Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker
There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are out of work and trying to find a job and your job search is going no where. Don’t feel bad, you are not alone and there is a good reason why searching for a new job can be so difficult. There is no doubt the job market has changed. 30 years ago when I applied for my first job I remember answering an ad in the paper, calling and speaking to a real person, going in for the interview, filling out a application, had the interview and was offered the $3.75 and hour shipping job. Things are not that simple today.
Back then there was no voice mail, no email, you mailed in a typed resume, who had a fax at home? You called and talked to a real person. You may of filled out a application but not the dozen forms you need to today. And you never had to prove you were legally allowed to work in the United States.
Today if you are looking for a job how to you stand out in the impersonal hiring environment that exists in most companies. If you apply online you are competing against dozens if not hundreds of others. Competition is stiff for a most jobs and a human may never even see your resume. Are there steps you can follow that will improve your chances? After being unemployed for several months after 3 years of self employment and becoming more depressed and frustrated in not finding a job, I took my job search to a new level which finally paid off in a new job.
I had been self employed for 3 years but after a divorce and starting life over, my self employment was no longer working. I had to bite the bullet and start looking for a job. The first mistake I realized was my resume was not working. I had updated it to reflect my self employment which was not related to my previous career.
I was trying to find a position similar to my previous career in the graphics and computer support industry. By starting my work history with my self employment it made it look like I had been out of the industry even longer and my skills even more outdated. I was just shooting myself in the foot. I changed my self employment to reflect my computer skills so while I had been out of the industry for awhile I wasn’t out of touch. Some employers have doubts about people who have been self employed. They think they are going to go back to their own business or worse they only want a job so they can use company resources for their own gain. In my case I was able to explain that I had an opportunity to work at home and spend time with my preschool son, it had been for family reasons. Most employers respect that.
To begin with you really need to take a hard look at your resume. If you have always worked in one area and are applying for a position similar to those you have had in the past then your resume may just need some updating and polish. There are a number of good books and websites on resume writing. If you really need help then a resume service may be money well spent.
How many resumes do you have? There is no reason you can’t have several. I was applying for a variety of unrelated positions. I would of looked “over qualified” or my experience would of been too unrelated for the position if I stuck with just one standard resume. I created a “general” resume that listed a variety of skills that could fit any number of non specific jobs.
You can have one that is very specific for the industry you are applying for and there is no reason you can’t change it to a specific company especially if it will be scanned in and checked for “keywords” Some companies scan for keywords or buzzwords related to the position, their company or industry. Even if you are the most qualified person for that position, if your resume doesn’t have those keywords, it will never get seen.
In addition to having a few different resumes you should have it in several different formats also. If you need to mail it in then a nice easy to read printed resume is in order. Same if you will be faxing it in. If you email your resume then your cover letter will be the body of your email and your resume will be attached. Most employers request it be in a word .doc format or text but you can also use a pdf format. If you have your own website why not post it online with a link in your email.
Be sure to include several ways to contact you. Home phone, cell phone, email. I had the unfortunate luck of having my cell phone and my home phone cut off for non payment within a few days of each other. As luck would have it someone I sent a resume to tried to contact me and couldn’t get through. They did send me a email saying they couldn’t reach me.
I was able to call them and get a interview. Don’t leave anything to chance. And if they leave you a message get back to them ASAP while your resume is still on their desk. When you get a interview, be on time, be prepared, do your research about the company you are interviewing with. You can usually find most everything you need off their company website. Come prepared with extra resumes, helpful if you have to fill out a application. Also have copies of your updated references. It is best to have more than 3. Some companies want professional references including past employers, others want personal references of persons not related to you. Be prepared for both.
Where to find a job? Dig! And keep digging! You may never know where one will show up. In some ways the internet has made job searches easier with a variety of job sites to search. You should probably set up accounts at the large sites like hotjobs and monster which will allow you to post your resume and apply directly to postings Also take a look at sites like indeed.com.
They are a search engine of sorts for jobs. They search several jobs sites at once. Saves time from going to each site. Post your resume so employers can find you. ASK! Don’t be afraid to let everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Drop a email to anyone who might know someone who might have a job opening.
You might be surprised how many people really do want to help you. Network your pants off! If you don’t ask no one can help you. Search everyday. Try and send out at least one resume a day if not more. Pick up the early edition of the Sunday paper. Send out 5-10 at a time. And keep sending them even after you have interviews set up. You can easily fall behind two or three weeks if you stop sending resumes in hopes of that job offer coming through.
Nothing better than telling someone, “I’m sorry I accepted another position” Apply for every job you are remotely interested in even if you don’t think you are qualified. Every job listed always has a laundry list of qualifications and requirements. In a perfect world they would find the perfect person that would match every requirement. But employers know that person doesn’t exist and they are looking for someone who closely matches and they feel will be a good fit.
At the worst you will never hear from them. At the best they will offer you a job or maybe something different within their company. You can always turn it down. Even if it turns out to be something you really don’t want to do, it might help you get by for awhile until a better position comes along. Never be afraid to apply to any job!
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Help answer the question about job tips
Job hunting tips during this recession?I have just got out of the worst job of my life! (contract ended).
I am so relieved.
Now I have to face the dreaded job search. Since we are in a recession, I would like to know some tips so I can find a job quicker.
I have a mix of teaching experience, customer support, and IT experience.
I greatly appreciate all your suggestions in advance!
9 Comments on “Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker”
Call the place and ask to speak to the hiring manager. Identify yourself, say you saw the posting and had a few questions before you apply – then ask them. If you sound relatively decent and the manager likes you, they will remember your name and might pull you out of the bunch of resumes received. Even better would be to enter the store and speak with them personally – that's like a mini interview on your terms. Calling to ask about the status of your app is probably not the best thing to do- as it irritates the hiring manager, like I'll get to it when I'm ready, who are you to be calling asking me where I'm at in my job? I'll call you if I'm interested – at least those are my thoughts when someone does a follow up on an application.
If you already applied, then call or go in, identify yourself and say you have a few questions about the position. See how the conversation goes and if it feels good then say, well you have your app in, so you you would be happy to hear from them when they're ready to interview.
button up shirt, slacks and a belt. Possibly a tie.
Dress correctly. Be presentable in appearance. Ask for the manager, introduce yourself and ask for an application. If you look professional, speak correctly and behave in a professional manner you stand a better chance then others. Make sure the application is easy to read, neat, spelling and grammar correct.
it helps if you can make a will work for food sign…..
From experience- have total confidence in yourself that you deserve this job… and show it in your attitude, your smile, your spirit… and turn in your application- to the manager in person, or supervisor, and dress nice- not too plain or too "career" type- chances are the salon tagets teens and young 20-somethings so you want to look fashionably- conservative not fake or showing off anything.
But try to talk to the manager right then and there, say how excited you are about this position and you know you are qualified and you'd love to set up a meeting with them.
If you step up to the plate, they WILL remember you. That's all that matters, then win them in the interview. Trust me, they don't want someone with too much experience or else they will have to pay them for that. They will perfer you if you seem "flexible" in your hours "dependable" (always show up early, you have reliable transportation), say you want this job "long-term" or at least to take you through college, also make your leaving your last job sound positive- you were looking for a new career direction, or your hours got cut, so you left in pursuit of a new job with stable hours. They can't verify that with your last employer. The only thing they can ask is "has this employee worked here before? And if so, would you rehire that person?" That's it….
So say those key words and look confident, and you're in! But say those words if you mean it… don't lie to them.
Job searching can be tough. People assume that getting a job is easy; but in reality it's not. There's a lot of employers out there that are rude and picky.
When you are looking for your first job; you have to apply to work everywhere you can think of. Supermarkets, resturants, mall shops, coffee shops, hotels, cafes, bookstores, fast-food resturants, department stores, convenience stores, begal/donut shops, pet supply stores, anywhere you can think of.
I don't like how a lot of places treat job applicants; but you may be treated poorly by some places. Don't let it surprise you; many people like to treat job searchers like garbage.
Here's one important fact (that most people don't realize): Let's say theres two retail stores close to eachother. One retail store has a "help wanted" sign up. The other retail store is accepting job applications but doesn't have a "help wanted" sign up. The store with a "help wanted" sign is going to get more job applicants. The more job applicants a business gets; the less of a chance you have to be called in for an interview. There are always people who are job searching.
If you want to know if a place is hiring or not; ask a manager there. The hourly employees aren't always sure if hiring or not.
When I was job searching I handed in job applications; wearing a bottoned-down shirt and a nice pair of long cargo pants. I had employers call me in for an interview 3-5 days after handing in the application. I applied for a hotel job once; and the employer called me in for an interview like 3 weeks after I handed-in the application. So the time it takes an employer to call you really depends. Then of course; you will apply for jobs and never hear from the employer.
Job searching can suck; you will apply for jobs you are capable of doing; and you will get turned down for that job. This happened to me like 30-40 times. Regardless if you apply for a job in-person or online; be clean, well-dressed, quiet, easy-going, calm, and use a common sense. Don't be a "big-mouth" or a "show-off" when you hand in a job application. Big-mouths are huge turn-offs.
If you are a student; you may have to work around your school schedule more than you want to. You may have to take a job further from your house than you want to. When I was job searching; no one would hire me in my area where I live. So I ended up taking a job that is 45 minutes north of my house. That was my only option at that point, so be preapared. E-mail me via yahoo; if you want a little more advice. Goodluck.
Always be polite! Be as helpful as you can be not just to the client but to coworkers. Ask questions if you are unsure your coworkers are your best source for help.