It is not very easy to look for a job after you have been out of the job market for a while. There are many things that have changed over the years and other things have stayed the same. Keep reading if you want to know the best way to go about looking for a new position.
When you’re looking for a job, make job searching your full time job. If you already have a job, take time out of each day to search as well. You won’t get anywhere if you only try to work for one or two places. Take your time and create a list of places to apply at each day.
Social media can help you land a job and increase your profile, so use sites like LinkedIn to help get your name out there. The Q&A section is a great place to show off your knowledge. You can also talk to others about their titles, jobs and experience in their roles and fields.
Make a name for yourself! In a job market bleeding qualified candidates, self-branding goes a long way in helping you to stand out from the crowd. Self-promotion and developing your personal brand is not a matter of ego. Instead, it is an opportunity to showcase your best ideas, initiative and creativity. Never exaggerate or falsify your best attributes, but do not be afraid to set your modesty aside.
Keep your attitude in check. Failure is almost certain at some point, so take this with a grain of salt. Do not live off unemployment until it runs out. Instead, set goals and deadlines for yourself in respect to how many applications you fill out.
Always make sure that the job that you are applying for is feasible from a location perspective. Often, you may want to just take the first job that is available to you, but you do not want to drive 100 miles to get to and from your job each day.
Learn how to write an effective resume for your specific industry. Recruiters see many resumes everyday. If you can make your resume stand out, it will give you a better chance of landing an interview. Check out books from the library, or search for resume tips online. The time spent in perfecting your resume will be well worth it.
When applying for a job, check out the financial statements to determine if the company is doing well or not. It is important to situate yourself in a company that is growing, rather than one that is on the decline. This is vital for your future and the potential success you will have at the company.
Do not take care of your personal business when you are at work. Only use your break time unless it is an absolute necessity. Even if your boss is lax on this rule you should not use it. You will gain a great deal of respect by showing that you are able to manage your life appropriately.
Turn down the number of rings on the phone you use for job searching to five. This allows you plenty of time to get to the phone, but doesn’t have so many rings that potential employers will hang up before they get to the answering machine, causing you to lose out on an opportunity.
If you are in college, make sure that you go do as many internship as you can during the summers. This is vital as it will not only help to bolster your resume, but will get you used to the everyday life of someone who is working hard at a full time pace.
When submitting a resume, you need to think about how to cover any gaps in employment. Gaps in employment, for whatever reason, can be viewed as a negative mark against your employment history. If they are long gaps, show how you have kept up to date within your industry. If they are shorter, explain any reasons for these gaps so they are not perceived in a negative light.
If you are an older job seeker, understand that you do not have to include the dates of your high school and college graduation or dates of courses you may have taken early in your career. Additionally, you do not have to list high school at all if you graduated from college. It is understood that you also have a high school diploma.
As an older job seeker, remember that it is perfectly alright to be vague about years. You do not have to say that you have had thirty years of experience doing the job for which you are applying. Simply say that you are very experienced or that you have thorough experience from the ground floor up. It’s alright to be creative. Your exact age is your own business.
Eye contact is one of the more important things to focus on as the interview in progress. When you make eye contact with your interviewer, it shows that you are not only paying attention to them but are confident as well. These attributes are important to companies for hiring purposes.
Make sure you research into an employment agency very thoroughly. Some employment agencies are set up to simply take your money. Follow their history and get advice from others who have used them. Finding a reliable agency will be a great help in your job search.
Try doing some volunteer work in your desired field. This type of knowledge-seeking is often overlooked, but it can both make you feel good and help you acquire important industry knowledge first-hand. It also provides you with a great opportunity to network with other professionals. Prospective employers tend to look favorably upon volunteer work listed on your resume, as well.
Now that you are armed with all of the information you need to snag a new job, it is up to you to do the rest. Make sure to have a well-written resume, plenty of experience and the right interview etiquette. A combination of all these things should help you secure a job in no time.
