5 Tips for Finding Your Job Search Voice

We all know the feeling of nerves before a job interview. Your palms start to sweat, your heart races, and your mind goes blank. But if you’ve taken the time to prepare and practice, you can confidently walk into that room. And part of preparing is finding your job search voice.

Your job search voice is partly about how you approach your job search and present yourself to potential employers. It’s having the confidence to go after the career you want, and it’s the way you talk about your skills and experiences.

If you’re not sure what your job search voice sounds like, start by considering if you’ve ever hesitated to pursue a role you thought looked interesting. Or, consider how you want to be perceived by employers. Do you want to be seen as confident and competent? What areas are you most passionate about? How are you going to convey that to a hiring manager?

5 Tips to Find Your Job Search Voice

It’s easy to get a little overwhelmed or lost in the job search process, but we’ve got some tips to help you find your voice again.

1. Define Your Goals

One of the best ways to build your confidence before applying for any job is to take some time to think about what you want to achieve with your career. What are your long-term career goals? What kind of work environment do you want? What is an appropriate stretch role in your career development plan?

Answering these questions will help you focus your job search and make it more efficient. Instead of applying for every job that comes your way, you can narrow your options down to ones that are more likely to lead to your desired outcome. And when you do get an interview, you’ll be able to talk about how the position aligns with your goals, which will make a great impression on potential employers.

So, before you start scrolling through job postings, take a few minutes to think about what you want to achieve with your career. It just might make all the difference in how you present yourself and how confident you feel in being able to achieve your goals.

2. Be Authentic

If you’ve been job searching for a while, it’s completely normal to feel the pressure and struggle with burnout. It can be tempting to put on a persona that you think will impress your contacts and help you get ahead, but eventually, they’ll see through it.

To build genuine relationships with your networking contacts and potential employers, it’s essential to be authentic. If you’re not being authentic, it will only hinder your job search in the long run. So, be confident in who you are and what you have to offer—it’ll go much further than trying to be someone you’re not.

3. Know Your Value

One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is underselling themselves. They focus on their weaknesses, rather than their strengths, and downplay their accomplishments. As a result, they come across as unprepared and unqualified. Confidence is critical, and employers will be more likely to take you seriously if you believe in yourself.

Right about now, you might feel a little insecure and unsteady in your job search, especially if this job search was the result of getting laid off or terminated. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep your perspective on yourself and your career. Reminding yourself of all that you’ve done—professionally and personally—will help remind you that you are more than qualified for the positions you’re applying for.

When you’re interviewed, talk about your accomplishments and skills. Highlight the reasons why you’re the best candidate for the job. And don’t be afraid to toot your own horn a little—after all, hiring managers won’t know what you’re capable of unless you tell them.

4. Practice Thoroughly

One way to find your job search voice is to practice using it—over and over again. From perfecting your elevator pitch to answering those curveball job interview questions, you should practice as much as possible to make yourself sound strong and confident.

You can even record yourself practicing so you can hear your voice. That way, you’ll know if you sound shaky or if you need more practice asking for what you want, such as when negotiating salary.

5. Focus on Wellness

Hiring managers can smell stress. And while they might have empathy, they won’t perceive you as the calm and positive team member they’re seeking. But you’re job searching, so naturally, you’re stressed.

The thing is, you’ll need to practice keeping your calm. Start by taking a healthy approach to your job search. This means you should take breaks, both throughout the day and throughout the week. Continue to prioritize your mental and physical health and well-being by stepping away from the computer and getting outside. And consider adding daily meditation or a mindfulness session.

Then, when you do meet an employer, you’ll be able to present yourself with a calm and positive confidence that will make them eager to learn more.

Using Your Unique Voice

Job searching isn’t always fun, but by knowing your job search voice—and using it—you can expedite your job search and find a flexible job that you’ll love.

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