The Art of Getting Hired

Job seekers often-time fail to land their desired job even after making several attempts at trying to secure the position or gig. Several factors can be attributed to this repeated failure and most of them are usually the fault of the job seeker. This doesn’t remove the fact that some HR’s and clients can be overly aggressive with their requirements and hiring process.

As an example, I’m a freelancer on Upwork and I have completed over 25 projects within a 9-month period, all with positive feedbacks. Apart from doing a good job which has earned me these feedbacks, I’ve also been able to master the art of selecting my clients, sending them a catchy proposal and getting hired in the process.

These are some of the criteria most job seekers fail to analyze before sending out a pitch or draft a proposal for a job role.

The fact that most agencies has its own unique mode of operation, therefore their hiring process will come with distinct criteria’s that must be met by each applicant. However, some fundamental steps can give a job seeker leverage over several other people applying for the same job.

Understanding these steps and implementing them appropriately will go a long way in giving you, as an applicant, the edge in a competitive hiring environment and subsequently landing you that dream job or project. The art of getting hired is embedded in the steps explained below:

THINK LIKE THE HIRING MANAGER

When applying for a role, the first step to take before sending out that pitch is to restructure your thinking. Simply put, you need to position yourself as the hiring manager and try to explore his or her line of thought.

Considering the fact that you are applying for a job that match your skills, then it should not be difficult for you to picture yourself calling the shots. These gives you an edge because you probably have the answers to most of the questions the HR will throw your way.

Moreover, hiring managers are humans and as such they want to feel taking care of i.e. they want to feel that you care about their business. So why not play the role of the job owner and get someone to act as the job seeker then see how your interaction with the ‘aspirant’ turns out. Will you hire him/her for this role? Once you’re able to answer this question, I feel you’re good to go.

DRAFT A PLAN

Moving forward, now that you’ve been able to provide answers to the HR’s potential questions, the next step is to draft a detailed plan on how to approach each of them. This does not mean that you will get the same question as you have predicted; however, you stand a better chance of getting it right. Apart from this, having a plan to approach the situation will make you more confident during the interview process.

It is also important to point out that rigidity is not an option. You should keep an open-mind. The fact that you’ve placed yourself such that you probably know the questions that would be ask shouldn’t make relaxed. Situations change and the hiring process might require that you do a brief test. For example, some clients on upwork prefer that they conduct a typing test to check how fast you can type(mainly for writers or data entry freelancers). This would come as a shock to someone who isn’t a fast typist, so its imperative to fill every possible gap before putting in for a role.

LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES

More often than, we tend to go round in circles as job seekers, we don’t learn from our previous mistakes. Ask yourself, What did I do wrong in my last application? Was my cover letter generic? Was my portfolio not organized? Did I answer some of questions wrongly? Did I come off to strong in my pitch.? Once you are able to answer this and many other questions, then you’re ready to send out your next pitch or proposal.

Ofcourse, it is always discouraging to miss out on an opportunity you’ve spent so much time and resources preparing for but you shouldn’t let that stop you from giving it another go. Your dream job is just one proposal away.

It is normal to feel discouraged, but one thing you should do is to learn from your previous mistake. To put all this in perspective, I once spent over 200 connects worth more than $30 without landing any gig on Upwork. I felt disappointed but this didn’t stop me. I sent 2 proposals after this and landed a gig that has earned me over $3000 in 3months. You have to keep trying and learn from your previous loopholes and mistakes.

Final Thoughts

Job seeking is not as difficult as it seems as long as you understand that getting hired for a role is an art. The moment you can implement the strategies above, it becomes easier to get your desired job and in turn set yourself up for success in these roles.

About Ayorinde Okikijesu Elizabeth

Ayorinde is a freelance content writer on Upwork with topnotch experience in crafting SEO-rich content. She also belongs to a pool of writers, showcasing their skills via a clearvoice.com. Ayorinde believes in helping her clients achieve note-worthy results for their business through my writing. You can follow Ayorinde on Twitter and visit her website.