Tony Jacowski asked:


In order to conduct an effective job search, you have to know what you are looking for, why you are looking and how to go about it. There are a few common myths and misconceptions to be aware of so your job hunt stays on the right path.

-After college, jobs come easily: You should never expect that you will get job offers immediately after you graduate. It will take time for you to find a good job. The fact is that some people will be lucky while others will have to wait longer. You need to have patience - on average, finding a suitable job takes 3-4 months. Don’t waste your time simply waiting. Until you find a good job, try working in a smaller one, at least part-time. It may not pay you as much, but it will at least keep you occupied.

-Putting your resume on the Internet means more offers: This is not always true. Think about what recruiters must be going through. They get more than a hundred resumes everyday, and it is definitely not possible for them to consider each and every one of them. The best advice here is to personalize your resume to meet the requirements of each job that you apply to.

-Classified ads make up the majority of job openings: Agreed - ads in the newspapers and on the Internet do make up a good deal of job openings, but not all of them. The jobs that offer a big position and a huge salary are usually not advertised everywhere. This calls for some savvy networking. Try to approach companies even if there is no opening advertised, and don’t forget to leave your resume with them. If there is an opening, be being proactive, you may receive a call for an interview.

-Job-hopping is bad: This is a very popular misconception that everyone seems to believe. Though this used to be a fact some years ago, but now the mindset of the average employer has changed. Changing jobs frequently was once viewed as instability in character. But now it is okay to change your job after a year, as this now indicates your ambition to learn and advance in your career.

-If you’re over 50, it’s over: This issue can never pose as a problem as long as you have the proper education, relevant experience and the right attitude. Having the right attitude means being open to new ideas, team spirit and contributing to the company.

Jenny K asked:


~.~ Job Hunting GRRR’s ~.~

Sharon Alexander asked:


to look for a good job comes at different stages. The need for job hunting could arise for a fresher or for a temporarily unemployed. However, if you have good job-hunting tips at your end, then the endeavor becomes hassle free and very productive.

When you sit down to think about why contemporaries

enjoy multiple choices and from good companies, the analysis bottles down to good job-hunting tips. All it takes is a more sophisticated and planned approach and improvement on your resume and presentation styles to bag the best job offer.

Network extensively

When you embark on a job-hunting spree, network extensively. You need to identify people within the industry and move on via their contacts. It pays to let everyone know that your skills are available. You need to scan the local yellow pages, classified columns and online sites of the companies you prefer. Once the web is strewn, it is before time that you find true expression. You need to then short list the prospective employers in order of priority and do everything in your capacity to get that interview.

Create a target-oriented resume

Ensure that you are completely aware of the skills required for the position applied for in each of the companies. The effort will pay off well. Your resume should reflect the skills that each of the profiles is looking for. This enables the management to short-list you for the job quicker and with surety. You should indulge in extensive research on each job profile to find out everything you need to know at the interview. Double-check and confirm that the segments highlighted tally with your understanding of the job and bullet point certifications relevant to the profile. A persuasive resume focuses on a particular profile and company. Always review your resume before you send it across. Make the appropriate changes before submission.

Remember courtesy and body language

It pays to enquire politely and thank every one of the employees who helps you. You never know who you could be interacting with. Beyond the fact that your interactions could be with someone important, courtesy goes a long way. From the reception staff, to the board members, everyone will read and judge you according to the courtesy extended. Your body language, the way you walk, sit and speak - will all reflect your sense of self worth and confidence in your ability. Walking with your body aligned and speaking while maintaining eye contact are just some of the signs that speak volumes for your attitude and skills.

Display your skill areas

You should not miss a single opportunity to show off your skill areas. It pays to make the board aware of how efficient you are in the face of an adversity by quoting some previous situation that you may have salvaged. When sharing information on your skill areas, throw in a name or two of either referrals or names of people that you connect with. This personalizes the conversation and adds more credit to it.

Sell your ability

Being coy and shy does not work. You need to be bold and present your ability as the ‘perfect fit’ for the profile being considered. You should sell your ability as the right choice and present qualifications and experience at every point of the interview. This job-hunting tip will also culminate in many profitable promotions later on.

There are many online and offline resources dedicated to the endeavor of making good job-hunting tips available. They enable you to plan and prepare for the task ahead in a focused and meticulous manner.

Somniferous asked:


I am a trained Network Engineer in Cisco/Windows infrastructure. 4 Year term in US Airforce in NOC and:
AA in IT Systems, CCNP, CCSP, CCDP, MCSE module training, A+Training, numerous training and hands on on utilities such as: HP openview, Cisco Works etc.

Not been able to land an IT job for 18 months. Nailed two jobs, one in Mid 2006 and another in early 2007, bad luck locked me out for different co-incidental occurrences right before signing a contract.

Any ideas on how to move from here? If you are in the industry and have something going along this fields you’re welcome to shoot me an email.

centenarydotedu asked:

On June 3, 2008, KTAL TV interviewed Centenary College Career Services Director Dennis Taylor about considerations necessary to a successful job hunt.

Virginia Bola asked:


Looking for a job involves a wide range of responsibilities: preparing a resume, looking at ads, contacting employers, calling and visiting friends and acquaintances, follow ups, interviews. While none of us ever plan to be out of work for very long, it can be very useful to immediately start documenting your activities and your feelings to provide a road map of where you have been and where you want to go. It helps to have a central location for recording your daily actions so you don’t miss anything important or forget a critical deadline. It is also reassuring to have somewhere to go when you’re feeling blue and too lethargic to go anywhere or do anything you consider “productive.”

Start a job search diary right now. Even if you have been unemployed for some time, start one anyway because a late start is better than never doing it at all.

Take a plain old exercise book and title it: Job Search Diary. Find a spot to keep it where it will always be close at hand when you need it, probably several times a day.

If you are newly jobless, start out by recording your feelings. Writing out (keep it simple, it’s not the great American novel) what you are thinking, in black and white sentences, helps to sort out your jumbled emotions, clear your mind, and reach a better understanding of your inner self. Jot down your anger, your fears, what you expect, what you secretly dread. Pouring out your soul will release a lot of the inner tension you’re feeling and soothe your nerves.

This record is for you - no one else will ever see it - so you can be brutally honest. If you fear you are a loser who will never amount to anything, write it out. If you think you’re really a good, competent worker but your old boss was a jerk or the company sucked, put it down.

If you have been out of work for a while, make your initial entries a recap of what has been happening in your life since you lost your job. Trace the sequence of events and see if you can remember how you felt at different times. There were probably times when you were overwhelmed and stressed out: record when you felt that way and, if you can recall, what activities you were engaged in when those feelings appeared. There were also probably times when you felt hopeful or elated. Record that too and what events were connected with such emotions.

Use your diary as a place to plan what you want to do. List all activities that you are going to perform that will get you back to work. You might initially plan on updating your resume and reading the classifieds to gauge the state of the labor market. If you are further along in the job search, you might list some networking targets or identify some employers where follow up on earlier contacts might be beneficial. Frequently, throughout the day, record what you did, who you talked to, how you felt.

This is going to become your Special Place where you have a record of your journey from the badlands of unemployment to the green fields of regular work. Visit it often to keep updating your plans, record your smallest successes and failures, and unload your emotional baggage.

When you can’t bear the thought of one more telephone call leading to one more rejection; when you can’t find the energy to get dressed up to visit an agency or cold-call an employer; when you can’t stand the sight of another misleading ad or internet job site; then reach for the comfort of your journal. Read over what you have written and see the changing moods of your long pilgrimage. See if you can identify a pattern. What were you doing when you felt despondent and alone? What were you doing when you felt upbeat and positive about the future? Concentrate on your own specific actions, not merely your reaction to outside events. If you can find a thread relating what you do to how you feel, you have found a valuable key for managing your hunt for work. You now know what to do to feel pretty good and what not to do to avoid a recurrence of despair.

Maintain your diary throughout your job search and it will become an increasingly rich source of information about you and your inner self. It will challenge you to get active and it will comfort you when you just want to curl up into a ball and turn your back on life.

When your final exultant entry is made - I got a job! - find a quiet time to completely read through all the entries to give yourself a full appreciation of how far you have come and how hard you have worked for your eventual success. Give yourself a mental pat on the back for hanging in there and never accepting defeat.

Then close it up and lock it away in a safe place. If you ever find yourself jobless again (and it happens to many of us over and over), take it out. Reread it for the insights you will gain, and the mistakes you’ll be able to avoid, in your next (probably shorter) job search campaign.

xxislandgirlxx78 asked:


Can someone please help me find a topic sentence for:
Tips for job hunting in Today’s Market

Thanks!

Nicholas Tan asked:


Hunting for jobs nowadays is a very competitive and sometimes cut-throat affair. Here are a few tips to help you get the edge in searching out and landing the job of your dreams.

The Curriculum Vitae

The CV is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. Since potential employers have to whittle down practically hundreds of applications to a few valid ones, they will have to base their narrowing down efforts using the CVs they have collected.

Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these applications.

1. Make Your CV Stand Out

When preparing your CV, make sure your CV stands out among the rest. It should be the type that is appealing to the eyes, making the evaluating personnel want to read the CV. Step two is for you to make sure your CV lists the related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for.

1. Make Your CV Concise and Relevant

Avoid making your CVs too long. It may make it irrelevant to the evaluator. Remember that the employer is a person to whom time is important. If your CV shows that you value his/her time while showing the most relevant information in the least amount of time, you will have won one important battle.

2. Always tailor your CV to the job.

You may have had previous experience that may not be related to the job you are applying for. Some people keep many different versions of their CV for different job opening purposes. Make sure your CV is appropriate for the job. A one-size-fits-all CV may not be the best way to go since the employer will have the impression that your previous efforts have not been focused enough to produce any specialization on your part.

3. Write about your achievements

You may add your achievements, but make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air. You may want to skip on listing your weak points as the CV is not the avenue for such discussions.

4. Polish Your CV

Your employer will know if you have put enough time producing your CV. If he/she sees that you have put sufficient and thorough effort into your CV, he/she will assume that you will do the same in your work. This is a big plus for you. It is not uncommon for some people to spend days or even weeks polishing and buffing their CVs.

Catherine Z Jones asked:


Ronald Reagan once said: “A recession is when your friend loses their job. A depression is when you lose yours.”

We’re hovering on the edge of a recession and having well honed job hunting skills is something which is increasingly important for American and European workers.

Just out of interest – Americans get frantic about a possible recession when the unemployment rate goes over 5%. However, in many European countries, the normal unemployment rate is closer to 10% - this is largely due to different measurement standards and a higher percentage of people receiving government assistance. On the other hand, it is a lot harder to fire someone in most European countries.

Our first piece of job search advice is to examine your monthly income versus your expenses and also to look at the rate at which you will go through your savings if you become unemployed.

Obviously, the longer that you can afford to spend looking for a job before you burn through your saving, the better off you will be in the long run. While you look for work, you may be able to do freelance work, if this is applicable to your field. In fact, in some fields, such as copywriting, editing and programming, you can make a good income on the side this way.

Our next piece of job search advice is to get all of your ducks in a row when it comes to job hunting. Get your resume or CV into shape and come up with cover letters which explain exactly why you are the best candidate for the position. After any interview, send a thank you note – write one at the same time as you write your cover letter and prepare it for mailing in case you land an interview. Take it with you and mail it on your way home from the interview.

Get organized with your job search. Make good notes of your activity so you don’t duplicate your efforts or forget things.

You also have to be prepared to put in the effort required to find a new job. You’ll be making a large number of phone calls and sending out a lot of resumes each week. You’ll also have to spend plenty of time following up on all of these calls and resumes. Remember that volume is the name of the game here. Don’t make the mistake of focusing on just one job and feeling down if you don’t get it.

You’ll have to be flexible enough to accept temp-to-hire positions or if necessary, work through a temporary agency or staffing company. You may have to relocate - look at the positives of the situation.

If things are slow, then think about enhancing your skills by getting additional certifications, taking classes or getting any additional training needed to get a leg up in the job market.

Last of all, keep an eye out for jobs which are both publicly posted and non-posted. Remember that even in good economic times, less than 20% of jobs are publicly posted. Talk to people and ask them about positions which are not advertised. You can safely assume that any job which is posted online is being deluged with applicants.

Here’s more job search advice as well as advice on using  job search engines to find work.

Audrey asked:


I’m currently working on getting my license to teach American History.

As we all probably know, its hard to find teaching jobs; especially for subjects such as mine. Any tips on how to find the job and be hired?
I’m sorry; I should be more specific. When I say there’s a lack of teaching jobs, I mean they are hard to get because so many people want them.