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We've all gone out into the job market for any of a variety of reasons – just out of school, changing careers for more money or better opportunities, looking for a better change at advancement, spouse re-located, laid off from a prior job, company went out of business, or even just looking for a change of pace. Regardless of the reason, here are a few steps to think about that might give a little structure to this process. You can read many more articles on our website, Talent Exchange USA, but this overview can help get you started.
Step # 1 – Identify Your Talent
To start with, it's important to be self-aware. Knowing what you're good at early in the game will make the entire process of securing a new job go more smoothly. To start with, do not sell yourself short. You should make a list of everything that you're good at. Think about things you've done well at other jobs, and also think about things you do well outside of a work environment. Knowing what you already have a natural talent for can help you think about careers you may have never had the opportunity to pursue before. You should really stretch yourself to think "outside the box" and even include special skills your friends and family may have commented on. Do not be bashful when you prepare this list – you're the only person who will see it, and you will want to refer back to it when you're farther along in your job search.
Step # 2 – Identify the Career You Want
Start thinking about careers and beginning scanning some of the larger job search engines like Indeed.com and Monster.com. At this point, you are not looking to apply for jobs – just recognizing what all jobs listed are a good match for your talents and starting to form some ideas on what type of careers you are interested in. Refer back to your list of talents during this process – the best thing that can possibly happen during an interview is for you to get the opportunity to tell the interviewer that you are very talented at performing the work and that you have a natural interest in doing it because you enjoy using this certain talent. While you're looking at job listings, remember that you're looking for jobs where you can enjoy using your natural talent, and this may include a type of work you've never done before. That's okay! Many employers give talent and sincere interest more weight than previous experience. After all, is not it easy to explain during an interview that a prospective employer should hire you since you have the talent to perform the job well and enjoy doing the job rather than hire someone else who may have experience, but lack the inclining to do the job well or lack the true interest in the job to stick with it for a long-term career?
Step # 3 – Prepare an Effective Resume
Be sure to take the time to prepare a good resume. Even if you are going to apply for jobs where a resume is not required, the information you compile in a resume is often requested on job applications and having a resume handy makes job interviews go much smoother. Whether you believe it's a valuable exercise or not, trust us – just do it.
To start with, never forget that the resume is designed to tell your prospective employer what they need to know to make a determination about whether to invite you to take additional steps with them. Consider it a first date – after the employee has read the resume, you do not want them to ditch you. Write your resume the same way you would go on a first date – putting your best foot forward, being completely honest, and trying to present information that makes the employee interested in you to such an amount that they will want a second date – that is , to call you in to talk to you.
You can find resume templates on a number of websites and in the software that comes with most computers. And to be honest, the template you choose does not really matter. An employer who has looked at thousands of resumes will tell you that the content is all that really matters no matter how attractive the format, font, etc. looks.
At a minimum, any resume should contain a section listing education and a section listing employment history. While you want to put your best foot forward, always be honest with your choice of words. If you have not completed a degree, do not represent that you have. Your word should clearly explain whether you graduated at a school or studied at the school, whether you received a degree or were working towards a degree, etc. If you present it one way on the resume and have to explain it differently later on, the relationship you have with your potential employer has been damaged – even if to a small degree. If you think you can dupe an employee by excluding these sections, you should realize that the resume will almost certainly not be given serious consideration. In the employment history section, do not mention why you left each job. This will likely be on the employer's job application form and can be better explained at an interview.
Try to make your resume stand out in some way. Perhaps you've achieved something very important that might not usually be at the top of a resume, but because of its personal importance to you, you put it at the top. For example, what if you are applying to a flight attendant and you include the fact that you personally raised $ 500 for cancer research last year? It's the type of thing that can make an employee spend some time to read through the rest of the resume because of such a compelling personal fact.
Other items you will include on your resume:
Contact information (obviously) – this should include your name, address, at least one telephone number, and your e-mail address, and is almost always part of the header of the document.
Career Objective – there is debate over whether this section should be included on a resume. It's a good idea as long as it's well-written. Use this space to briefly describe how you can use your talent to help the company or business to which you are applying. Do not be too broad in your career interest because it does not seem interesting to the employer. Do not be too specific because it may seem that you're only interested in a very narrow field of work. Play with the words until you think you've selected a phrase that succinctly describes your talent and how it fits well with the employer.
References – a short list of people who can best describe your background, education, work history, etc.
Step # 4 – Search for Your New Job
There are several places to search for jobs. One of the most popular methods is by using online job search engines. There are hundreds of them out there – just type "job search websites" into a search engine such as Google and you will find all types of options. Add your state to the search and you can start seeing some local sites to check out. There are also the big, tried-and-true sites such as Indeed and Monster. Links to these can be found on the home page of the Talent Exchange USA website.
But do not forget some other useful job search sources – your local newspaper will run job listings, and the list is usually larger on weekends. And do not forget to talk to friends about job openings that they might know about. And there's no harm in dropping off resumes at companies you are interested in, even if they are not actively looking to fill a position. When a job opening does come up, there's a chance that they will pull your resume from their files. If you can not drop the resume off – or if they refuse to accept it in person – mail them a copy marked "Attention: HR Department". Beat the pavement and be persistent. As you go from business to business dropping off resumes, talk to people and network – you'll be surprised at some of the good leads you will pick up along the way.
Step # 5 – Know What Resources Online Job Search Sites Offer
Be sure to become familiar with the resources available on online job search sites. You will find everything from resume templates, online job applications, articles, sample interview questions, cover letters, downloadable phone apps, and RSS feeds you can subscribe to so you know when new jobs are listed. Do not underestimate the value of using these free resources.
Step # 6 – Prepare for an Impressive Interview
Dress up! If you have any doubt about how to dress for the potential employer you are going to interview with, err to the side of being overdressed.
Think ahead. Go online and search for common interview questions and sample answers. While you do not want to use the same answer, take the time to think about how you can answer the question using your own experiences and history.
Be friendly! Regardless of how mean and grumpy your interviewer acts, employers tend to prefer employees who are positive and cheerful. Remember that this is the same person who will be bringing you daily duties and special assignments if you are hired, so displaying a professional demeanor, a smile, and a "can do" attitude demonstrates what you can offer as their employee.
Be prepared. If you are extended an invitation to interview at a company, take the time to learn a little bit about the company. At the end of the interview, it's not uncommon to be allowed to ask a few questions. Make them thoughtful questions. Do not just ask something about the company to pretend to show interest – it will come across very fake. Instead, using the information you learned about the position during the interview, think of some questions that show them that you're very much thinking about the job already. Things like: How many people will be in my department ?, What time will my shift start ?, As people grow their skills in this particular job, what type of opportunities are there to get additional training or professional certificates related to the job ?, etc.
Do not discuss pay without the employee brings it up. If you secure a job offer, there's nothing wrong with respectfully declining it if it does not pay enough, but it comes across as very presumptuous to ask about pay when a job offer has not even yet been extended.
About the author
This article was written by the writers at Talent Exchange USA. We believe that all people have some talent – a special skill or expertise – so we have compiled information to help people recognize their talent, select a career, prepare a resume, search for jobs, and prepare for interviews. Our goal is to assist people in locating the right resources to help them turn their talent into their dream job.
Reproductions of this article are welcome, but any reproduction must include a link that points to http://www.TalentExchangeUSA.com/ .
