Jobs
How to Find a Job in the Field of Your Choice: Tips that Guarantee Success
From researching your industry to understanding what companies want, here is how you land your dream job.
When it comes to finding your dream job, the road can be long and winding. In your mind, you need to find the perfect company, the perfect job, and the perfect city! Not to mention the fat salary!
In this article, I am going to give you basic but important tips on how to find a job in the field of your choice.
From researching your industry to understanding what companies are looking for, to preparing for your interview and landing the job, you apply through our jobs website. I’ll cover all the bases.
So, what should be your starting point? Every journey, as the saying goes, begins with a single step.
And, the best chances at finding a job come from putting yourself out there both in person and online and also from being prepared for any question someone may throw at you during an interview, application process, or other similar situation.
The first time I applied for a job and got invited for an interview I ran left right and centre just to make sure that I get hired.
After receiving the email invitation, my first stop was Google. I had no prior experience when it comes to job interviews. So I typed ‘How to prepare for a job interview’ into the sidebar.
The search results were not only puzzling but also increased my anxiety. I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity because I was desperate for employment. Long story short, that interview gave me proper character development.
As a Kenyan seeking employment either full-time, on a contract or on a paid internship, you need to stand out from the crowd because it is very competitive.
Therefore, before submitting your job application, here are the 9 documents you absolutely must have:
- Tax compliance certificate.
- Helb clearance certificate.
- Medical report from a doctor (not a nurse).
- An up-to-date good conduct certificate.
- Copy of your original ID.
- Academic results i.e. Transcripts and certificates.
- Copies of all your qualifications.
- A well-written CV and cover letter.
- Passport-size photos of yourself.
The list above is important in gauging your job preparedness. If you are already equipped, proceed to our jobs page and find the job you love! But wait, Make sure you read on to know how you should prepare for a job interview.
We can assist you with creating your resume or cover letter if you don’t have one or are unsure if it meets professional market standards. Simply go to our services page and choose the plan you require. The pricing for the plans is tailored to your budget.
How To Prepare For A Job Interview
A job interview is a process that is done to assess the suitability of a candidate for employment. It helps the employer understand the qualifications, skills, and personality of the applicant.
The interview process can be formal or informal. And, this varies with company practices and procedures but generally includes one or more interviews with a representative of the company.
In some cases, there may be multiple rounds of interviews before a candidate is offered employment.
Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, but you can prepare for them and make a great impression.
You should also know what questions to expect from the interviewer, how to answer them, and how to practice answering those questions ahead of time.
Pre-Interview Preparation
1. Research the company.
You should research the company’s mission statement, culture, and competitors. You’ll want to know what makes your new employer unique in order to distinguish it from other firms.
It’s also important that you learn as much as possible about their products or services so that you can have a more informed opinion when interviewing with them.
If there are any recent news articles that relate to this company or its employees (or even competitors), make sure they’re included in your research so that you may gain an understanding of how well it suits your needs—and if not, consider other options!
2. Dress professionally and comfortably.
When you are interviewing for a job, it is essential to dress professionally and comfortably. This will make you look more confident, which is important when speaking with potential employers.
Dress for the weather. If you’re going on an interview in winter, wear a coat and scarf; if it’s summertime and hot outside, wear shorts or pants instead of jeans (or nothing at all). Your clothing choice also depends on what type of environment your interview takes place in.
An office may require more formal attire than an interview at home would require; likewise, an interview could take place outdoors if there is no air conditioning available inside where everyone else has already gone home hours ago!
Dress to impress! What do they care about how much money they make off me? They’ll be sorry soon enough anyway when I’m making their life miserable.”
3. Show up on time.
Show up 10 minutes early. If you’re going to be late, call the interviewer and let them know before they leave for their appointment. Don’t just show up after they’ve been waiting for you—that’s rude!
And if it turns out that your car broke down or something else happened, apologize and give yourself some extra time to get there without making anyone feel bad about themselves or their job responsibilities.
Arrive on time if possible (within 5 minutes). Most people are pretty good about this one; however, there are always exceptions where someone may have forgotten an appointment or run into some other kind of unexpected issue that prevented them from being able to make it on time—and these things happen more often than we’d like them too!
4. Bring your resume, cover letter, and a list of references.
Bring a copy of your resume for the interviewer to take with them. Use business cards instead of printed materials because they are easier to carry around in case you need to give them out again later on during the interview process.
5. Stay calm during the interview.
It’s important to stay calm during an interview. Why? Because you can avoid making any mistakes, and it shows that you’re not going to act like a jerk or be pushy with the interviewer.
How do you stay calm? Here are some tips:
Breathe deeply and slowly in through your nose, then out through a small mouthful of air (don’t hold your breath).
This will help keep your heart rate down and prevent panicking because something went wrong in the interview process—and who wants to do that?
6. Practice your answers ahead of time.
Get feedback on how you do from a friend or colleague who is not there for the interview.
Use a mirror and ask yourself questions like “Is my hair doing this?” or “Do I look nervous?” when practising in front of a mirror, so that you can see what works well and what doesn’t work well.
Try out some different ways of delivering your answers. Do one thing one way, try another way, and repeat until both feel comfortable enough for delivery at the actual job interview
7. Try to keep your answers positive.
In your quest of trying to find a job, the interviewer is looking for a positive attitude, so don’t be negative or complain about things that aren’t working in the interview. They want someone who will be happy with the job and fit in with their company culture.
It’s also important to remember that there are many factors involved when hiring someone new, including personality traits and interpersonal skills like communication and listening ability, which may not be directly related to what you know as an expert on hiring practices.
8. Have a positive attitude towards the job, the company you’re applying to work for, and the interviewer.
Be enthusiastic about your skills and abilities. In addition to being prepared for any questions that may come up, try to think of things you can do that would make your interviewer say “Wow!” or “You’re really good at this.”
The best candidates are those who show enthusiasm in their responses, even if they don’t have all the answers yet!
Respect other people’s time by keeping them informed of any changes in plans or schedules as soon as possible (within 24 hours).
9. Be prepared to ask questions.
Be prepared to ask questions. You should be prepared to ask the interviewer questions, as well as yourself before the interview.
A good way of thinking about this is that it’s your duty to ask all of these things in order to make sure you do your best at the job interview and show yourself in a favourable light.
Questions that should be asked:
What are my strengths and weaknesses? Can I do this job if someone gives me additional training? How long would it take for me to get up-to-speed on all aspects of this job, including how much time will I need per day/week/month etc.?
Are there any duties that require absolute attention such as being responsible for something important or making decisions without proper consultation (e.g., when dealing with customers)?
Do I have any other projects going on at home or personal life which might affect me being able to perform well at work (e.g., family issues)?
Hopefully, the above tips have given you some ideas on how to approach your job interview. Remember that there are many factors in deciding whether or not you’ll get a job offer—and each applicant will be judged on his or her own merits! So make sure these tips are useful for you and put them into action.
Remember, networking is key to finding a job. The more you can network with people who will help you on your way, the better off you’ll be.
And if you’re not sure where to start, check out our Telegram channel where we share job application tips that will propel you in the right direction.
