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13.02.2025 16:23

Job searching starts with self-reflection

A career coach advises job seekers to first consider their own skills and what kind of work excites them.

Losing a job and needing to find a new one—or simply wanting a change—can be a challenging situation. But where should you start when searching for a job?

— Job searching should always begin with yourself, not with job advertisements on recruitment websites, emphasises Susan Calonius, a coach from Coolla, which provides career services for PAM members.

The first step is to reflect on your skills and strengths, what interests you, what motivates you, and in which direction you want to go. In other words, what kind of “package” are you offering to employers?

Only then should you ask the next question: who might need this package?

Identifying your own skills is not always easy. Calonius suggests that listing your work experience, volunteer work, and hobbies can help reveal different skills. For each job and activity, consider what kind of competencies it requires. For example, working as a cashier requires customer service skills, good communication, and the ability to work under pressure.

You can also ask colleagues, fellow students, or people you know from hobbies about your strengths.

— Others may see strengths in you that you haven’t even considered.

Even artificial intelligence can help articulate your skills. You can ask it to list the skills and qualities needed for a job, such as that of a chef. The list might help you recognise that you already possess similar abilities.

Look for hidden job opportunities!

Once you know what interests you and what you have to offer employers, it’s time to start looking at job advertisements.

Calonius advises reading job ads carefully before writing an application. What do they say about the employer? What is required and expected from applicants? What skills are considered an advantage?

— A job application should answer all the questions raised in the advertisement. Why do you want to work in this organisation? What do you have to offer?

A smart job seeker also does background research. Companies and organisations often share their values on their websites, and their social media accounts can give insight into their culture.

In job applications quality always matters more than quantity, says career coach Susan Calonius.

When writing the application itself, Calonius recommends focusing on concrete examples rather than just listing adjectives. Simply stating that you have good customer service skills or are a good communicator is not enough—you need to explain how these skills are demonstrated in practice.

— The person in charge of recruitment may not be an expert in the role being filled, so you should explain your skills as clearly as possible, says Calonius.

It’s also important not to limit yourself to open job advertisements—hidden job opportunities can be worth exploring.

For example, you can contact recruiters on LinkedIn to ask about their current hiring needs. The same can be done via email, attaching your CV.

However, sending open applications without first checking whether the company is hiring is not recommended.

— Writing a good application tailored to a specific job takes time. Sending the same application to multiple employers is not a good strategy—quality always matters more than quantity.

The limits of artificial intelligence

A few years ago, job application videos were popular, but today they should be used with caution.

— If you’re comfortable in front of the camera, a video can be a good addition, but it’s still important to submit a written application. Nowadays, applications are often filtered digitally using keywords, and software cannot read videos. Also, videos can be time-consuming for recruiters, explains Calonius.

Artificial intelligence is also not a shortcut to success in job searching. It is not recommended to use AI to generate job applications or CVs, as it cannot create applications that stand out.

Text: Anu Vallinkoski
Pictures: Nelli Kivinen, Shutterstock

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