QuickOverview

by Sarah E. White of The Complete Writer's Resource

It's a sad fact of life in the modern world that most of us have to work to earn a living, to have money for the things we want and the things we need to survive. But if you're new to the work force or simply haven't looked for a new job in a long time, the idea of finding a job you want to apply for, writing a resume, going through the application and interview process and finally accepting a job can seem quite daunting. Use this article as a guide and you may find the process a whole lot easier.

Where to Find Jobs

In the old days (15 or 20 years ago) there were basically two ways to go about looking for a job: reading newspaper classified ads and asking friends who work places you would like to work if there are any available jobs. These are still good routes to take, particularly if you want to stay in the same town or area where you are now living, but they are no longer the only ways to find a job. If you have access to the Internet (at home or through the public library or some other venue) you can find an almost limitless supply of job opportunities all over the world.

So how do you know where to look and how do you know which types of jobs are right for you? You can start looking at the general job web sites, which offer postings for all sorts of jobs, but if you are looking to go into a specific field or are already in that field, from nursing to journalism, you should be able to find a specific job board relating to careers in that specialty (search whatever job type + job board in your favorite search engine).

To determine which of the hundreds of jobs available might be right for you, you will need to do a little soul searching. The perfect job for you will have some combination of your interests and experience, something you would love to do combined with something you are good at. So, if you're really stumped about the kind of job you want, make two lists, one of things you like to do and another of skills you have (both work-related and less obviously work-related skills). Perhaps the perfect job will become obvious to you, or maybe you will only see that you like working with people and being outside and you once worked as a teacher's aide, which could lead you to several possibilities.

Once you have come up with the ideal job (or a list of several good job descriptions) you can search the job sites, look in the newspaper, ask friends and cold-call businesses (or send them resumes by mail or e-mail inquiring about open positions). All of this searching should lead you to several jobs for which you would like to apply.

Preparing your Application

Perhaps the most daunting part of job hunting for someone who has never done it before or who hasn't done it recently is the application process. You have to be able to convince the human resources manager or the person sorting applications that you are worth considering for the job solely based on the words on a few pieces of paper. It's hard work even for experienced people with full resumes. Depending on the type of job you are applying for, you may need to fill out an application, send in a resume or both. References or letters of recommendation are almost always required. If you.ve never had a real job before, consider asking teachers, internship bosses or friends you may have helped with their small businesses to serve as references for you. You should ask the people in advance so they can think about what they want to say, and let them know what kind of jobs you are applying for before you send in your resume with their names on it.

If you have no job experience, or no experience you think is relevant to the job you are applying for, don't make things up to make your application sound better. But don't write a letter saying something to the effect of .I know I have no experience but I have a lot of enthusiasm and I.ll do anything if you.ll just give me a job, I swear I won't let you down.. That just sounds pathetic and will only reinforce your lack of professional experience. Know that if you are at the bottom of the workforce you will have to start there and work your way up. But if you are talented and work hard you likely will be promoted.

If you have worked in the past, particularly in an area relevant to the job for which you are applying, writing your resume becomes much easier. Simply list each job you have held, how long you had it and your duties, in order from the most recent job to the oldest. When writing about past work experience, describe your responsibilities using short sentences and action words (developed, supervised, guided, launched, etc.) and try to mention accomplishments. If you ever received awards because of your work or helped your company gain recognition, this is not the time to be shy. Remember, this piece of paper is all that the person choosing candidates to interview is going to see. It's almost impossible to oversell yourself (as long as you tell the truth).

Before you send in your application, make sure you have provided everything the company asked for (if you need a transcript, for instance, make sure you include it with your application) and given them clean copies that are not your only copies of any of the documents. Make sure to put everything in a roomy envelope if you are mailing the application materials and take the package to the post office to be weighed. Insufficient postage will not put you on anyone's short list.

The Waiting Game

After you find some great jobs and go through the application process, you have to wait for the businesses to call you for an interview. This takes a lot of patience. Don't call the office every day to see if they got your resume or if they're scheduling interviews. Annoying people doesn't get you on their short list, either.

What to do in the meantime? Keep looking for jobs and apply for a few more. Unfortunately, job hunting is often a numbers game, requiring you to put a lot of resumes out there before you get any bites back.

Preparing for the Interview

But finally you will get a call one day asking you to go in for an interview. This is good news. It means you get a chance to meet your potential employer in person and let him or her get to know more about you than what's on that piece of paper. Interviewing well takes a lot of practice. Much of the impression you make on the interviewer will have to do with your confidence, appearance and the way you speak.

Of course qualifications matter but if you don't speak intelligently, in a poised manner, and you aren't dressed in normal business attire, you won't make a good impression and probably won't get the job. But you can make a good impression easily by dressing the part and practicing questions and answers so that you feel poised and confident. You might also repeat affirmations to yourself such as 'this job is mine, I am perfect for this position. to get yourself psyched up for the interview. I know it sounds hokey, but this kind of positive self-talk really can help you feel good about yourself and your interview.

Do some research about the company (and the job, if possible) before the interview so you will have some questions that you can ask the interviewer. If you can show that you have done some homework, you will impress the interviewer and leave a good impression. Answer all questions posed to you clearly, directly and honestly. Prepare answers to basic questions like "tell me a little about yourself," "why did you leave your last job," and "why do you want to work here?" Even if these questions aren't asked, you will feel more comfortable if you have practiced something and thought about the interview beforehand.

No matter how intelligent your answers are, how prepared you seem or how perfect your qualifications are, you can still ruin your chances by dressing sloppily, having bad breath or having something in your teeth. While issues of hygiene might not be enough to keep you from getting a job, why give the company any reason to not want to hire you?

Offers and Acceptances

If things go well, you may be asked back for a second interview, which may deal more specifically with the duties of the job or may involve interviewing with different people (or both). The second interview is sometimes conducted over lunch so that the interviewer can further judge your personality through table manners, poise while eating and ability to make small talk. Think of a meal interview as like a first date: don't order anything expensive or messy, chew before answering questions, don't drink alcohol.

Once the interviewing process is complete, if the company wants to hire you they will send you some kind of offer. It may be as simple as someone calling you and saying they.d like to offer you the job, or you may be mailed a packet including salary and stock information, benefits and other information for you to consider before saying yes.

If the benefits, salary, vacation or other issues aren't to your liking, you can always negotiate. It never hurts to ask if the company can give you a review that could lead to a raise sooner than they normally do or if you could start with a week of vacation instead of waiting to earn it. If the company says no, you can either accept that or not take the job. Only you know what is important to you, so you have to make that decision on your own.

Even if you just get a phone call and you know that you want to take the job, ask for a day to think it over. This isn't to be mean, but if you.ve been interviewing lots of different places you might want to take this time to call those businesses and make sure none of them were about to offer you a job (this has been known to happen).

But once you know that this is the right job for you, it sounds like fun (or at least like something you can do) and the salary requirements are within your acceptable range, call back or sign and send the papers and celebrate your new job.