How to Find a Job

Nobody really wants to work-let's just be honest about it. We'd all like to be sipping margarita's in Hawaii year-round with no money problems and have all the time in the world. Unfortunately, for most of us, that's not going to happen. Most of us won't be on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" but, if we find a good job, work hard, save well and we don't get totally screwed by the government, we may make it on "Lifestyles of the Unknown and Moderately Successful."

That said, since a major portion of your life is going to be spent preparing for a job, looking for a job, and working at a job-you might as well get the best one you can. Of course, it's not as simple as all that-there's a nearly infinite number of factors that go into job satisfaction. However, assuming you've already chosen a basic career path and you don't absolutely abhor the kind of work you do, you can find a job that you like. Here are three steps to help you find a job you like.

Step 1:Prioritize.

What does prioritizing have to do with finding a job? Everything! What are the most important aspects of your career? Many people immediately respond: "money." And, they're absolutely right-money should be on the list of priorities. But, it shouldn't be the only item on your job-finding priority list.

By all means, peruse salary.com and indeed.com to find average and estimated salaries for different positions in different locations. Be sure to compare the cost of living for each area as well. But, don't neglect your other priorities.

First, there are the usual items: health benefits, retirement benefits, good work environment. But, often people forget less obvious things that can hugely impact daily life: commute, school quality (if you have or ever plan on having children), overtime, company stability and opportunities for training and advancement.

Step 2: Finding the Right Spot

A vital, yet sometimes overlooked aspect of finding a job is location. Some people are completely unwilling to move from their city or state. Others are more nomadic. Either way, it's important to narrow a job search down by geographical area and doing this will greatly enhance the effectiveness of the job search.

If you're a desert rat and can't stand cold winters, you'll be miserable in Michigan regardless of how great the job is. Unless you have no family, no hobbies and no life-you need to narrow your search down to acceptable geographic regions.

In this age of Facebook, Linked-in and approximately three million job search sites, you can find good jobs just about anywhere. To narrow down your acceptable geographic regions you'll want to consider many things, including: climate, recreational opportunities, culture, cost-of-living and population.

City-data.com has very active forums where you can post any question about a particular area and be virtually certain to get a few good answers. Weather.com allows you to compare average monthly temperatures between any two locations. Google maps lets you view satellite images, photos, videos and actual street views of many locations. Finally, YouTube frequently has numerous videos that can give you a fairly accurate impression of many areas. Sometimes these are a little too accurate (not too mention disturbing-check out the TronaMovie video on YouTube-it's just like Trona, Ca only the real place isn't quite as bubbly and happy as the YouTube video makes it appear).

Step 3: Finding the Right Employer

Frequently, job-hunters pursue job opportunities like a terrier on speed: ooh, there's a job over there-go get it! And there-go get it! Ooh, look a squeaky toy!

Bombarding every Internet help-wanted ad with your resume is not likely to lead to success. You want to target your search to positions for which you are well qualified and positions that fit your priority list. The average worker in the United States will spend 1,949 hours on the job each year (depressingly this is about eight weeks more than the average peasant spent working in the 13^th century). That's a lot of time to spend wishing you were somewhere else.

Browsing sites like Indeed.com, Monster.com and USAJobs (the federal jobs website) can give you an idea of what positions are available. However, you'll most likely need to do more in-depth research to find a decent position with a decent employer.

There are numerous "best companies to work for" lists. Fortune magazine publishes one annually, and most states have a list that can be easily found by using your favorite search engine.

If you're active on any forums, even if they're unrelated to job searching, post questions. You'd be surprised how many job-related questions can be found on completely unrelated sites. If you have online friends they may be a great, potentially untapped resource.

Statistically, you are most likely to find a job through networking. Calling, emailing or chatting with friends and acquaintances, whether online or in person, is your most effective approach. It's also the best way to get the scoop on what it's really like to work somewhere.

Make use of all your resources and apply to jobs that have a good chance of providing the right location and benefits that align well with your priorities.

Summary

Unless you're independently wealthy or enjoy living under a bridge, you've got to have a job. If you love the job you're in-you won't be reading this article. So, prioritize, narrow down the geographic region your interested in and last, network and apply to positions that fit your priorities and abilities. Follow those three steps and you'll find a job in no time.