6 Tips on How To Raise Your Job Search Visibility & Let HR Managers SEE You

By Jane Gakaria,
Today’s job market is becoming increasingly competitive. Job seekers must look for ways to make themselves stand out and increase their level of visibility in the market. So what is the relevance of your visibility in the market? And just how can someone go about doing it? I spoke to Mr. Martin Githaiga, a Human Resource Officer with Corporate Staffing Services for more clarification.

To begin with we must first define visibility, which in his own terms means “Making yourself more accessible in the job market to land you the kind of job you want and put you on the right career path.”

Job visibility in the job market is important for two main reasons; one, it increases your chances of accessing better jobs and two, building a successful career. “Visibility is about branding yourself as the best candidate with the best skills. When people think of you, the first thing that should come to mind is your professional work.”

So what methods can people use to make themselves more visible? Right off the top of his head, he identifies six: one social media. There are many social media groups and forums where jobs are shared. He gives the example of how he got his first job.

“My very first internship I got through facebook. He was a member of a HR page for students from his university. “I just saw the ad, looking for a HR intern for a HR consulting firm. I forwarded my CV and contacts to the given number and by the same day in the afternoon, they called back for an interview. I excelled past the interview stage and got the 6 months internship job.”

Two, read the dailies. Companies are constantly advertising in the newspapers, so buy yourself a copy to not miss out on the job opportunities.

Three, research and register with as many job search websites as possible. Though he does caution that before you register, research to make sure the website is legit. Job search websites tend to send you the latest jobs via emails and texts.

Four keep and build a large directory of potential company websites. Companies advertise their vacancies on their websites long before they appear in the dailies.

Five, register with as many credible HR Agencies as possible. These agencies tend to act as intermediaries between employer and employee. These agencies may be in a better position to move your CV to the proper clients. HR agencies also tend to vet the employing companies so as to save you from job scams.

Six, an unlikely choice, philanthropy. “You don’t have to wait for the perfect job or internship. You can start now. For example if you have an accounting background, you can volunteer to do the books for the ‘Mama Mboga’ in your neighbourhood or for your family business.” Such activities stand out and make your potential employer want to hire you.

And what about those people who are doing all that, but just seem to lack the visibility their require? What could they be possibly doing that’s wrong? Well, he states there could be several reasons for this. “One, when some people get the job, they stop putting effort into their visibility. They cease to care whether or not the world sees them.”

Two, people end up in roles, assignments or organizations that are obscure hence rendering them invisible. Three, insecure companies. Some people are employed by companies who shield them from ‘prying eyes’, competitors, head hunters etc. under the guise of ‘keeping a low profile’.

Four, certain people overuse one method to brand themselves, hence aren’t as visible as they should be. Five, not setting aside a proper budget for visibility exploits. “When you’re looking for a job or if you have a job and are looking for greener pastures, realize that you must ‘tarmack’. So set aside some money and free up some time to register with HR Agencies, for bus fare to drop your CVs etc.”

His parting shot? “The job market is quite competitive hence visibility is key. Realize that anything you can do to give yourself an edge is very much encouraged.” Besides in this digitally inclined world, companies are looking to hire people via websites as they are cheaper and more convenient.

In conclusion, realize that visibility in the job market is essential to getting your career started and advancing it in the long run. Take all the necessary proper steps and watch yourself prosper.

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