Feb 6, 2011
Finding a Job: Where to Begin
Sometimes the hardest part about finding a job is just knowing where to begin. Feeling like the odds are stacked against you can lead to anxiety, even hopelessness. The best thing to do is try to adopt a positive attitude, and resolve towards working hard every single day until you have landed a job. It’s important that you believe in yourself and your prospects. Spend an hour or two each day searching major job engines and job listing sites. Make sure when you are combing the Internet for jobs that you narrow your search as much as possible so that you’re only searching for jobs for which you have the requisite education and skills.
There are thousands of postings on every given day, and you don’t want to waste time skimming through jobs you’ll never apply for. And respond to every posting for which you are qualified. Don’t forget to use social media sites in your search, and also post a profile and resume on major job search sites. Employment widgets can also come in handy if you’re technologically proficient. And if there are certain companies you’ve always dreamed of working for, keep visiting their web sites on a regular basis to see if they are listing any open jobs. Sometimes a company website can be the most up-to-date source of information.When you’re hunting down the perfect job, you’ll want to use every advantage that you can. This means you shouldn’t be shy about calling or making appointments to see old classmates, friends and former colleagues. So many people find a job because someone they know and trust recommended it to them, or at least gave them a helpful lead.
Your hometown or the next town over, probably has its own career center. Why not stop in and talk to someone there? He or she will be able to give you ideas of where to drop off your resume. If you went to college, consider visiting the career center at that school. Colleges care about their alumni as well as their current students, and many employers will choose an employee from their alma maters over another job applicant if everything else is equal.
You also want to have all the skills necessary in today’s job market. If you aren’t too proficient technologically, you might consider taking a computer class at the local community college so that you can maintain a competitive edge. You could even learn such programs as Excel and SharePoint by studying them on your own. Practice your typing if you’re a little rusty. A course or two in business etiquette also wouldn’t hurt if you’ve never really worked in an office environment before.
The key is to be persistent. Remember, you never know when or where you could get lucky and find that perfect job, so keep getting up early in the morning and hitting the pavement as though this were the first day of your job search. Hopefully, it will be your last!
By Susan Bean
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