Calling all Job Seekers: Snag that Dream Job!
With the economy still struggling and the unemployment rate distressingly high, there are a lot of job seekers out there right now. In particular, students are graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, only to find that they cannot get hired anywhere. It is not at all atypical to go for months and months waiting to hear back from someone, even if you have filled out fifty, sixty, seventy applications and put your resume out there wherever you possibly can. All of this can be disheartening to even the strongest person. After a while, we start feeling completely Unemployable – capital “U” necessary, of course – and start thinking about getting the word tattooed onto our foreheads, just so we do not forget. Before you decide on something so permanent, though, check out a few of these tips. No matter what kind of job you are looking for, they are guaranteed to help you succeed.
The first thing all job seekers need to do is consider their interests. Sometimes, especially when you are just starting out and do not have a lot of work experience, you will have to broaden your horizons away from your major. For instance, if you are interested in literature, you can think about becoming a tutor, a copy writer, you can think about writing articles, you can even think about simply working in a bookstore. Trust that, in all of those cases, when potential employers see “Literature major” or “English major” listed on your resume, cover letter, and curriculum vitae, they will definitely be interested. If you are interested in science or medicine, working in a pharmacy or a pharmaceutical company is also a possible choice. If you have peripheral interests which are in some way related to your chosen field of study, you can look into appropriate job opportunities in those areas as well. And, of course, if there is something you are interested in even though it is not related to your major – go for it. Beggars cannot be choosers after all, and when you can do something that interests you, well, you are already ahead of the game.
Job seekers always need to keep their resume updated as well, even if it is just a rough, sketched in template. That way, it will always be at the ready when a new job opportunity comes up; all you have to do is fill in the specific details. If you do not know how to write a resume – learn! It is really not that hard, and there are plenty of tutorials available out there to help you craft a great one. Insofar as that goes, getting your name out there never hurts either. Create a personal web site. Whenever possible, include your portfolio on there. As well, you should never underestimate the value of social and professional networking sites. More and more employers and companies are even turning to MySpace. Having a page there, and on such places as LinkedIn, Facebook, and JobFox can be more helpful than you might think. You can also get some great connections there.
You also need to remember how important a cover letter is. In particular, you need to target both your cover letter and your CV – and your resume, for that matter – to the individual positions to which you are applying. For instance, if you have done some volunteer work which garnered experience that would be beneficial in a particular position, make sure you let your prospective employer know that.
Most importantly, as hard as it may be, job seekers need to learn patience – and never, ever be too hard on yourselves. Stressing yourself out is just going to make the whole process worse, plus you will lose confidence in yourself. Self confidence and self worth are just as important as an excellent CV, cover letter, and resume. You have to let these employers know that you truly believe you are the best person for the job.
