In our previous job search articles, we explored expanding the scope of your job search, accepting a job farther from home, practical solutions for making it easier to accept work and the competitive landscape of the job market.
This time around, we explore how expanding the scope of your job search is not limited to geography, but also applies to broadening your perspective on the types of jobs you apply for. Are you considering all roles that could suit your background and expertise?
Job search is not limited to a specific title
You can broaden your job search in ways other than expanding just the geographical area; that is, through your skills and competences. Jobseekers tend to confine themselves to a particular profession or title, which easily leads to applying only for roles that mirror their previous employment. In reality, the expertise accumulated over the years is often much more versatile than they might realise.
Work experience includes:
- professional and technical skills
- collaboration and interaction skills
- problem-solving ability
- taking responsibility and initiative
- ability to learn new things
These skills are needed across a wide variety of sectors and roles. When identifying your own expertise and skills, you can use the EmploymentWizard’s AI advisor, for example. AI tools can provide great help in recognising skills and abilities that you might not have considered yourself. You may often not even realise the depth of skills you have accumulated, especially if you have been working for a long time.
When you explore open positions through the lens of skills and competences rather than just job titles, the number of options can increase by a surprisingly large degree. While the potential roles might not be exactly the same as before, your experience might still be a good fit.
For example, someone working in the food industry might possess many skills that are also valued in other industrial roles. Knowledge of occupational safety and experience in process management, quality control and working in a production environment are skills that can be leveraged across a variety sectors.
Learn new skills while searching
Sometimes, your job search might be hampered by the feeling that your skills do not quite measure up to the requirements of the open positions. Again, a solution might come to light by simply broadening your perspective.
Even a small amount of additional or targeted training, or learning a new skill, can make you a more attractive candidate from an employer’s perspective. You do not have to know everything upfront. For many employers, it is important that a candidate is willing to learn and develop.
A job search can also be a good opportunity to take a moment, reflect on your skills and update them to meet the current needs of working life.
Not all jobs are advertised
All available jobs are not published as job listings. When searching for a job, you might want to also consider employers who currently do not have open positions, but whose operations align with your skills and interests.
Articulating your skills and envisioning new opportunities is not always easy. You can use A-kassa’s EmploymentWizard, which helps you identify skills and discover new perspectives for your job search. It can help you pinpoint roles and sectors you might not have otherwise considered.
Job search is also a change in mindset
Applying for a job is not just about submitting applications. It is also about self-reflection and considering what you deem possible and what you don’t. Sometimes the biggest obstacle is not a lack of job opportunities, but rather how narrowly you set your parameters.
When you step out of your comfort zone and examine your skills and opportunities from a new, broader angle, your job search can genuinely transform – and your chances of employment improve.
How to expand the scope of your search through your skills
- Examine your skills and competences more broadly than just through your job title
- Push your boundaries and apply for roles that do not exactly match your previous employment
- Make use of targeted training and opportunities to learn new things
- Remember that not all jobs are publicly advertised
- Use the EmploymentWizard to identify new options
Article series, part 1: Have you considered extending the scope of your job search? You could see a vast increase in the number of vacancies available to you
Article series, part 2: Did you find a new job further away? You may receive up to €800 per month in mobility allowance
Article series, part 3: Accepting a job further away does not have to disrupt everyday life – here’s how you can make commuting, housing and daily arrangements easier
Article series, part 4: Gain a competitive edge by looking for jobs where others do not