The process of job hunting can be daunting and taking much longer, than you may have initially expected. A Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey (June 2020) reports that most respondents (56%) had been unemployed for up to two months, while the majority (63%) believe it will take up to six months to find work.

Another survey conducted in 2018 by Randstad indicated, that it took on average up to five months to find a new job.  So why is the job search process so lengthy, taking on average between two to six months? There are several factors impacting the length of one’s job search and many of them are completely independent of the job seeker’s profile. Here are the factors slowing down the job search process:

• The overall state of the employment market globally, taking into consideration the seasonal employment fluctuations, the state of local economy and the overall geo-political situation inthe region.

• The local job market specific to the domain or function being your specialty, as not every job market is equally fruitful in job offers in a specific niche.

• The quality and quantity of the talent pool in your specialty.

While some of these factors might be discouraging, making you feel less empowered to secure a job in a short period of time, there are certain actions you can take to speed up the recruitment process.

Job hunting is a process, not an event  First, help yourself by managing your own expectations on the timeline of the job-hunting process. Since many surveys indicate, that the job-hunting process takes between two to six months on average, don’t assume a happy scenario of becoming employed in two weeks’ time. Set up the right expectations to your family and closest ones, also manage your home budget appropriately.

Consider this a project with a few-month timeline, specific complexity, purpose and relevance. Put yourself in the shoes of a project manager – it is you managing the project’s resources, so the result is ultimately in your hands!

While you can’t change the state of the employment market, you can influence the breadth of job offers to consider. Try to expand your job search geographically and start to consider job offers from a broader area. While you may not necessarily plan to relocate or spend long time commuting to work, employers are becoming more flexible these days, so you can never assume you will not be allowed to work flexibly for some part of the week.

Some employers may also subsidize the commute cost or cover the costs of your relocation process.

Come out of your niche

While it is perfectly fine to look for a job mirroring your skillset, make sure to widen your search with alternative keywords and start to consider jobs, which seem to be a little broader, than your key specialty. Remember, that all your knowledge and understanding of the job offers is based on assumptions and the ultimate hiring decisions are made by the employers themselves.

Make sure to present you profile in front of a wide range of people, even outside of your key specialty. You never know to what extent hiring managers are flexible with their requirements.

Network extensively

Jobvite’s 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey has shown, that 50% of respondents heard about new opportunities from their friends, while 37% say they also learned about jobs from professional networks. These numbers are the best example of the power of networking in job hunting. Make sure to broaden your professional network every day, connecting with valuable contacts and thought leaders on LinkedIn and on other social media platforms. Build a habit of reading industry news with your morning coffee and look out for the names of the leaders and decision makers in the companies of your interest. Also, be vocal about your job aspirations when speaking with friends, colleagues or even neighbors. You can never guess whose personal network can become helpful in introducing you to the people in the company of your interest!

Continue to enhance your skills

Job searching these days is not only about passive application for roles, but about constant upskilling and development. Having reviewed the job openings on the market, you must have gained a better understanding of the typical requirements and the potential skill gaps in your profile. Try to find some online courses to cover the gaps, do review industry articles to enhance your business knowledge, perhaps try to engage in some NGO projects to apply your knowledge.

Set up a healthy daily routine

Job hunting may make you feel a little helpless, not knowing where to start and on which activities to focus on during each day. Make sure to set up a healthy daily routine for the time of your job hunting. Include the necessary time for a daily workout, chores and spending time with your closest ones. Besides, try to spend two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon on the job-hunting activities. Spend an hour reviewing new job postings and tailoring your resume for the application purpose.

Update your job application tracker with the new roles identified. Spend another hour broadening your online network and identifying decision makers in the companies of your interest.

Make sure to find spare time for completing online courses to cover your skill gaps. Finally, do your daily run around industry news websites and make sure you are on track with what is happening in the market. Finding a good balance between the job-hunting routine and your personal life will give you good energy to continue the job search!

Oliwia

Global Executive Recruiter

EY Cyprus Advisory Services Limited