Hot Tips on How to Job Search

September 4, 2007 | By Carma In Preparation |

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Prior to looking for the specific job that would the best fit for you, learn how to effectively market your talents. This will help you gauge the possibility of landing the job you want.

Step 1: Self-Evaluation
First, skills and interests should be evaluated personally. Jotting down a list would definitely be the best way to define your capabilities.

Second, know your limitations. There are jobs that are too demanding that might not work for you, or jobs that you may be overly qualified for.

Third, plan the time as soon as your inner instinct tells you that you are ready and qualified. Once this has been done, go to companies and prospective employers early in the morning for this will give them a good impression. And for you, the time to complete the application, if you are fortunate. Remember, the early bird catches the worm.

Step 2: Prepare Your Support Materials
The very first thing that needs to be done when looking for a job is to prepare an impressive resume. The resume will depend on the type of job being applied for. There are times when certain employers require curriculum vitae (C.V.) and even a cover letter or letter of intent. Every professional job you apply for expects to receive a well written resume.

Step 3: Find Job Vacancies
After preparing the documents needed for application, the next thing that should follow is finding vacancies for new hires. Searching using the Internet is very useful for this activity. There are sites that provide this assistance like Yahoo! HotJobs, CareerBuilder and Monster that use resources and provide convenience for people to look for jobs.

Where Else To Look for Job Openings
If you are looking for a local, entry level job, you can look at the Classified Ads in local newspapers. Also, there are often employment focused papers available for free at your local grocery store. Applying at several companies initially in a local area can save you more time and money. If you happen to find a job late in the day, call immediately for inquiries. Never let a day pass when opportunities come.

How to Look for Jobs that Are Not Announced
Sometimes companies and other employers do not really advertise all job openings in their organization. The best thing for you to do, is to determine if it is possible to be hired by a certain company by just submitting an application form or resume.

Start looking for the job personally. Tell everyone that you are job hunting. Relatives and previous office or company co-workers will be able to give hints on job vacancies in their current companies. Professors or teachers can also be helpful in recommending schools and institutions that are now looking for new instructors. These people might not have any vacant position in their company in mind, but they certainly know someone who knows or needs a new employee. This what is called networking.

Often times, the Yellow Pages (both online and off) does the important job of providing information on how and where to call to look for a job. This gives an accurate list of companies and prospective employers in a chosen area. Be ware that online Yellow Pages may still list companies that have changed their contact information or gone out of business.

Visiting the library is also a tool than can be useful when looking for a job. There are libraries that have a list of local employers, just asks the librarian for more information.

Contact these employers personally, even if they did not advertise any vacant positions that needed to be filled.

Lastly, be observant of signs posted on doors and windows of shops and stalls you pass by. If lucky, just walk in and ask for information about the job and how to apply. But don’t do this if you are poorly groomed — you want to make a good first impression.

After submitting application forms and resumes to the respective companies, keep track of the progress by creating a chart where you can jot down the name of the company and when the application was submitted. Get That Job Interview! is currently developing such a chart and instructions on how to use it to best effect. So subscribe to this website and you’ll be one of the first people to know when it is ready.

In the meantime, here’s a job-scout checklist to help you along your way: