5 Tips for Applying to Jobs in Karachi

You’ve been applying to jobs in Karachi all over the place, but it’s just not working out. You send your resume off and hope to hear back from them, but you never do. 

You keep trying, but the jobs never come. You want the job, but something about your application just isn’t clicking with the companies you’re sending it to, and you don’t know why. Fear not! With these five tips for applying to jobs in Karachi, your luck will turn around quickly and you’ll find yourself employed before you know it!

1) Research and Understand the Company

This one's pretty obvious, but it's important nonetheless. Do your homework on a company before you send in an application. There are two reasons why it pays off to know what company you're applying with: firstly, it will allow you to tailor your cover letter and CV based on that particular organization; secondly, employers notice when candidates do their research; they like people who take interest in their organizations. 

And if they like you enough? Then they might want to give you an interview! If you're not sure where to start looking for information about the company, just Google them or visit their website. 

 2) Apply through the Right Sources: When you apply for a job with a specific company, follow the instructions given on the website of the employer or recruitment agency (if there is one). If there are no instructions given, email the person listed as HR Manager at the company or contact them through social media. It also helps to know how companies recruit - some use job boards while others recruit through referrals only. 

3) Be Professional and Responsible: It sounds simple enough, but sometimes it can be hard work doing both of these things at once! Make sure you spellcheck everything, avoid using informal language such as hey or hi, use formal salutations such as Dear Sir/Madam instead of Hi! and keep your tone professional. 

What this means is sending emails at different times of day rather than in the middle of the night, turning off your phone during interviews so you don't seem distracted by anything else going on around you, and making yourself available for interviews even if that means taking time out from school/work/whatever else life throws at us. 

In addition to being professional with all correspondence, make sure that all work hours correspond to typical business hours - 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday so the recruiter knows whether they should expect a response from you during business hours or not. 

4) Always Follow Up After Submitting Your Application: Whether the position has been filled already or not, always send a thank you note to express your gratitude and remind them of your application. 

5) Create an Online Presence: Along with creating a LinkedIn profile for every potential opportunity, it's also important to build up online presence by following relevant pages on Facebook and Twitter, reading industry blogs etc. 

More often than not hiring managers check up on applicants' online presence before deciding whether or not they should call them in for an interview. A personal website may also come in handy if potential employers want more information about you outside of LinkedIn profiles.

2) Proofread

Before you send your resume or cover letter, be sure that everything is error-free. Even if you think it's perfect, ask a friend or family member to double-check your spelling and grammar. 

Often times even a simple typo can throw off an employer's impression of you, making them question your communication skills and professionalism. The more professional your job application appears, the more likely they'll want to meet with you. 

A tiny mistake can easily cost you a job! For example, My name is Dr. Jones could lead employers to believe that your last name might be 'Jones,' but My name is Dr. Janes makes it much clearer that you are a woman and should go by Dr. Jane’s instead of Dr. Jones'. You don't want this confusion happening during an interview! 

Fully proofread every document before submitting it because no one wants to hire someone who doesn't take care with their work. 

Don't make these six mistakes on your resume: use small, Times New Roman font; include all relevant experience; put at least one line break between paragraphs; avoid listing skills like strong communicator or excellent listener; list accomplishments in past jobs rather than just duties; include dates for each position held. Add your contact information neatly below the bulleted points, then end with Thank you!

If you're applying online, be careful not to attach extra files unless they're specifically requested. Uploading resumes as PDFs also ensures a clear and easy-to-read format. 

With so many applications being submitted these days, sometimes people upload low quality versions of their documents or forget to change the file type from Word to PDF when uploading online. 

Be aware of what kind of attachments are allowed when applying online and pay attention to detail! It might seem trivial now, but little errors such as this can sometimes disqualify applicants from being considered for future positions.

3) Use Action Verbs

It’s impossible to know every single thing a hiring manager is looking for, but they probably have an idea of what they’re looking for. Hiring managers look at resumes and think, Can you do x? Are you an expert in y? Do we want someone with your experience or education level? To answer all of these questions, use action verbs that match their needs and experiences. For example, if you worked as a content creator at a publishing company, don’t say: 

I wrote articles; instead say: I authored 150 articles per month. If you didn't get as far as describing your duties on your resume (as above), add it into your cover letter. Keep it brief and specific, but make sure the recruiter knows how qualified you are for the position. 

Use Powerful Words: You've already taken care of this by including action verbs in your resume, but take care not to repeat them verbatim. Instead, focus on powerful words that describe your accomplishments such as led, founded, managed, created. There's no need to list every single accomplishment either - just pick one or two major ones and stick with those. 

Avoid Irrelevant Information: Don't include personal information like marital status or age unless it has some relevance to the job application process - and then only if the company asks for it. 

The same goes for any mention of religious beliefs or political views. The vast majority of companies will see your ethnicity, religious affiliation, and political affiliation as irrelevant details so long as you're capable of doing the job. 

Let Recruiters Know Why You're Qualified: 

Don't assume that recruiters will be able to figure out why you're right for the position based on your title alone. 

Spend some time going through the job description and highlighting everything that matches up with your skillset and qualifications. 

Again, keep it brief! The last thing you want is to bore a potential employer with too much detail before they've even interviewed you!

4) Customize Applications

Don’t send a one size fits all application. Be sure to customize it to fit that particular company. This means doing a little research on each business you're applying to, looking at their website, checking out their mission statement, and then integrating what you've learned into your application. 

It makes an employer more likely to take you seriously if you do some basic research on them—and more likely still if they can tell from your application that you actually care about them as a company and want to work there. If you’re applying for a job at McDonalds, don't talk about how much you love Chipotle's mission statement. 

Include Your Skills: If you have transferable skills, don't forget to mention them! Employers want to know the skills they'll be hiring before they even contact potential candidates. 

Include Accomplishments: While mentioning past experience is always good idea when looking for employment opportunities, it doesn't hurt to emphasize any notable accomplishments or awards that might give the impression of someone who goes above and beyond the call of dutyduty .

The most important thing is to stay honest and show employers who you are while making yourself sound as appealing as possible. 

Speak Up: When meeting with prospective employers, make sure to ask questions like What kind of person are you looking for? or What are the goals of this position? These questions will help break the ice and get the conversation going. 

Plus, showing enthusiasm early on may go a long way towards convincing employers that you're genuinely interested in their company—and getting invited back for another interview!

5) Ask Friends

If you have friends or family members who work for large companies in your area, ask them if they’d be willing to put a good word in with their manager on your behalf. 

Some places allow employees to bring a friend along during an interview process and managers may be more apt to consider candidates who are referred by someone they trust. 

Similarly, if there are large corporations headquartered near where you live, it never hurts to ask about job openings and career opportunities. Sometimes people don’t find jobs—they get found.