Job hunting is hard, there is no other way to say it. Countless applications, time-consuming interviews and usually lots of disappointment. The key: Good preparation. In this article, we’re showing you four must-dos for your next job hunt.

If you’re looking to change jobs soon or find something new, preparation is crucial, so let’s get right into it.

Brushing up the CV & Portfolio

When was the last time you really took a deep look at your CV? Are you still sending the five-page resumée you got from a career advisor ten years ago? Using some of those great elements like progress bar that went as quickly as they came?

How CVs are designed and expected changes over time. Even a few years ago, overly styled and colourful CVs with lots of icons, columns and progress bars as skill designators were really in fashion, whereas today they are a little bit dated.

The best thing you can do is get your CV to a professional for review. There are services for that, or you can simply send it to someone you trust (even though the feedback might not be 100% truthful then).

A polished CV and portfolio is what gets your foot in the door and is the first step to a successful job hunt.

Know your worth

This is a common interview question, but before you get there, ask yourself really critically: Why should someone hire you?

A question that often scratches on people’s confidence, but also one that will show a hiring managers how you evaluate your own skills and what you can bring to the table. It’s therefore crucial that you internalize this question. What’s unique about you? In a stand-off between you and somebody else, why should you get hired?

Interviews will start to get a lot more successful for you if you learn how to sell your skills and make the hiring manager aware of your capabilities.

Do some interview preparation

Interviews can be dreadful, especially if you need to do a lot of them. It can also be difficult to know how you’re being perceived on the other end of the line. Sometimes, the first impression can mean a lot.

Find somebody who acts as a tough interviewer. You can book someone like that online, but can also get someone you trust to do it.

Routine will give you confidence and make you less nervous when it comes to the real deal! Apart from technical details, questions tend to be very similar between interviews so there is definitely a point to study this!

Also important: Be proactive. By asking the interviewer your own questions, you can transform a strict interview into an engaging conversation that will stay in your interviewer’s mind.

Apply, apply, apply

At some point, get away from preparations and go out there. You can’t burn any bridges here, just apply to all positions you’d like without further waiting. If it doesn’t work out, it simply wasn’t meant to be (for now!).

The worst thing you can do is brush up your CV, portfolio and interview preparation for so long, that you forget the most important part: Getting out there.

If you tend to get stuck in such things, we’d be happy to help! For your job hunt, we wish you the best of luck!