22 Job Hunting Tips For 2024

Is a new job on your 2024 New Year’s resolutions list? With a recent study of 5,000 UK workers revealing 22% want to start 2024 with a new job, it’s clear looking for a new role in 2024 might come with its challenges.

Doing your research now and formulating a solid plan with the help of my 22 job hunting tips will put you in a solid position before and during your search in 2024.

Reflect on your career goals

By understanding what you want your career to look like, you can plan how you can get there. This will help your job search as you will have a clear idea of what your next job needs to be to get you to where you want to be.

Think about why you’re looking for a new job

Consider the reasons you have for looking for a new role. Think about what you do and don’t like about your current/last role and employer. It’s easy to accept a job offer from the first business that gives you one, but if you are planning to leave your role for a particular reason, make sure your next role is fulfilling those wants and needs. This might include a higher salary, more flexibility, a shorter commute, better benefits, more autonomy, more investment in training and development, increased career progression and job prospects – the list goes on!

Consider your skills and experience

Take some time to list your skills and the projects you’ve worked on. Consider how each of your previous workplaces and roles have developed your skillset. It can be hard to think back, so set aside a few hours to have a thorough think. Although you don’t want to mention everything on your CV, it’s important to have plenty of examples and experiences in your toolkit for when you get to the interview stage.

Note – lots of professionals choose to keep a document updated throughout their careers detailing metrics and key achievements so that they easily remember when needed.

Remember soft skills are important

Most companies are looking for certain soft skills that will enable you to fit into their current team well. Team work, communication, focus, confidence, time management etc. So remember to think about examples of when you’ve displayed these skills in the workplace. Of course, hard skills are important, but an increased number of employers are now actively looking to hire based on soft skills too.

Optimise your CV for each job role

It’s tempting to have a one-size-fits-all CV, but that won’t cut the mustard. Make sure you tailor your CV for each role you apply to, including all your past experiences and projects that are relevant to the role you are applying for. Ensure it is clearly laid out so that the hiring manager has no issues spotting the key details.

Update your LinkedIn

One of the best LinkedIn job hunting tips is to make sure your profile is fully optimised. Ensure your headline and About section clearly display your skills and experience, and turn on the ‘Open to Work’ feature if you are currently unemployed.

Research potential companies

Most professionals utilise job boards to find new opportunities. However, identifying companies that you want to work for and keeping an eye on their vacancies can be a great approach too. This way you are more likely to find roles where the company aligns with your values. If you solely focus on this approach, it may take longer for the right thing to come along. However, if you’re not rushing to leave your current role, you might just find the exact right thing for you in a company that aligns with what is important to you.

Follow potential company socials

If you’ve found a company you really want to be a part of, check to see if they are active on social media. If they are, find out more about their work socials, employee reward opportunities etc. This can give you a better understanding of a company’s work culture so that you have a good level of knowledge if any opportunities come up with them.

Research salaries

Whether you’re currently working in a role or not, the market is always changing. So do your research to understand what companies are offering for someone in your position and with your experience. This can give you a better understanding of what you are looking for in a salary and will help with negotiating later on.

Networking

This may sound like one of those job hunting tips that is easier said than done. However, attending career fairs or industry events are excellent ways to meet potential employers and industry peers. Whilst you might prioritise finding businesses and hiring managers at these events, I would also recommend talking to those in similar roles to you. They may have some contacts who can help or give you their own job hunting tips.

Set up job alerts

This is a more straightforward way to keep on top of your job search. Most job boards and some recruitment agency websites will allow you to set up alerts for new roles, based on filters like key skills, salary range, distance from you etc.

Consider upskilling and training opportunities

While you conduct your job search, if you have time available, consider enrolling for some training opportunities. Especially if you have found yourself to be stagnating in your last role, it can be a good opportunity to increase your employability.

Consider contract roles

If you are struggling to find a great permanent role and are content with something more short-term, a contract role might work out quite well for you. Contract roles can give you more work experience, prevent gaps on your CV and allow you more time to find a permanent role you will really enjoy.

Build up your connections

Another one of my LinkedIn job hunting tips is to connect with as many relevant people as you can. Ideally, connect with your previous colleagues and managers in order to improve your presence in your sector. You may also like to consider connecting with recruiters who specialise in your sector. Sometimes it is a case of right place right time, but if not, at least they will be aware of you and you might hear of job opportunities through them.

Research the company pre-interview

If you have an interview scheduled, make sure you take the time to understand what the company does and key facts like when it was founded, and its mission and values. This shows your interest in the company and will increase your chances of being hired.

Role-play interview questions

This may feel a little silly, but it is a great preparation technique for interviews. If you work out your answers to both general and specific questions, you won’t be thrown off by unexpected questions.

Think about the logistics of the interview

If you are interviewing remotely, make sure you have a tidy background, good internet and no distractions. For in-person interviews, plan the journey so you know how to get to the interview location and set off with plenty of time in case there are any delays. You might also like to prepare your outfit beforehand, so it is one less thing to worry about on the day of the interview.

Make contact after the interview

If you’ve not heard anything back in the time frame given at the interview, it won’t harm your chances to send a polite email asking for an update and letting the interviewers know it was a pleasure to meet them.

Ask for feedback

Feedback is vital, whether you’ve been offered the role or not. In particular, if you are unsuccessful, feedback is a great opportunity to learn about where you went wrong in order to help you in your next interview.

Set yourself workable targets

Job hunting can be quite overwhelming. So make sure to plan your day and week using achievable goals. For example, applying for 3 jobs per day, researching 10 companies, interacting with 3 LinkedIn posts and talking to 2 recruiters. Particularly, if you are still in your current role, it’s easy to neglect job searching.

Look after yourself

Job hunting can be very stressful and difficult to manage, especially if you have faced some rejections and people failing to respond to you. Make sure that you prioritise your well-being and try as much as you can to not focus on negative thoughts and feelings.

Sign up to a recruitment agency

It costs nothing to a job hunter to get in touch with recruiters. They can help you connect with fantastic companies, prepare you for interviews, give you job hunting tips and market insights, and aid in contract/salary negotiations.

If you are an IT professional and would like some assistance with your job search, check out our latest opportunities here. If there is nothing that catches your eye, send in your CV and we will get in touch if we find something suitable for you.