How to apply for a job?

Once you have decided on your career objective(s) and evaluated yourself and the available opportunities the next step is to choose your appropriate strategy to acquire the position. First of all you need to keep in mind that each application should be tailor-made according to the position and the employer. This means that you will need to have several slightly different resumes based on which of your skills and earlier achievements you would like to highlight. As soon as you've got your personalized marketing tool (i.e. your resumes) at your hand you can start thinking about the channels of selling it.

Advertisements: Sending your resume via emails in response to an advertisement is probably one of the most common and simultaneously the most competitive way of application. In order to reach your target person it is essential that you include in your application the job title as well as the source, the reference number and the date of advertisement. Also it is wise to address your e-mail and cover letter to the contact person mentioned in the ad. Practical tip when you apply is to remember the advertised position so that you avoid unpleasant situations not being able to recognize your own application.

Recruitment companies: you can directly upload your resume to the database of recruitment companies. In such cases you resume and motivation letter should include more general information about your career path and preferences than in the case of replying to an advertisement. As recruitment consultants often make searches in databases for the different positions based on key words it is important that your resume contain the key words related to your skills and experiences (e.g.: SAP, chartered accountant, fluent English) needed for a particular role.

Companies: visiting the website of companies you are interested in is the best way of gathering information about the company culture and available opportunities. You often need to fill in company specific registration forms which can be time consuming therefore always leave enough time to go through the different questions they might ask.

Networking: one of the best resources of information available is the people you know. Let others know about your values, skills, and qualifications. At the university, at your earlier companies, amongst friends you can always find people who know people that might be able to offer you a good opportunity. Participating at professional events or being a member of committees related to your current/desired profession is also a very good tool to get to know relevant people. However, always consider that any networking you do to find a new job must be discrete.

And last but not least if you apply, be prepared to be contacted either by the company or a recruitment agency. So make sure you know for which positions you have applied, can answer questions concerning your experience and objectives as well as be prepared to speak in foreign languages you mentioned in your application.