How to Land a Job Easily with these 7 Tips

Is landing a job a familiar phrase, or does it arouse feelings of disappointment in you?

You are now thinking about how much of a loser you have become for not landing that job opportunity as fast?

Maybe you have been burning the midnight oil drafting CVs, only for them to end up in a dustbin.

Well, it’s not like I have a job to offer you now, but I’m here to walk you through how to land a job and perhaps, get that dream opportunity. Or, at worse, get a job towards that trajectory.

Landing a Job: The Status Quo

More than ever, literacy levels are up and high. Institutions of higher learning are churning graduates in various fields into the job market.

Unfortunately for them, it’s one of the worst times to seek employment. Corporate Kenya is ailing, and job cuts by companies are a common trend today.

Neither are the employed any safer. Pay rises and promotions are becoming rare by the day.

More than ever, literacy levels are up and high, institutions of higher learning are churning out graduates in various fields into the job market. Unfortunately for graduates, it’s one of the worst times to seek employment.

It’s no longer a surprise to be hit by worrisome newspaper headlines. They are now part of the trending news.

“Why Kenya is trapped in a debt spiral.“

“Alarm as 388 Kenyan firms dissolved in 6 months“

“Kenyans with Ksh 100,000 in bank fall to thirteen year low“

All these a clear indicators that the Kenyan economy has seen better days.

Companies are tightening their budgets by the day and making some roles redundant as a measure to stagnate the wage bill. This is also to help safeguard their profit margins.

The COVID-19 pandemic swept some businesses, and some are still struggling to stay afloat. Brick and mortar corporations and organizations like Posta Kenya are on the brink of extinction.

The digital era now strides colossally in the communication space.

Unlike in the ’70s and ’80s, when fresh graduates would be in the payroll system a few days after graduation, the situation today is one to be pitied.

As the cliche goes, tarmacking and gambling are the norm today as the youth resort to unethical methods of sustaining their livelihoods. How then do you land a job successfully under the status quo?

If you are still with me, that’s great. It’s time to cut the chase and hit the nail on the head.

Job Warfare

You need to understand that this is not a surefire strategy that is guaranteed to land you a job today.

However, chances are that it will give you a fresh perspective on things and help you towards changing your fortunes.

The job market today is no longer about sending resumes but building connections through networking. So, the number one secret to landing a job today is to

1. Network

Network by building reliable connections that guarantee you results someday.

A starting point for you: What are your classmates doing, and what opportunities do they have that you could take advantage of?

Linkedin is a suitable site to try out as well. It’s more or less like an online CV that gives you more visibility. You want to have a strong profile that lists your skill set and work experience that will make potential employers come knocking.

Some key items to focus on when building your Linkedin profile include:

Your skills – highlight them under your experience section,
Open to Section found at the heading of your profile. Highlight what roles you can handle remotely or on-site. This is visible to Linkedin Recruiters,
The About section – Clearly highlight your professional summary, what you are good at, key results, and achievements.
Education,
Experience.

2. Volunteer

You lose nothing by choosing to volunteer. Some have volunteered for organizations like the RED CROSS and got to land lucrative job opportunities.

Volunteering can come through several opportunities, such as

Mission outreach through your church or Ministry
Volunteering for additional tasks in your new role – could easily land you a job promotion.
Writing for free over something you have expertise on through medium or a personal blog.
Holding career and life talks in schools, churches, and colleges

Volunteering is one way to land a job without professional experience.

3. Referrals

This is more or less like leveraging your connections to sell you to potential employers they know.

Once you make them aware of your key competencies, selling you to the best opportunity will be easier.

4. Skill-match your CV

Tailor-make your resume to suit the skills and experience a potential employer is looking for.

Sending a blanket cover letter and resume to potential employers is a guaranteed way to ensure you land no job.

The takeaway here is to make sure you create a resume that matches the skill set an employer is looking for.

For instance, a banking experience would be irrelevant in the medical field.

What are the keywords in the job post you intend to apply to? What skills and experience is the employer looking for?

Make sure to capture them in your CV.

5. Avoid Being Choosy

Yes, I know you are a computer scientist from a reputable university. But just because someone is offering you a job out of your field is not enough reason to throw it down the drain.

Often, life will hand you what you don’t want before you get what you want.

Grab that first opportunity and use it as leverage to network and build meaningful connections.

Their pay may be meagre, but it’s bound to increase over time. It’s no longer a secret that some top company employees first began as casual workers in their organizations.

Start with the end goal in mind.

6. Consider Self-employment

If you are a technician, chef, plumber, or painter, you can also self-employ yourself and build a business that will help employ other people.

These skill sets are rarely taught in Kenyan universities but polytechnics and tertiary institutions. Find a skill your hand can do.

7. Make yourself Valuable

I know you have a degree or a master’s in a field. You are very proud of it, but hey! Education is just part of the endless learning process.

You never stop learning and researching unless you want to expire sooner.

Always make yourself relevant in your field of specialization. You can do this by attending workshops and conferences and studying more.

Bottom Line

Searching for a job today is not only about writing the perfect C.V. Focus your energy on building meaningful workplace connections.

You can be sure this will be a significant investment that will pay off someday.

Follow the tips we offer you today; it won’t be long before you stop filling a loser. Share this with a friend and encourage someone on the path to landing a job.