When you are interested in a job

Did you find a job that interests you? Here are some tips on what to do next.

Find out more about the position and employer

Read the job advertisement and find and reflect on its key points:

• What are the job’s main responsibilities and special requirements?
• Do you need a specific degree or certain type of work experience?
• What can you learn from the requirements of the job?
• What type of people are they looking for to fill the position?
• Do the tasks correspond to your skills?
• Are you interested in the employer, field and work tasks?

Find more background information on the employer. You should at least know the employer’s

• field, size and vision, as well as their organisational structure
• different departments and the duties of those who work in them.

Contact the employer and make them interested in you

Contact the employer to make sure that the job that they are advertising corresponds to your skills and wishes. The advertisement will usually spell out the ways that you can contact the employer. Always call whenever you can – it will help you decide whether to apply for the job or not.

A job search is a negotiation between an employer and a potential future employee. Your call may be the ticket to making the employer become more interested in your skills. They will now remember your name, which will be a big help when they begin narrowing down their options. Ask what type of person they are looking for and what type of expertise will be emphasised during the selection process.

Also think in advance whether you would be willing to take part in a recruitment trial in which you can demonstrate your suitability for the position in question to the employer.

To prepare for your call, write down a list of your skills and strengths that are related to the job and remember to keep your CV at hand. If the job does not perfectly match your work and educational background, but you would still like to apply for it, try to think of how you could use the skills that you have learned in other types of tasks.

Different work tasks require different personal attributes and skills – and these can be your strengths. The most important thing when it comes to all types of work tasks − in addition to knowing what the job entails and having the correct skills − is having the right kind of attitude. You have to trust that you are a good applicant and potential new employee.

When you are planning to call an employer who has not advertised a vacancy

• try to first find out who is responsible for recruitments for the job that you want
• make sure that you have their title, name and phone number
• call the contact person and tell them what types of positions you are looking for and why you are interested in their organisation in particular
• your goal is to set up a meeting or receive the go-ahead to send your CV.