What You Need to Do Before Applying to a New Job

Once you come across a job posting that you’re interested in, it’s important to stop and take some time to prepare, rather than just hurrying to submit your application out of excitement. Attention to detail is crucial at this stage, because if you don’t represent yourself in the best manner possible, you could get an automatic rejection. Learn more about what you need to do before applying to a new job.

• Thoroughly Review the Description

Don’t just briefly skim the job posting – thoroughly review the description. Not only do you need to ensure you comprehend what the job entails, but having a clear understanding of what the hiring manager is looking for can help you determine your most relevant skills and how to most persuasively present yourself.

• Research the Company

It’s important to have a clear grasp of the company before you apply, so do some research. Review their company website, social media, and online reviews to get a sense of whether you would be a good overall fit (and if it’s someplace you even would want to work) and be able to personalize your cover letter to appeal to the company’s particular needs.

• Tailor Your Resume and Cover Letter

Writing a resume and cover letter is not a onetime event in which you develop generic documents to be used for all jobs. For each job you apply to, tailor your application materials in order to highlight your most relevant skills and achievements for that specific role, such as by reordering your bullet points to put the most important ones for the job up top or eliminating unrelated skills.

• Proofread Before Submitting

It can’t be emphasized enough: never apply for a job without proofreading your cover letter and resume – and ideally having someone else review it too. Typos, formatting issues, and other seemingly small errors can make you seem unprofessional and lacking attention to detail.

• Review Your Online Presence

At some point in the hiring process, hiring managers are likely to screen potential candidates’ online presences, so clean it up before you even apply. Take a look at your social media profiles, blog, or other online channels and see what’s in public view. If there is anything you wouldn’t want hiring managers to see, delete it or update your privacy settings.

Contact PrideStaff for Help with Your Job Search!

Find new opportunities by working with PrideStaff Akron. Our team of recruiters can match you with the jobs that are the best match from employers across industries. Search our database of current available jobs to get started.