When you’re looking for a new job, do you sometimes stretch the truth? If you're inclined to improve your skills or experience, you’re not alone.
Did you know that 90% of candidates “fake it” whilst job hunting, either on their CVs or at the interview stage with up to 75% of candidates providing misleading information.
Here at The ONE Group, we're strong advocates for being yourself, especially during the job-hunting process. We want to inspire and empower job seekers to embrace their true selves and we've written this blog to provide tips for staying true to yourself whilst job-hunting.
How can you #BeYou during a job search?
During a job search, being yourself is about knowing what’s important to you. This means developing an understanding of your own values and goals. Then look for a company that best aligns with your values to find a role that will be the best option to help you achieve your goals.
Understand what’s important to you...
Most of us may have, at some point, experienced a job that we didn’t like. There is a positive to this situation, it has taught us a lesson about what we believe is and what isn’t important to us at work. Some examples could be flexibility or lack of it, or being expected to start earlier or stay late because everyone else is in the habit of doing so.
A lot of people may have also been caught in the trap of wanting to work for a big or well-known brand and possibly even thought this would be vital for professional success. However, once in the role, you discover that the company culture was incompatible with the life you want. Or you may have chosen one job over another based on money and later discovered that the benefits package is not very appealing. These situations can help you understand what you want or need with your next job.
Know your strengths!
Whilst job hunting, look out for those roles where you can play to your strengths. This will enable you to shine when needing to demonstrate how you’ll be able to assist the company with any problems, help to achieve its goals or build upon its success.
A great task to do to help you understand your strengths is to write a list of the skills that you have highlighted on your CV or cover letter. Make sure to include hard skills, like specific expertise, qualifications, or certifications, soft skills, like communication and teamwork, and transferable skills like prioritisation and organisation.
You can then match your skills to the job descriptions. This will assist when showcasing why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.
Check-in with yourself...
As with most things, your values and goals may evolve or change throughout the duration of your career. It’s important to check in with yourself to ensure that you’re still on track to meet your goals or heading in the right direction.
The key takeaway? Align your values and passions with your next role and use this to present yourself in the best light.
Ready to start your job search? Let us help guide you. Start a conversation with our team today by emailing your CV to info@theonegroup.co.uk or visit our jobs page.