● Use a practical resume structure which is easy to read with clear formatting.
● Use tools like Grammarly to proofread.
Dollars and Sense
It is a challenging time in our economy - here are some practical and free resources you can look at to further your knowledge around finances and your money:
● Enableme is an organisation equipping New Zealanders to be one step closer to financial freedom. They are also hosting free online webinars! Hannah McQeen is engaging, knowledgeable and a fantastic speaker. Click here, to see the upcoming free webinars available.
● Ducks in a row is another great free resource for those who want to know more about money and pay some extra attention to their financial future. A lot of this stuff isn’t taught at school, and we are expected to just 'figure it out’ and, when information is made available, often it’s too complicated to understand - and doesn’t offer a next step. Ducks in a row gives you clear, concise advice on what you can do, with guidance around how to implement their advice. They are also currently offering a free Kiwisaver consultation to help get your current KiwiSaver set up, and explain your options - so you can assess whether you are with the right provider and fund type for your situation.
Tech Tools
With technology at the forefront of recruitment processes in the current climate, we thought we would include some handy (and free!) tech tools to aid in your job search:
● Optimise your search by exploring job boards and recruitment agency sites for additional, helpful content. Take a look at Tribe Talks on the Tribe website for thoughtful and topical news, views and industry trends! Also, SEEK has a Career Advice page where you can find relevant articles and insights backed up with SEEK data.
● There are some useful platforms out there to help you keep on top of your applications and progress. Try JibberJobber, a software program that helps you to organise and track your job search.
● Need to send important documents to your recruiter or employer, without a printer/scanner? If you have access to a smartphone, apps like Genius Scan and CamScanner enable you to clearly scan and send images as a PDF.
Knowledge and Networking
As a job seeker, keeping yourself informed and reaching out to your network are two valuable steps you can take during the Covid-19 pandemic. If you can, we suggest:
● Using your LinkedIn profile to enhance your job search by making new connections, and updating your details/experience/interests to make your profile stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. Utilise the free tools available on LinkedIn - like Suggested Connections, your Profile Strength rating and LinkedIn Learning.
● Setting up Google Alerts for organisations and industries that you are interested in, to ensure you are up to date with any new developments.
● Reaching out to the team at Tribe, of course! To get in touch click here.
While we hope these tips and tools help to set you up for success in your job search, be kind to yourself through the challenges that Covid-19 presents while you are looking for your next role. Take your search one day at a time, control what you can control and remember Tribe are here to help.
