How to focus your job search for success

Finding the right job opportunity requires more than just sending out CVs and hoping for the best. In today’s busy job market being able to focus your job search is essential to finding a job that aligns with your skills, interests, and career goals. It also saves you from wasting effort chasing roles that are not suitable for you. Here's my comprehensive guide on how to channel your efforts in the right way to increase your chances of landing your dream role.

Self-Reflection


Before undertaking any job search you should always identify your strengths, skills, and areas of expertise. Self-reflection can help you to understand your own career values and the type of work environment that suits you best. Being self-aware can also help you to understand which roles you should be targeting.


Identify Your Goals


Set out clear and realistic career goals. Whether it's advancing in your current field, making a complete career change, or seeking new challenges, defining your career goals will help you to identify where to focus your job search. Breaking down your goals into short-term and long-term targets can help you to be even more structured in your approach.

Research


Make sure that you keep informed about industry trends and anything that may affect the companies you're interested in applying to work for. This knowledge will help you to tailor your applications. It will also help you to prepare for interviews by demonstrating your awareness of the challenges and opportunities that currently exist in your chosen industry.

Target Your CV


Crafting a tailored CV that highlights your relevant skills and experiences for the specific roles you're applying for can help you to stand out. Customise your CV for each application, emphasising the qualifications and achievements that align with each individual job's requirements.


Online Platforms


Use professional networking sites like LinkedIn to connect with other professionals in your industry. Join relevant groups, take part in discussions, and follow companies of interest. Networking can open doors to hidden job opportunities and provide valuable insights into the job market.

Set Up Job Alerts


Streamline your job search by setting up alerts on online job sites and company career pages. You can choose to receive notifications for roles that match your criteria, allowing you to apply promptly and stay ahead of the competition.


Write a Targeted Cover Letter


Write a compelling cover letter that complements your CV. Tailor it to each application, making sure that you address the specific requirements of each job. Use the cover letter to showcase your motivation, passion, and how your skills make you an ideal candidate for the position.


Stay Persistent and Positive


Searching for a new job can be challenging, and rejection is a part of the process. Stay persistent, learn from each experience, and maintain a positive mindset. Celebrate small victories, and use setbacks as opportunities to refine your approach.


Speak to Harte Consulting



We have many years of experience helping the right candidates find the right roles for them. If you would like to know more about how we can help you with your job search from crafting the perfect CV to perfecting your interview technique, to landing your dream role, please get in touch. 


Current Roles 

AI: Time-saving superhero or sneaky job thief?

By Elliot Landy • May 2, 2025
Earlier this year, Madeleine attended a LinkedIn event called ‘Future Ready’ that focused on AI and how it can drive business development in the recruitment industry. Poor Mads had been joking for ages that one day her job would be overtaken by ChatGPT, so it was good to see her looking relieved the next day! 😂 As much as we use AI regularly to speed up certain tasks and save time, the human element is still very much needed to get decent results. For Chat GPT (or any AI software) to be of any real use, the processes behind it need to be solid, consistent and applied properly. You wouldn’t hire an admin assistant without giving them some training and we think of AI in the same way. If you wanted to use it to write a job spec, for example, you’d need to use a prompt that specifies the correct tone of voice, then check the text for inaccuracies, dodgy spelling and any missing information. AI is never going to replace our team’s decision-making, intuition or judge of character, so they don’t need to worry about being replaced! But what it does do is improve productivity so we can spend more time interacting with people and doing what we’re good at. 

Ever feel you're surrounded by idiots?

By Elliot Landy • April 30, 2025
How many times have you felt like you’re surrounded by idiots? There might be a very good reason for this (unless they are certified idiots, then you’re screwed!). 🥴 At Harte, we frequently refer to Persona Profiling, which uses four colours (red, blue, yellow and green) to identify individual traits so we can develop a better understanding of ourselves and others. From a recruitment point of view, this helps to define a job seeker’s characteristics and assess whether they’d be suited to a role or fit in with a business’s culture. Someone who is a ‘fiery red’ for example, will be results-orientated, strong-willed, and driven to achieve, whereas a ‘cool blue’ personality will have a more conventional energy that thrives on analysis and asking questions before making a move. Knowing this sort of information makes finding the right ‘fit’ for a company a whole lot easier because we have a clear idea of the traits and behaviours that are aligned with the role. It also gives us an indication of when we need to take a step back and slow things down in interviews to really get to know the job-seeker properly. If you’re keen to find out more about the four personality types, have a read of (or listen to) this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surrounded-Idiots-Behavior-Effectively-Communicate/dp/1250179947 Do you know what energy colour you lead by?

Quantity Surveyor - 1227067

By Elliot Landy • April 29, 2025
Basic salary: Up to £63,000, £5,100 car allowance, so total up to £68,100 per annum, plus a 5% annual discretionary bonus. Location: Leeds
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