While looking for a job, it is tempting to jump right in - tearing across job boards and applying for any job that catches your eye.
Although it might seem like you are being productive and taking action to achieve your career goals, taking some time to do your research before applying for jobs can make your job search productive and can also help in the long run by enabling you to land a fruitful career that you can grow in and enjoy.
Let’s take a look at how you can research your job:
1.Understand your skills and strengths - Before looking for a job, make sure to have clarity on your skills and strengths. These include the tools and skills you used on your previous job or obtained from your degree and transferable skills that you can apply across various job types. For example, if you worked as a Java developer, your core strengths could be Java, Springboot, etc., and your transferable skills could be problem-solving, time management, etc.
2. Learn what the current industry needs - Take some time to understand the existing and emerging trends and then decide how you can put your skills to use. Chances are, if you are getting back to work after a long break, then there might be many changes in previous technologies, which means you may have to upgrade your skillset or find alternative options. The main goal is to stay up to date with and make sure you have something to offer to be valued by an organization. For example, if you worked in content writing earlier, you may have to get updated with the latest trends and usage of technology tools and AI in the field, like ChatGPT, Grammarly, etc.
3.Take time to find your values/principles - In addition to your skillset, it is important to understand yourself, your personality, and your values. Having a strong sense of your core principles is key in helping you find an organization with a culture fit that you resonate with, build a career out of a job, and find meaning and satisfaction with your work. For example, maybe you value creativity and spontaneity over order and structure. In such a case, pursuing opportunities in organizations that offer you a dynamic environment, such as start-ups or freelance roles would be perfect for you to thrive.
4.Make a note of your constraints and priorities - Now that you have a clear understanding of yourself and your values, it’s time to look into your priorities and constraints to find a role that would be feasible for you to pursue in the long run. These could be your preferences and restrictions concerning salary, location, working hours, industry, domain, working duration, etc. For example, you would like to find a job, but you can offer only 4 hours of work per day. In this case, you have a constraint on your working hours, so part-time opportunities could be a good option. Maybe you are looking to return to work after a break, and you would like guidance and brushing up before taking up a project. This indicates your priority would be to look for returnship programs, rather than direct full-time roles.
Following these steps is sure to make your career comeback successful and hassle-free!
About the Author
Meghana Ganesh is a Community Manager at Her Second Innings. She is a Computer Science Graduate with a passion for women’s empowerment and equality, and diversity hiring in organizations.
Her Second Innings supports women professionals on a sabbatical in their journey of getting back to work. The mission of HSI is to guide women to achieve financial independence. Support from HSI comes in the form of job interviews, reskilling programs in Automation and, free Career Guidance Counselling. Sign up with us and complete your profile to get a call from our counselors to know your job fit.
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