Tell Us Your Job Search Tips andamp; Tr...
Tell Us Your Job Search Tips & Tricks Looking for a new job can be stressful. With so many ways to search, from posting your resume online to responding to classifieds to networking, what' s the right approach for you? Read what other Monster members have done that got them the job offer, and share tips and concerns of your own.
My number 1 recommendation, especially if you are just starting out, is to find, join and participate in the national, regional and local professional associations for the career or careers that interest you. What better way to learn more about a career and start a job search than meeting with dozens or hundreds of other people already doing the kind of work that interests you? Most of the associations or groups welcome new members and often have low-cost or even free memberships for college students or recent grads. Don' t be afraid to ask about introductory programs and other "just looking" benefits. Because looking for a job can entail so much work, when I am unemployed, I treat my job search like a full time job. One of the things I do when I am employed is keep my resume current. Any new skill, duty or responsibility that I acquire while working, I add to my resume as it happens. That way, I am not scrambling to update my resume in a crunch. Another trick I use is to keep current on my industry trade magazines. The companies in my industry are always featured there through ads and articles. I will use job post boards such as Monster, but mainly, I go directly to the website of companies that I am interested in working for, to look for their job postings. Also, I almost always get a response to my resume' s. The trick I use is when I see a posting that I am interested in, I look for other similar postings for like positions to find out what other key words are used for the same position, and revamp my resume to include those key words. The trick to this is to make sure the key word fits a particular skill set you posses. If it doesn' t, then don' t use it. Most major companies use scannable equipment to sort through resume' s. I read the posting carefully, seeking out the key words in the job description, then I make certain those words are used in my resume and cover letter to describe my skills and abilities. For example; If the job description uses the word coordinate, and your resume says arrange, chances are that it will be overlooked, even though these two words mean basically the same thing. I think for me, this has been the most successful tool of all.
I would like to see your resume since you say you are getting responses. I feel mine is a good one. I have shown it to several people for critique and they are stumped like me as to not landing a job. I add key words too. I wonder if employers are trying to see if they can get someone that meets the scope of 3 for 1 position. That way they only pay one salary. I agree with you 100% Kriedjf. My resume is also a well professional one yet I am not landing jobs. I also added key words to make it stand out and a Cover Letter when I apply, submit, and mail but no positive responses and I have been on this search since May. I definitely believe employers are hoping to get a candidate that has all the qualities required plus new ones that are not for that specific position but can be in the future. PLEASE - if we can get important tips and tricks that can help us land a job, it would be extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. I know Kriedjf agrees with me too. Thank you all in advance for your time and helpful ways! Inquire on Monday Prepare Resume on Tuesday Apply for job on Thursday Call back on Monday if you haven't heard anything Seems to work every time I have applied for jobs on Thursdays and been hired on Mondays consistently Most hiring is done on line now so get a feel for what to say and not say on a online resume Don't get too personal before you see the person doing the hiring and don't explain your live in one interview. Maintain some mystery.
Many say that networking is the best way to get a job, and it may be. However, I dont think that I have many pertinent networking contacts and so I spend almost all of my time applying on the job boards such as Monster. I applied to over 150 jobs in 5 weeks and feel that I got about a 15-20% response. I had several first phone interviews, but then it stalls. I finally was offered a job with pay a little lower than I had hoped and pretty bad benefits, but the role is more of a lead so I hope to gain important skillsets (and the company has the potential to grow, giving me a potentially fantastic opportunity to grow wtih them). I landed the job through a reply on a job board, not through a recruiter. The problem is that sometimes Indian recruiters offer you positions 4 hours from your home, or in other states. I had a lot of help from local recruiters, but never any job offers. And as far as calling on any day, many companys now dont want to be called, saying only that there is no one to talk to, and if interested, they will call you.
I use all the methods to look for a job, including posting my resume on Craigslist. It seems that one of the problems that I have realized just within the last week or so is that there does not seem to be enough of jobs out there. I think that it may be the fact that it is summertime and that most of the hiring managers are off for the summer. Another concern happens when I post my resume on Craigslist. The concern is that there are times here and there when I get calls and/or e-mails about jobs other than the ones that I am seeking in my field. As a matter of fact, there was one time when I got a call from a recruiter that had an office job with their San Francisco office and asked whether I wanted to interview for the job, which of course, I said yes. I went to the interview only to find out that the interview was not for an office job, but the company was looking for an inside sales rep. Yes, the person who I talked to a few days ago had tricked me and had wasted my time. I was also mad about one other thing. I had to travel an hour up to San Francisco via two separate mass transportation systems. I am wondering if any others out there have any job search tips and tricks, especially how to respond nicely to those who contact me with jobs that are in different occupations. For example, I am seeking an office assistant job. Not for a sales representative, etc. | |
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