Job Hunting Tips

Sometimes it seems that I have been looking for a good job all my life. While it seemed that I would never get one, I finally got the perfect job for me. I never quite knew what they meant when they said a person was the "right fit" for a job. Having finally found the perfect job for me, I now know what this means. Since I have recent practical experience with job hunting, I thought I would write down what I have learned in my 13 months of unemployment.

Looking for work is the most challenging of activities you can engage in and especially if you are feeling bad about yourself. So the first thing you must do is stop all the negative self talk. Instead of telling yourself that you can't do this, tell yourself that you can.

After 10 months of receiving nothing but rejections, my mother told me to not look like I was desperate for a job. This threw me for a loop. How can I possibly look like I am not desperate? I owe everybody and have cut-off notices for the utilities. Top Raman is all I can afford to eat and I can barely pay the rent.

Of course I am desperate but, how do I look like I am not? When you are desperate for a job it shows clearly. It radiates off your body in waves. Desperation also serves to undermine your ability to be perceived as someone prospective employers want to hire. So how do you combat this? I have canvassed this briefly and find that people are at a loss on this one. It seems like it is impossible to go carefree into an interview like you are the happiest, most upbeat person in the world.

I have given this a great deal of thought and this is what I have come up with. Before going into an interview make sure you have put all immediate concerns out of your mind. Don't worry about the rent, the electricity and the fact that they are threatening to send out the Repo man for your car. Granted, this is going to be monumentally difficult, but you must do this.

In order to leave one frame of mind and move to another, a person must visualize a safe place in their past that gave them very pleasant memories. Once you see yourself in your special place think of things that make you happy, things that give you a sense of peace. Whatever it takes to plaster a smile on your face, do it. If you are asked by your interviewers "how are you?", simply smile and say fine. This is not the time to bare your soul, although it is what you may be most tempted to do.

The old adage "fake it til' you make it" springs to mind. People expect you to be yourself, but this is the one time that you must project what you would like to be, and presumably what you want to be is happy. So fix your face, square your shoulders and go for it.

The following is a review of the different work searches you can put into effect:

NEWSPAPER

This is the oldest and most established way to job search. Read the paper as early as you can in the morning and on Sunday circle all the best job postings. Get an early start first thing Monday morning. Don't get up at noon thinking this is the best time to mount a search for work. Please know that responses to newspaper ads are huge, so get on this as quickly as possible.

AGENCIES

Agencies are one way to pay the bills while looking for a full time permanent position but they can be a problem. Companies will have entire crews of employees that are all temporary. This is done to avoid paying benefits and giving raises. It is important to know that your actual employer is the agency and any details of your position need to be discussed with the representative of the agency. Remember that it is hard to look for work when you are already working but it is also the most secure position to be looking for work from. Some agencies will give you benefits after 6 months to 1 year of working with them, but these benefits are usually very modest and provide very little.

PUBLIC POSTINGS

Pay attention to bulletin boards in public places. Laundromats, libraries, and coffee houses tend to have bulletin boards and while they are far and few between they can provide leads.

UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE

This was a traditional way of looking for work. In the past, a person would go to the unemployment office and see an employment counselor. They would discuss with you your skills and experience and check what jobs listings they had and refer you according. That was the old days, now it is different. They offer you computers to look for work and give classes as to how to search for work, but for the most part they no longer assist in work search.

ONLINE JOB SEARCHES

This has become one of the most popular ways to search for work in recent times. Most employment agencies actually send their testing over the internet to your home. That way you can take typing tests and software tests in your own environment. The Unemployment office also has online computers that you can do work search from.

There are also various online companies that assist you in your work search. Monster.com is the most heavily advertised by just put in keys words relating to a job search and you will get a long list of options. From my recent personal experience I have found that Craig's list is the best company, bar none, for job listings. I have gotten more "face time" interviews with employers from Craig's list than any other place. That includes all the aforementioned methods.

NETWORKING

I was told by a job developer that out of all the methods of job search, networking was the most effective method of looking for work. It accounts for about 60% of all jobs that are found by job seekers. As they say "close mouths don't get fed". Let everybody know you are looking for work. Don't be afraid to ask for leads from friends and family. You can also let your clergy know that you are searching for work.

PERSONAL ADS

Although I didn't try this, I was about to before I actually got this job I am in now. However I was told that some folks even tried placing an ad asking for work for themselves in the local paper and on the online job boards. What have you got to loose. This is direct marketing of yourself and might be the Golden ticket. So, sit down and write your own ad of what kind of job you are looking for. Be creative, say really nice things about yourself, and ask for exactly the kind of job you want.