Getting your first job in a new industry requires plenty of hard work and discipline, but it’s an amazing feeling when you eventually hear that you’ve been hired. If you’ve decided that a job in web hosting is the right choice for you either as your first job or if you're shifting your career direction, use the following five top tips to help you get through the job hunting process and into your new career.

1. Match your abilities directly to the job specification

The first step is to deliver a highly effective CV to create a great first impression. If you want to really impress the company, it’s best to customise your CV for the role that you’re applying for. This will help you both by showing that you’ve taken the time to look carefully at the job description and by giving the person receiving your CV the information they’re looking for to bring you in for an interview.

To target your CV accurately towards the job spec, open up a Word document with two columns in it. In the left column, put in all the points listed in the specification under ‘Required Skills’, ‘Common Tasks’ and any extra points about the role or company culture you can find in the spec. For example, the spec might mention that the company has a very outgoing culture, so you may want to emphasise aspects of your personal life to show that you're outgoing too.

In your right column, insert the experience you have that matches what they’re looking for as closely as possible. This is useful for showing where you’re already qualified to do the job but also for helping you present decent alternate skills if you’ve not done exactly what is listed. This is particularly helpful if you're applying for your first job, as there may be areas of the position that you've not yet been exposed to. For example, if they want you to have experience writing copy for emails and you’ve not yet done this, list the mediums for which you have already written copy to show that you could pick up this new skill quickly.

When you’re done, your right column should be full of relevant points that you’ll want to include in your CV to show them that you have what it takes to excel in this role.

2. Research the company thoroughly

If you’ve not researched the company you’re applying to, it will be very difficult to present yourself effectively when it comes to the interview; you’re also very likely to be asked what you know about the company. Here are some of the areas you should research if you want to really impress your interviewer:

• Their website
• Their blog
• Their social media channels
• If they’ve been in the news recently
• Their competitors
• Their suppliers
• Their LinkedIn page
• The LinkedIn page of your interviewer
• The LinkedIn pages of people who have held this position previously

3. Prepare questions to ask at the end

Towards the end of your interview you’ll almost certainly be given the opportunity to ask questions about the role to the interviewer. Having questions prepared for this moment will not only allow you to present yourself in ways that will help you get the job, it will also give you access to crucial information about whether the job is right for you or not.

Three carefully considered questions should be enough for you to get great value from this section of the interview; less than three questions can make you seem disinterested and more than three can start eating too much into the interviewer’s time. Examples of good questions to ask include:

• What opportunities for progression are available at this company?
• What types of training opportunities can you offer?
• How would you describe the work culture here?
• How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?
• What do you like about working here?

4. Make sure you will arrive on time

Having done all this work to be prepared for your interview, the last thing you want is to turn up late. If you get the opportunity, travel from your house to where the interview will take place before the interview date so you’ll have a decent idea of how long it can take to arrive and if there’s any potential issues that you should be aware of on the day e.g. if the place is quite difficult to find once you’re in the area.

Even after you’ve done this dry-run, it’s still worth adding an extra cushion of time to how long you think it will take just in case your bus or train turns up late, or you hit traffic in the car. If you end up getting to the destination way before the interview is scheduled, simply use this time to go get yourself some food or to compose yourself before turning up at the location. It’s best to arrive at the company ten minutes before your interview, so you aren’t hanging around for ages but also aren’t running the risk of showing up late.

5. Stay cool and confident

It’s natural to be nervous when you’re going for an interview, but remember that the calmer you are, the better you will be able to perform. When you’re in the interview, don’t jump immediately to answer the questions you’re given, take one or two seconds to consider your answer before speaking. Keep reminding yourself to smile as well; this will help you to relax and present yourself positively. It’s also worth remembering that your interviewer is human too and is not there to trap you or ask trick questions; they’ve brought you in for an interview, so if you can keep your cool and perform well, they’re going to want to hire you.

Image credit: Samuel Mann