Category Archives: Job search

It can be emotional quitting your job, and the feeling can be like breaking up with your partner since you are letting go of a company where you have spent time and created connections with colleagues. As for the manager, having an employee quit on you can generate a lot of negative emotions. Which is why it is important for you as an employee, to keep your professional relationship intact and focus on the best way to quit your job. 

Talk to your boss 

The first thing you must do when focusing on the best way to quit your job, is to schedule a meeting with your manager and let them know your plans. Make sure to give your manager a few weeks’ notice depending on your contract. In this way you avoid surprising your boss and it gives the company time to find another employee to fill the role and offload your work. 

If you are not comfortable telling your manager where you are going to work, you can let your manager know that you have not figured out all the details yet, but once everything is in place and set you will be happy to chat about the role. If you are taking some time off, you can mention that you want to take some time to reset before figuring out your next step, but you will be sure to tell more once you know what is coming. After your meeting make sure to send a resignation email, to resign in a formal way. 

Have an attitude of gratitude 

Perhaps you might be struggling with a negative attitude towards your manager, but always remember to show an attitude of gratitude, even if this is the last thing you feel like doing. Think back to when you had the first interview for this job and how much you wanted your manager to hire you. Think about the connections you have built with your colleagues or some of your great achievements, to change the negativity with thankfulness. 

The reason for this is that managers tend to respond more positively to resignations when the employee expresses gratitude in their resignation meeting or email. Make sure to keep the meeting or email to the point mentioning your leave date and then express some gratitude for all the experiences you had in your role. In this way you ensure to be on the best possible terms with your manager which is the best way to quit your job. 

Create a transition plan 

The last couple of weeks in your job is your last chance to leave a positive impression both in regards to your work and your colleagues. Perhaps you already started thinking about your next job and you are getting tempted to reduce the amount of workload. But keep in mind that you leaving your role affects several individuals and it most likely takes time for your manager to find and onboard a new employee to take your role. 

Therefore, the best way to quit your job is to be more engaged and helpful to set the next person up for success. You can give your manager a concrete suggestion when having the resignation meeting, that you are open to a flexible notice period or to train a replacement for your role. In this way you can put your managers mind at ease and you ensure the best way to quit your job. 

LinkedIn has never been more important when it comes to job search. If you follow our steps on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, you will increase your chances of making a good impression when searching for a job. Your LinkedIn profile is your professional branding profile and the more you optimize it, the better chances you have to get your dream job. 

1. Upload a professional photo 

First thing to do is to upload a professional photo. The photo must have been taken recently, be professional and have a neutral background. Your background or cover image should associate with your professionalism. This could be a picture that shows that you are hardworking, positive, or motivated. It could also be a picture that reflects the industry you are working in perhaps shipping, hospitality, or whatever industry you are working in. 

2. Create a great headline 

Your LinkedIn headline can help boost your profile and create more brand awareness. Even though this short description is mostly used for job titles, you can take it a step further and add even more details about your current role and your personality. You can mention that you are result-driven, creative, passionate or whatever you feels describes you professionally.  

3. Tell your story

If you want to know how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, the about section is a good way to start. Some people might use this section to list their recent job titles or achievements within their professional career. Others might use it to tell a small story about themselves or to mention their most valuable skills. The about section is a way for you to brand yourself in a few sentences, so make sure to focus on what you believe is your most important asset.

4. Work experience and education

Now comes the most important part. You must add relevant work experience and educational experience. Create a short description of your role and write the most relevant selling points about what you experience and what you achieved during the specific job or education. Make sure that your LinkedIn profile is consistent with your experience in your CV. 

5. Competencies

If you want to get noticed on LinkedIn, you must add all your competencies and skills. Most of the content on your LinkedIn profile works as keywords, as well as the competencies. Which is why it is important to add the most relevant competencies on your profile. This is a great way for you to brand your competencies and skills, as well as a great way to get noticed by recruiters or other relevant people. 

6. Grow your network 

Now your LinkedIn looks great, so now it is time to make yourself visible. It is great to have a big network, however if your network gets too big it can take away focus from the primary focus of your profile. Make sure to connect with like-minded and skilled individuals to expand your industry and potentially advance your career. If you are looking for a job, it is a good idea for you to connect with relevant companies or recruitments agencies.    

If you decide to meet with a headhunter and hear more about the job offer, you can be sure that it will remain between the two of you. The headhunter avoids revealing any confidential information. 

What does it mean?

In headhunting, it is not yourself who actively sends an application related to a job opening. The headhunter will contact you if they find you interesting for a specific position. 

The headhunter is able to contact a candidate even though the candidate is not looking to change job. Perhaps they want to know more about your competencies. A reason for this could be to find out if you are suitable, for a specific role or to know if you want to change job. 

If you have been talking with a headhunter, it is often possible for you to upload your CV to their database. As a result, if they find another position that could be interesting for you, they will contact you again.

How will the headhunter notice me?

Visibility is crucial for whether a headhunter will find you. There are several things you can do to get visible.

LinkedIn is a channel that many use to find qualified candidates for a specific position. If you have a LinkedIn profile, it is important that you have updated your work experience, education and skillset. For example, it is good for visibility if you are making LinkedIn posts and commenting on other people’s activities. Some recruitment agencies, have the option of putting your resume in their database. But it is far from all headhunters that you can find yourself. Often this is only possible if they have already contacted you themselves.

To make sure that you will submit the best possible application and that you will brand yourself in the best possible way. We have put down 6 steps to get your dream job. 

1. Build a strong network 

Having a strong professional network can have a huge impact on your career and business opportunities. Perhaps the network can connect you with a great job or it can guide you and contribute to your overall professional growth. These networks can be hard to find especially if you are new in your industry. Start to focus on building a network online, by connecting with relevant people on LinkedIn. You can also attend different networking events.   

2. Do your research 

If you have a specific company or position in mind, start to do your research. Take the time to read the job description and the values of the company. In this way you know all the required qualifications and the key accountabilities. If you have a specific company in mind, you can contact the company or a recruitment agency before other candidates, by contacting the company directly.

3. Keep it simple and relevant 

When applying for a job you must focus on the most relevant skills and experience that are specifically relevant to the job. Anything in your application that does that not fit with the requirements should either be mentioned briefly or be left out. There is no need to write all your experience from when you were young, especially not if the work experience is not relevant for the role. 

4. Believe in yourself 

If you want other people to believe in you, you must believe in yourself. Make sure to stand by your own abilities. If you do so and if you make it shine through your application, it will convince others. Focus on your key skills and what makes you different from others. Remember that the application is your personal branding document. 

5. Make a great impression 

If you want to make a great impression, the best thing you can do is to be well prepared. Research some potential questions and think about some good answers. It is also very important to arrive on time and dress professionally. Make sure to show your personality in the interview, since it is important for the company to see if you fit in the team. 

6. Get your dream job 

Try to stay motivated after the job interview. It is always a good idea to contact the company a few days later to show that you are still interested in the position. Remember that getting a job is not easy and it takes time. But if you follow the 6 steps to get your dream job, you are on the right track. 

Studies shows that solid preparation significantly increases the chances. Unfortunately, there are usually no easy shortcuts – but remember that the preparation you do in your job search is never wasted and, in most cases, it can be reused if you need to search again.

Do your research

Start with researching the company and the position. Figure out what makes the company interesting and how your competencies fit with the job description. Take the time to read the job description, so that you know all the required qualifications and the key accountabilities. If you know anyone within the industry it can be a great idea to take some time to learn more about the industry, so that you can get some hidden gems.

Take your time
If you rush when making your application, it makes it difficult to make a personalised application and this is obvious for the employers. This will give the employers the impression that you don’t care about getting the role. It will be more time efficient and makes more sense for you to submit one tailored and personalised application which will make you stand out, than submitting five not well thought out applications, which makes it less likely that you get noticed.

Show genuine enthusiasm

An employee who is passionate about their work is worth considerably more than one who is just interested in getting a monthly salary. It is important that you show genuine enthusiasm when writing your application and that you speak the same language as the company. Make sure that you know what the employer is asking for in the job description and respond so that the person reading the application can see exactly how your skills, passion and experience match the job.

Believe in yourself

If you want other people to believe in you, you must believe in yourself. Make sure to stand by your own abilities. If you do so and if you make it shine through your application, it will convince others. Write your application in a way that focuses on the positive impact of your daily work and mention examples of the same.

Keep it relevant

While you may want to include every little bit of the work experience you have, it is important to keep it relevant to keep the employer’s attention. This means that you must focus on the most relevant skills and experience that are specifically relevant to the job. Anything in your application that does not fit with the requirements in the job description should either be mentioned briefly or be left out.

Cover letter and LinkedIn

If you want to stand out more and increase your chances of getting your dream job, you can submit a cover letter alongside your CV. The cover letter introduces you to the employer and gives you a chance to talk directly to the company, emphasising your enthusiasm for the company and the role. Also remember to make sure your LinkedIn profile is consistent with the experience you are highlighting.

Are you in doubt about whether your job application are ready to send out? Get a CV review with Scancruit today.

The CV must be considered as an appendix to the actual application and is a very important part of the application – if you do not send a CV, you can be sure that many companies will not consider your application at all.

What is the purpose of a CV?

So, what is a CV and what is the purpose? The purpose of the CV is to give the potential employer a quick overview of your education, work experience, skills, courses, and personal information. Therefore, the CV must be easy to read and accurately worded.

The difference between application and CV

Now you know more about what is a CV, but what is the difference between the actual application and the CV?The main difference between the application and the CV is that the CV is a detailed document of your past experiences and qualifications. The application itself is forward-looking and an argumentation for why you should have the job.

What should a CV contain?

There are many ways to write a CV and the perfect recipe of what should a CV contain does not exist, since it depends on what the company and employer are looking for. But we have put down an ultimate guide and we’ll teach you what is a CV and what should a CV contain. 

• Personal data (name, address, telephone number, marital status, date of birth / year and e-mail)
• Work experience / previous jobs, including job function, areas of responsibility, results obtained and other relevant information
• Personal skills
• Organizational experience
• Education
• Relevant courses and continuing education
• Language skills and IT skills
• Experience abroad
• Other personal information

What should an application contain?

Now you know what is a CV and what should a CV contain, but now you need to focus on writing an application, to tell the company what you can contribute to the specific position. A good application is one page, where you clarify the match between your competencies and the specific tasks you must solve. 

An application should include:

• A catchy headline
• An introduction
• Your motivation to apply for the job
• A short conclusion.

80% of employers read your CV before your application, which is why it is a good investment to focus more on your CV.

What is the typical mistakes in a CV?

The most typical mistakes people make while writing a CV is that they use almost the same CV over and over again. It is important that you adapt your CV depending on the job you are applying for and make sure that relevant competencies are clearly stated in relation to the job. 

It is also important that you do not avoid to mention any experience in the past, even if you have had a job which only lasted for 3 months. You can not choose the content of your CV yourself – you will have to stand by the experience you have had. If you are exposed in the fact that you have changed important information in your CV, or lying about the start and end times for your employment, you risk being disqualified.

Be yourself in your CV

The style of your CV tells more about you than you think. It is important that you stick to a style that is true to you as a person, since it will reflect you and your personality. Use a professional and easy to understand language, and do not use too many foreign words. 

The CV is a very important part in the application. Therefore, it would be a good idea to consider getting help from a professional company who know everything about what is a CV and what a CV should contain. They can help you write a catchy CV which will get you considered in the application process and get you closer to getting your dream job.