I am writing this post to help all of you out there understand the basics of searching for a job in todays economy. I am not going to tell you that it is easy or that all you have to do is go to this one website and post your resume and wait. That will not get you anywhere. Trust me.
I have been actively looking for a job since I graduated in August, and still no success. So you may be asking yourself, why should I listen to this guy? Shouldn’t I go to someone’s blog that has a job or listen to someone that has five job offers on the table? Well maybe you should, but here is the first piece of advice that I am going to give to you.
1. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON MANUALS
I have read tons of books and blogs about how to get a job. Obviously none of them work. No book is going to help you get a job. In fact you are wasting time reading about finding a job while someone else is getting hired.
You might get some good tips, but don’t count on it being the saving grace of your Job Hunt. The one book I do recommend for IDEAS (note: just ideas, don’t think it will really help you get a job, just help you figure out how you are going to stand out) is to check out the book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0. This book was written by some of the top Headhunters in America and give you solid advice on how to make yourself stand out.
2. BE ACTIVE
No I don’t mean go run around your neighborhood or go work out in your local gym. I mean get involved with all this Social Networking stuff that you have been hearing so much about. In fact, you are on a site like that right now. Use facebook to find a job not to stalk what your ex has been doing since you two split.
This is a serious step in getting noticed out there. Tweet and be heard don’t just talk about what you are getting for lunch. All your potential employers are out there looking for you on these sites, so make sure you are who you want them to see.
But also don’t be afraid to have the occasional drinking photo on you facebook page, we are human, it is good to interact with other people.
3. CONSTANTLY KEEP LOOKING
Don’t spend one day a week looking for your dream job. It is not going to come to you. Yes, you might have a friend that landed their dream job in their first week of their hunt, but that is a rare exception. Don’t count on it. Yes, you might still be taking classes or working a part time job, but you have to use your free time to look. Whether you are scrolling posting pages, researching companies, or reaching out to networking opportunities do something each day to bring you one step closer to that dream job.
Thats all I have to offer for today. As I promised I wouldn’t try to feed you false lines in trying to figure out how to get a job. I didn’t give you the secret to getting a job, because there isn’t one. Hard work is the best advice I can give you.
As always if it is worth doing, Do it In Public.
And Job hunting is worth it
Jim
