Your Jobsearch Starts Here
This is your starting point. The first thing you will be wondering is how to find a job; where to start with your job searching quest. Jobs are everywhere. They are hiding in the debris of our lives. They want you to hunt them down. You are going to be a job searching guru but you need to know where to look. We are going to show you how to find a job.
The first thing you need is an email address. If you don’t have one, get one now. There are all sorts of large email providers. Click the links here to sign up to one of the big three: Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook.
Networking
The first thing you will need to do is tell everyone that you are looking for work. This is the first step in networking. You may not realize it but you have a network that starts with you and spreads through your friends and through their friends…and so on and so forth. Tell people you are looking for work and tell them to tell others. If you are on Facebook (or some other social networking sites such as Linkedin) put the word out.
So don’t be shy; it will get you nowhere. If you visit a store you would like to work for, ask them about vacancies. If you have a relative make a visit; tell them you need work. You would be amazed at how many people find work by simple word-of-mouth. Ask others how to find a job and use their tips and jobsearch techniques.
The Internet: Job Sites
This is going to be your main jobsearch arena. The mind boggles with the amount of job websites that are available. Most of them are not your friend. In fact, many job sites are just zombie sites designed to lure you in and redirect you to advertisements or subscription services. Ask around you: what job sites do other people rely on. Your web browser can keep a record of your favourite sites so make use of this by putting useful job websites in your Favourites and Bookmarks.
Before you dive in and apply for everything that comes along, get your priorities straight.
There are companies that you want to work for. Hit them first. Then hit them once a week. Most of them will have a Careers or Recruitment or Jobs section. Bookmark this or add it to your Favourites. There is nothing wrong with backing this up with a phone call. Speak to Human Resources; ask for the email address of someone you can send a CV and cover email to.
Newspapers and Jobsearch
As time goes by people are turning to newspapers less and less. This resource should not be overlooked though. Both local and national newspapers have jobsearch sections. They tend to come out on a particular day so find out what day this is. Also, many newspapers have a vibrant jobsearch section online so explore their website and get to know the layout. Add the sites to your favourites.
Recruitment Agencies
A lot is said about recruitment agencies and not all of it is good. Don’t rule them out. They can be a good source of work both in the long-term and as a short-term way to get work while you are looking for something more suitable. Having said that, many people looking for work have found long-term positions through recruitment agencies.
Agencies are a business and their business is your time. Because of this they can be ruthless and inconsistent: one week they are all over you and the next they don’t remember who you are.
If you like the feel of an agency develop a relationship with them. Visit them in person and get to know their names. Don’t let them forget you. Call them every few weeks first thing on a Tuesday morning, “Good morning Alison, I just wondered if you had anything new come in this week…..okay then, I appreciate your time. Do you mind if I call you next week to see how things are going?”
Like so much of your job search, a large chunk of your success lies in the power of your outlook. You need to be a friendly diplomat. That way, people will remember you.
Opportunism
Or, to put it another way, acting in the moment. Keep your eyes open for any vague sight of recruitment. Buy a memory stick. Put your CV on it and always carry it with you (don’t be tight: buy a memory-stick; they’re not expensive).
If you are alert and keep your eyes open as you go about your everyday life you will sniff-out jobsearch opportunities as they come by. And then pounce on them like the Job Fox that you are. Looking for Work is not a time to be shy.
Opportunism is also about creating opportunities where there are none. Remember your hit-list of companies you would like to work for? Send a beautiful cover letter off with your CV to all the names on your hit-list. The longer you are unemployed the less money you will have. Invest a little of it now in all the right places.
Applying for a job in this way is called a speculative application. It’s a way of gambling that good fortune will smile on you if you just try. Feeling lucky?
Casting your net
This isn’t easy.
What area in the jobs market will you apply to?
Should you stick with what you have always known?
When you first plunge into the jobs market it is sensible to stay focused.
Many people – in panic – apply for every job they see.
Stay calm and keep your eye on the prize. Don’t cast your net too widely. Think about the past two jobs you have had and stick to this area. Can you think about any other jobs that use the same skills? Someone who has worked in a bank might not immediately think about jobs working in a currency exchange or a post office or even in telesales. This is how you cast your net: think about your skills and get your hit-list together.
If this doesn’t work you can begin to widen the search and include other jobs that seem less likely to suit your experience and skills. The truth with your job search, though, is that you never know until you try.