In every 4,7 minutes one job seeker finds a job through CV-Online
"Who am I?", "What do I want to accomplish?", "How can I get there?"…. These are the questions we ask ourselves at the crossroads of our career. Knowledge of yourself makes it easier to set goals to aim for. Knowing your values, abilities, skills, traits and interests, you can make the right career choices. Find out more here.
Set yourself a target you want to reach. Put it into words: write it down, along with a deadline. If your goal is related to a job search, immediately start keeping track of offers (which you can sign up to here) to see what is being offered on the job market. We recommend keeping a constant eye on the offers, because employers are interested in finding suitable employees ASAP.
The importance of your application documents cannot be underestimated – they are the employer's first point of contact with you. Typos or a superficial approach to conducting your CV or cover letter could leave you among the nearly one-third of applicants dismissed out of hand. It’s unfortunate that situations occur where, due to mistakes in a CV, otherwise suitable candidates are, figuratively speaking, immediately shown the door.
All job seekers feel a little anxious before an interview. On the one hand, getting a job depends on how suitable the applicant's CV is – their previous work experience and qualifications. On the other hand, the success of the interview matters, too – you have to know how to communicate and present yourself in the best possible way. The keywords for successful interviews are ‘thorough’ and ‘preparation’. It helps to find out more about the company's area of operations and the role you would be fulfilling.
Be prepared for setbacks, and do not let yourself be discouraged by ‘no’. Bear in mind that taking part in the application process can require considerable time and effort. Be patient: depending on the position, the process might last for as much as a month or more (and in the case of senior management positions, even longer). If you put all your eggs in one basket – sending your CV to just one place based on one ad and passively awaiting the results – the greater the disappointment will be if you are turned down. Regardless of the outcome, do not give up: focus on your goal, try to learn as much as possible from previous applications. Also, ask for feedback, which will help you moving forward.
Depending on the job, your working conditions and salary may be negotiable. It is worth thinking beforehand what your acceptable salary range is – i.e. one which will allow you to save a bit each month. It is also worth comparing your salary expectation with the salary statistics on the largest Estonian salary survey site Palgad.ee to make sure your expectations are realistic. It would make sense to ask for a slightly higher figure than you would be satisfied with – that way there is room to manoeuvre, and you can meet your future employer half way. Definitely be prepared to justify your salary expectation – for example, what makes you different from other candidates and what your strong points are. Also bear in mind what are the other benefits or terms and how much they allow you to save or make your life more comfortable.
Although getting the job may seem like your greatest victory, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Big challenges lay ahead: settling in and achieving results. As a rule, the trial period (normally four months) flies by, but its value should not be overlooked. You do not want to get to the last day of your trial period and simply shrug, not knowing whether it is the right job for you, offering the fulfilment and satisfaction you want. This is something you should think about especially during trial period and ask yourself if there is something you or your colleagues could change when you are not positive you want to continue on the position after the trial period.
