If you’re getting cross and frustrated because job hunting is burning up SO much time and energy, I wonder if you’re making one of the common mistakes and inadvertently self-sabotaging your search.
Do you use apology words in your CV or when you’re sat opposite the hiring manager in the job interview?
“I think I’m a good leader”, “I got lucky when I got promoted”, ”I’m quite good at delivering projects on budget” or “I just ensure that we meet the monthly KPIs”?
Apology words diminish your power and tell the recruiter that you lack confidence in your skills and experience, even if you don’t.
Maybe you’re being too passive on your CV, talking about responsibilities rather than achievements? We can all be responsible for something but not actually be doing anything so it’s important to talk about achievements.
You might not be confidently projecting your specific contributions because you’re using powerful action verbs (by the way I just published 99 Action Verbs To Make Your CV Stand Out so you’ve got no excuse not to).
Or perhaps you’re not using influential keywords on your LinkedIn profile to make sure you show up in the search results?
You’re not alone in this by the way … we all fall into this trap from time to time, even me.
And I don’t even notice I’m doing it!
But if you want to craft a winning CV and optimise your LinkedIn profile to showcase the best of your skills and experience and become THE stand out candidate – before you even apply, I’d like to share my my top tips with you.
Top tips to stop self-sabotaging your job search
- Focus on showcasing your achievements rather than simply responsibilities
- Numbers speak louder than words so be sure to include numbers where you can e.g. £, %, team size, budget size
- Identify your personal SEO keywords and sprinkle these throughout your LinkedIn profile AND on your CV
- Get crystal clear on your most valuable skills and achievements so you know exactly how to present yourself on your CV and LinkedIn profile
- Pinpoint what’s most important to you about your next role so you don’t waste time and energy applying for the wrong roles or to the wrong employer
- Use all the available ‘real estate’ on LinkedIn with a headline that says WHO you are and WHAT you do so you start to attract recruiters to your profile
- Get over the fear and big yourself up – now is not the time to be modest, if you want your dream job, you need to get comfortable talking about you and your achievements
There’s more you could be doing but these are my top tips to help you stop self-sabotaging your job search so that instead you become THE stand out candidate.
PS If you want to super charge your job search and land your ideal job with the perfect flexible working AND get paid your full market worth so you can take your family on your dream holiday, check out Job Search Confidence today.
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