How To Conduct A Proper Job Search

A “How To” Series on Marketing Yourself to Employers
By Lily Henderson

With the unemployment rate continuing to rise, those who are looking for a job often find themselves overwhelmed and easily discouraged during this process. They are unsure of what is entailed in a proper job search. Many will visit a few websites or job posting boards, fill out a few applications, and sit and wait for the phone to ring. When this doesn’t bring results frustration often sets in. They are unfamiliar with what makes for a successful job search.

A successful job search goes far beyond just knowing the popular job posting websites, or creating a networking site profile. There are even more important things than having a polished resume. While all of these things are important, the most important tool in marketing yourself to employers is conducting a proper search. There are three key principles to success when looking for a job.

Finding a Job Is Your Job.

The amount of time you spend looking for a job will directly reflect the number of interviews you will be called in for. Just as in any sales job, the key to success is numbers. The more times you post your resume, or apply for a job, the greater likelihood that you will find a job. This doesn’t mean that you should apply for every job available. An unemployed plumber is not going to get the job working as a doctor in a hospital, but he may get the job working as a sanitation specialist for a local corporation. But unless he is actively searching for a job every day, by the time that he does come across the job posting another qualified applicant has already applied, and will probably interview before the plumber even submits his resume. By being one of the first candidates to apply you will increase your chances of being called in for an interview.

Someone who is unemployed should be actively seeking employment 3 to 5 days a week, 6 to 8 hours each day. This may seem like a lot, but if you are unwilling to spend at least 20 hours a week looking for a job, you can’t expect to find one.

Know All Your Resources.

Sometimes you may not know exactly where to go when looking for a job. Job posting websites are an excellent source for looking for employment. Whether you visit a well-known, nationally advertised employment website or something more locally owned and operated. There are hundreds and sometimes thousands of jobs posted on these websites. I would recommend finding a site that posts all these jobs from your local area in one place, a site like www.absoluteknowitall.com/.

Another great source is a job resource center. These community-run facilities offer free computer access, classes for creating resumes, and many other services. They will sometime even provide practice interviews with someone who can coach you on proper interview educate. Many employers will even post jobs on a bulletin board at these centers. I recommend these types of facilities for people who are unfamiliar with the more basic steps to finding a job. These services tend to be reserved for people who are in low income households, but if you have been unemployed for a significant amount of time, you probably qualify for this assistance.

In addition to websites and resource centers it is a good idea to apply at employment agencies. You don’t have to be the only one looking for a job for you. These agencies have professional relationships with employers from all around your local area, and have the competitive edge in job placement that you will not obtain on your own.

Create a Job Tracker.

A job tracker is where you will be able to log in all of the important information about jobs for which you have applied. The information that should be included in the tracker is company name, position title, contact person, date you applied, method of applying (i.e. email, postal mail, fax), job source (i.e. agency, website), benefits provided, qualification requirements, etc. You should also include information about whether you were called in for an interview. You may find the need to edit this form a few times before you find a format that works for you. But be careful not to spend too much time creating this form. You don’t want to take away from valuable time you could use to actually be looking for a job.

The importance of a job tracker is to help you keep this information in a form for quick reference when called in for an interview, and so that you can track which sources were most successful for finding that opening. This will help you know how to further spend your time looking for a job. The tracker is also a very helpful tool in providing you with the basic information about the job, so that when you are called in for an interview you will sound professional and knowledgeable about the position when setting up the interview. Instead of saying, “uh, which job is this for?”

These are just the first few steps of many for successfully finding a job. A few other steps you can take before your interview is to review as much information as you can about the company you will be interviewing with. Visit their website if they have one, or conduct a Google search. It also helps to know what people say about them at the Better Business Bureau. You should know as much as you can about what products and services they offer. Know who the important people are at the company, and obtain as much information as you can about the position you are applying for. The more prepared you are when you go in for the interview, the more you will stand out to the employer as the perfect candidate to fill the position.

For more information on local jobs available in your area, go to www.absoluteknowitall.com