|

5 Daily Habits of Successful Job Seekers

By Perminus Wainaina

There’s a common Swahili saying that goes ‘kutafuta kazi ni kazi,’ which in translation means, looking for a job is a full-time affair.

Whether you are employed and looking for a better opportunity or you are out in the hot sun and urgently in need of employment, your success will largely depend on your habits.

Wikipedia defines habits as a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously.

Job search is like any other activity that requires a change in behavior or habits to succeed.

For example, if you want to quit taking alcohol, hanging out with friends at a bar is not a good idea. The temptation will be too much and you might end up consuming. If you want to lose weight and stay fit, you’d have to watch what you eat and also allocate time for exercises.

Success will only come when you make a decision and act on it.

So, what are some of the daily habits you need to cultivate to ensure you get a job fast?

1. Be Busy. Idleness can kill

Number one on the list of habits to eliminate when looking for a job is being idle.

I didn’t get a job immediately after completing my undergraduate studies. And the worst part is, I spent a lot of my free time idling. It was either the TV, visiting friends or relatives or other non-value adding activities.

I say non-value adding because what I was doing was not going to bring me closer to getting a job. The other problem with being idle is that you think a lot. And most of it is always negative. Negative thoughts affect your self-esteem as you start questioning yourself and wondering why things are not working out as fast.

For those working, you could be reporting somewhere but you are not productive with most of your time spent online or playing games.

Successful candidates are those that keep themselves busy by volunteering their skills, getting an internship or finding any other way to be engaged.

Get out and interact with the rest of humanity. You just never know. And always remember, that boss, best friend, spouse, etc was once a stranger.

2. Choosy Vs Knowing What You Want

There’s a big difference between being fussy and particular.

Fussy job seekers will only work for multinationals and other big top names forgetting that all of us cannot work for the UN, Safaricom, big banks, etc.

Fussy candidates will not work in a particular part of Nairobi. They will not take a job in the industrial area and mingle with casuals. Fussy job seekers only look at the salary forgetting that there’s more to a job than the net pay.

I have interacted with candidates who will not attend an interview at a small company because of an erroneous belief that the pay is low. As a recruiter, I know better.

They are some small organizations that you’ve never heard of in Nairobi that pay way well than multinationals and other well-known brands.

Be careful about being choosy as it narrows your options. You might miss a good opportunity.

ALSO WATCH

3. They are consistent

Do you work with goals or simply go with the flow?

Successful candidates set milestones for themselves. Every day they dedicate some time to visiting job sites, sending applications, calling friends and family for introduction, talking to recruiters, etc.

It is not an easy task but day in and out they repeat the same process.

Even when the going gets tough they don’t give up. Compare this to a candidate who says that they are seriously looking for a job but only make one application now and then.

The probability of success is very low if you adopt a style of doing things only when you feel like. Look at successful companies like Safaricom. They advertise their services consistently because the minute they stop or assume that they’ve made it is the day we forget they exist and stop buying from them.

4. Personal Branding

You have to know what you want; your unique selling proposition i.e. that thing that makes you different from others. And more importantly, be able to determine what others think of you when they meet you.

You need to leave a positive impression of how you present yourself.

Personal branding goes beyond having nice clothes, shoes and a professionally done CV. It’s about your confidence. It’s how well you know your job, industry and the value you can contribute when hired.

Successful job seekers are confident and articulate.

5. Keep Learning

Most of the knowledge that I truly treasure is the one I have gained either through experience or by research. I am passionate about HR and every month I buy a book on HR related areas. And it pays dividends because whenever I meet clients, I am confident in my skills. And just like a knife, the mind needs sharpening now and then.

You do that by reading. Majority of us study because it’s a necessity. You study because you have a degree to pass.

However, I would like you to consider studying as a new hobby. Invest in your career and broaden your mind.

Apart from learning new and interesting stuff, you keep your mind engaged and out of harm’s way. Learning also makes you an interesting person as you can hold a conversation beyond the weather, politics or religion.

You also become an ‘ideas’ person and you never know whom you’ll impress with the information.

These five habits are by no means exhaustive. I’d love to hear what has worked for you. You can leave a comment below. It might help someone.

76 Comments

  1. Another way is also by making up your personal businesd cards indicating what you can professionally offer.it is easier with employers to remember the card than the number they saved on the phone.

  2. i love the brain storm.iv been keeping myself busy and i have s strong belief an opening may come soon

  3. Personal branding is really a wonderful point.
    To me this point is a bit challenging. How can I develop it?

  4. Am also surprised that i can tarmac for 2 yrs without having any. I guess there is a problem , but only God knows.

  5. Really educating points especially that being idle kills something am experiencing now

  6. wow! real inspirational, educative, factual and informative. I’ll keep on doing and following these steps for successful job seeking. Thank you, for being there for me.

  7. negative thought always come after i apply for a job and get no feedback. thanks for your advice.

  8. Comment
    I did business management diploma with Kenya institute of management so please help to get a job please

  9. Comment So educative. I was almost giving up but after reading this, the search has just began. Thanks

  10. Thanks for quite an informative writing especially on consistency when looking for a job, it gives hope to those who are outside there looking for a job.

  11. Thank you for posting the above article. I agree that reading helps one change their way of thinking and helps in problem solving and analytical thinking.
    Keep up with the good job..I will try make them a habit

  12. Wonderful,”personal branding is the most important for any job recruitment”.Dorcas Karuana told us during business forum held at KCA University.happy to hear it again from you.

  13. I will put this to practice. I want to be able to articulate and brand myself positively.

  14. This is a great and powerful write up.
    Mr. Wainaina has hit it right and to the point. I am a living testimony. I once worked for an international corporation earning pea nuts and complaining all the time. Then one day, I accepted an interview invitation from a small six years old private family company…… and you wouldn’t not imagine! I landed a job with three times the salary I was earning at the international company. In less than one year, I was earning 6 times my salary. Small organizations are not THAT SMALL ALL THE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO PAY.

  15. Like the article though at times you miss that opportunity in small companies,but all in all learnt something new

  16. great.when job hunting you really have to keep in touch with friends.
    great to knowing you,css ltd

  17. Point 2 captured my attention and agree with you Perminus. We err at times by becoming so choosy yet we haven’t created a brand to market ourselves. I have worked for small organizations which is true that they pay well and i have witnessed guys leaving the “super powers” to seek employment in small organizations with the story being that “am looking for new challenges”. Big organizations come with lots of pressure and “same things every day” and because of this, the employees don’t learn much because the main responsibility is to implement systems already established /created by others. For small organizations where most systems are nonexistence, employees benefit from the opportunity granted to create/institute systems themselves and through this learn new things-Capacity Building

  18. I may not have secured a position through you as at now but I must say, I have gained a lot from you. Information is power. Am enlightened. Keep up the good work.

  19. Great article. What has worked for me previously is not being choosy. I however feel that if one requires growth in career you will be forced to choose depending on the position and the salary you want. Question: does level of education matter a lot when you are looking for career growth. i.e You have enough experience but level of education is Diploma; position is manager?

  20. My issue is for example is I have applied for countless jobs here but no interview I wonder why please advice..

  21. Thanks Mr. Wainaina for this article.It has hit me hardly! I have learnt that I need to position myself in order to stand out from the rest.Good networking is also key.Thanks

  22. I am grateful for having subscribed to corporate staffing i get encoraged every day. Am looking for an administrative job am a holder of diploma in business administration and complete a two year secretarial course. Currently pursuing my diploma level 6 equivalent to bachelors degree final year in business management graduating december this year.

    I have been applying for so many jobs but no invitstion for interview. I have over 10years experience.

    Plse assist me to just attend an interview and share my competence.

  23. I am also glad to have subscribed to this site because it’s encouraging.just finished campus looking for a job but none has come my way yet,but as you said,consistency… Thanks.

  24. you are giving me hope to continue,to press on….am greatful with those great encouragements….CPA section 2 and ATC graduate…..any vacancy i will humble so much.

  25. very true,looking for a job is a job itself though no reward,with my diploma in social work and experience research and surveys,mmh!I’m still jobless i’m going through hard time languishing in poverty,please somebody out there who feels for me and understands what i’m going through to come to ma rescue!

  26. Thumbs up for the informative post.
    Kindly recommend HR books for a HR career beginner.

  27. great Mr wainaina.so encouraging and challenging….. I did bachelor of arts economics and sociology.. which is the best name to give to my career

  28. indeed that’s makes you perfect n u find getting a job an easy task not as many of us think it’s tough.

  29. Thank you for the article, is really inspiring and everyday I get to learn new ideas. It really motivates me. Kind regards

  30. Thank you very much for sharing this .Am a student at my last semester at campus….I will be sharing with with the rest of my classmates
    Again thanks

  31. Great advice sir. But I have done all you have mentioned but I’m in the cold still. I don’t know what my undoing is since I have the right experience and education but the job I am hunting is totally becoming elusive. It worries me alot because I have gone for second interviews which are closer to getting jobs but they don’t materialize. Please advise.

  32. Truely these five habits shall make me an interested person, confident, treasure my knowledge by being particular. Thanks a lot.

  33. Spot on Perminus! Keep up the great job.

    Truly reading is food for the mind- If ignored, the mental faculties get deprived with one resorting to narrow and superficial arguments!

    Peter waweru

  34. looking for a job sometimes seems to be tiresome but for the confident candidates they will go a mile away to scoop the oil. while studying i was an mpesa urgent, not very far. just last year…. but now through the interaction of senior officials in my work place, one of them decided to offer an opportunity. for a beginner job as an accountant i could not let the chance go by the air. i have to pull up my socks coz this is not my destination.
    thanks for your advice.

  35. I am currently on my first job, and I got it by talking to someone while travelling to school for my last semester! Seriously! She was a HR and I was still a student, a 4th year going back to her last semester, with all the worries of where my job is going to come from. So, since my school from Nairobi is quite a distance, I decided to kick off a conversation with her. She sure turned out to be a great resource because after sharing contacts and nagging her constantly to invite me for interview should there be any, she finally called me for an interview when one arose to be her assistant. The firm is nowhere close to what I had expected, the profession nowhere close to what I’ve studied nor the pay like what I had imagined. But it sure does keep me busy before better opportunities come up. And what’s better, am busy, and still getting some experience in something. So, my suggestion would be that people try to connect as well. If I had probably stuck to facebook and to the music on my phone that night, ad probably not have the job I have today.

  36. Its really encouraging. We keep hope,sharpen our minds and will be there.
    Looking for accounts job having experience in Diamond Trust Bank,pwc and pharmaceutical manufacturing with CPA(K) and finance degree.

  37. Grear article. With great experience and yet no even response. Bt this is encouraging as there is hope at the end of the turnell

  38. i concur with you i urge whoever his pursuing something keep on going never give up

  39. Hi Perminus. Nice shot up there. Networking is key in this age of technology. Besides contacting search engines band calling friends or family, I find attending seminars,conferences or other related functions so important. You may brush shoulders with the CEO of company X and could change your search destiny forever.

    Anyway, I still await your response to my email sent out to you two weeks ago.

  40. I do agree with all you have said..being idle is the worst thing i have ever experienced. Since i lost my job last year i have not done anything productive, nothing but negative thinking. I don’t go out because it is in my nature, i find it very difficult to socialize. I however have been active searching for jobs everyday on the internet and taking my cv personally to some organizations awaiting their response. I have done volunteer work in the past too but internships are not easy to get considering my age (33) and most organizations need fresh and young graduates especially for training. I keep enrolling back to college for further studies hoping to climb the ladder one day and to sharpen my skills too. I know i will get there and hope every job seeker too will be encourage by your article. We keep it moving.

  41. looking for a job sometimes makes one question your skills and experience becouse you keep on applying, no response. thats when you question yourself. thanx for that great article.

  42. subscribingp alerts from staffing corporate was the best idea. Every day i learn alot from you guys. These habbits have been exhaustively discussed and i concur with mr wainaina. I enganged in internship for quite sometime till i got my job. I do read alot and try to put something on paper concerning my area of specialization,i find it difficult relating with colleagues who cant engage me in a simple topic. Reading truly widens knowledge.

  43. Sure, those are just facts as far as job seeking is concerned. Looking for administrative job with a business management course urgently.

Comments are closed.