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Step 1: Find the job you want –

The purpose of this step is to get an idea of what jobs you’re qualified for, who’s offering them, and what you need to start applying. Finding job postings will be relatively easy, the difficult part will be narrowing it down to the ones you are interested in. 

Step 2: Tailor Your Experience to the Position –

Identify the skills & qualities you have that match the jobs requirements to make your application stand out. Your CV should be an easy read, consistently formatted and relevant to the position you wish to get. Finally, your cover letter needs to be unique and personal, and show not only why you’re a good fit, but why you stand out more than the other people. 

Step 3: Customize Your Application -

Now that you have some positions to apply to and a general CV and cover letter, it’s time to actually start applying to jobs. The key objective here is to make yourself stand out from the crowd by highlighting what makes you unique for the position and a good fit for the company. Hiring managers get hundreds of generic cover letters, so a little extra effort can go a long way to catching their attention. Follow exact instructions for applying, see if you have any mutual connections on LinkedIn with the company and tailor your cover letter, detailing what role you wish to apply for, the name of the company and something that shows you have researched the company.

Step 4: Nail the interview –

Once you apply to jobs, you should start hearing back from people for interviews. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while, just keep refining your application materials and applying to more jobs. Practise common questions, dress well, be punctual, be friendly and write an email thanking the interviewer for their time.

Step 5: Review and Rework –

Applying for jobs is difficult and takes time, so don't be discouraged if you're not getting interviews. It's possible you just need someone to look over your CV and cover letter to make some edits. See if you have a friend with experience in hiring to give you some suggestions. This could be all you need to change your luck. Alternatively, you may need to review the jobs you’re applying for against your own skills & experience.

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