Conducting a job search for even experienced professionals can be a daunting task. There are many pieces to the puzzle, and each piece plays its own important part in the process. Knowing process pieces is critical to your success.
1. Put together a good resume.
Before your job search begins, you need a resume. A resume is the first contact you have with a prospective employer. It is an extension of your life and a summary of your accomplishments. How an administrator chooses you from hundreds… maybe thousands of applicants. This can mean the difference between exciting job interviews and a phone that never ring, success and failure.
This is a two-page (maximum) paper complex. That’s right, two short pages to talk about your education, job experience, achievements and awards, special skills, training, professional experience / relationship, etc. Basically, you need to summarize your life and make it interesting in two pages.
There are many websites that can help you write a bulletproof resume. Some will give you free information and examples to follow, and some will write a resume for you (for a fee, of course). Careerbuilder.com is the best website to write and post your resume.
When professional resume writing is done by HR professionals, it can give you a significant edge over the competition. You can expect to pay $100 or more for this service, and it may be worth the money. However, be sure to check out their credentials before hiring someone to write it for you.
2. Put out the word.
Once you have a resume and decide where you want it, it's time to get hustling. The most important place to start and the most often overlooked is your network. Your network is a group of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances that make up your life. They are the backbone of your search and a good source of information and leads.
One of the biggest benefits of your network is that it is compiled with people you already know. Depending on your relationship, many people in your network will be interested in your success and go out of their way to help. If they get in touch with a potential employer, they can assure you of your role and work ethic on the spot and help you move up the prospect pool.
3. Look online
With the advent of the Internet, the first place many jobseekers search for job listings is now online. There are more job search websites out there than you know what to do, and they all say they are the best. The truth is that they are.
Monster.com is another excellent job search website. They have great suggestions, write your resume and cover letter and find you a job in minutes.
You can find out more by going to Google.com and searching for “jobs”. The key to using these websites successfully is managing. Choose a daily time that you can spend working online (ex: 2pm to 6pm every day). Start a daily journal and write down what job search sites you visit and the job listings you apply. This journal will keep you from backtracking and save you hours.
Do not overlook the tried and true ways of finding a job. Get newspaper and other classified magazines to look for listings. Also, get a copy of the Sunday edition from newspapers in places you are interested in living. Be wary of signs and conversations wherever you go, and tell new contacts that you're on the hunt.
You must be logged in to post a comment.