| Network!
Think of the people you know - relatives,
friends, professors, classmates, co-workers
from past and current jobs, and others.
Make more of an effort to meet with people,
and use these conversations to ask their
advice, to make them aware of your job search,
to learn more about their jobs or their
organizations, and to get the names of others
who might be useful in your job search.
Target
your resume.
Make sure your resume is targeted to the
employers who receive it. Make sure your
resume is easy to read and the most important
details stand out. Make more than one resume
if you are applying to more than one industry.
Be
prepared.
You should have a copy ofyour resume with
you at all times. It is also a good idea
to have fresh copies of your resume prepared
in case you are called to an interview at
the last minute.
Create
a contact database.
Write down all the employers you contact,
the date you sent your resume,any contact
made, people you talk to,and notes about
those contacts. Keep a notepad with you
at all times—take notes as soon as
you hear about an opportunity or when you
leave an interview. Get into the habit of
updating your database daily.
Make
a “to do” list every day.
This will help you organize your list of
priorities and keep you focused on finding
that perfect job.
Try
the buddy system.
Link up with a friend who is also job hunting.
Arrange to speak weekly and report on accomplishments,best
practices,and future plans.
Learn
how to talk about yourself.
Throughout your job search,you will speak
with many people at different levels. You
must be comfortable having conversations
about yourself with other people. Keep in
mind that you never know who may end up
being useful to your job hunt.
Prepare
an elevator speech.
You never know who you’ll meet in
an elevator, in line at the coffee shop,or
on the street. Know what your skills are
and how to communicate them. You should
be able to tell prospective employers and
others you meet what you can offer. You
should also be able to talk about how your
skills relate to the industries that interest
you.
Find
out all there is about employers in your
field.
Remain current on any issues or developments
in the field, read trade journals or professional
publications, and read the newspaper. It
is extremely impressive during an interview
ifyou know about the latest merger or coup
in the industry.
Practice
for each interview.
Preparation is key to interviewing well.
Friends, relatives, and career services
counselors can help you formulate strong
answers to questions you might not anticipate.
Look at the list of possible questions on
the interviewing section and prepare yourself.
Follow
up with leads immediately.
If you find out about a position late in
the day, call right then. Don’t wait
until the next day.
Stay
confident.
Job hunting takes time and energy. Remain
confident,but prepare yourself for challenges
ahead. Don’t get disgruntled if you
are still looking for a job and it seems
like everyone you know has an offer.
Job
Hunting Tips provided by CESER, the Center
for Employment Security Education and Research
- dedicated to improving services to the
nation's workers and employers - in cooperation
with the Employment and Training Administration,U.S.Department
ofLabor.
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