 Here, a bigger paycheck for you. |
This is a compendium of job hunting tips & tricks. It will guide you fast and easy thru the entire job hunting process step-by-step from resumes, interviews, resources, contacts, to networking. It includes information on how to use the very powerful Internet for your advantage. You'll find many Internet links to job sites just waiting for your visit. Here is a lot of information I learned during my recent job hunting process (BTW, very successful) and I would like to share this with anyone who might need some help and guidance. I virtually guarantee your success if you follow all of my simple and easy-to-follow steps. You don't want to end up like the guy on the picture, right? |
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Introduction. Why do you need to job hunt? Commitment. Resume. |
Cover letter. Responding by email. Job resources. Internet job links. |
Newspapers. Networking. Head hunters. Interview. Job offer. |
Please let me know if you find this guide useful or find a job after following (some of) my steps. Any comments, feedback, and suggestions are greatly appreciated. My email is czechadee@hotmail.com. GOOD LUCK!
WHY DO YOU NEED TO JOB HUNT?
If you don't have a job presently, you can skip this step and continue with the next section by clicking here but some information may be useful to you anyway. If you do have a job, you need to carefully evaluate the benefits and all circumstances of you present employment. Do your own simple research; talk to people in your field and notice what they say about their company, benefits, corporate culture, environment, etc. Talk to people who are leaving your company for invaluable feedback. Listen carefully.
Ask yourself many questions and be completely HONEST to yourself about answers. You need to be truthful and objective when making a decision to look for another job. This is very hard because one tends to make excuses and cover up for the present position and situation because it takes a little extra effort to find a great job you'd be happy with. Remember, you are the only one responsible for your life and happiness, not your company.
Questions to ask: how do the benefits, pay, position, title, work environment, location, holidays, vacation, etc. compare to other companies? How does your company treat its employees and customers? Is your company fair or discriminated against a certain group of people?
Does your company truly value its workers? Does your company look after its workers or does your employer excessively and randomly fire employees, or entire departments? Would this be a warning sign for you? Could you be the next person asked to leave? Remember, it is much easier to find a job while still employed. Should you decide to leave, it's easier to leave on your own terms than on theirs.
How is the management performing? Is it something you are happy with and proud of? Is the management keeping its word to employees and customers or quite the opposite?
How does the company treat its customers? Is your employer treating them the way you'd like to be treated or is the company winning awards for the worst customer service? Is your company being written up in magazines because of its arrogance and poor customer treatment? If so, do you honestly want to be part of this operation?
How is your pay? Is it above industry standard or well below? Does a majority of people departing find a far better paying job? If so, perhaps you are not utilizing your full potential and are just being taken advantage of.
What is your company's attitude? For instance, if you find out your income is well below industry standard and you mention this to your employer; would they be willing to negotiate or at least re-examine their policy or would the management show the utmost arrogance and say "if you can find a better job, please take it" (i.e. you mean nothing to us)? You and only you can make the decision to stay under these circumstances or leave for a better, more respectful work environment and more satisfying life.
What is the turnover in your company, i.e. the percentage of people that leave each year? Is it a small and healthy percentage of people or is it a high, unhealthy, two-digit number indicating the fact the company is in trouble and people are leaving left and right for many different reasons? Is the majority of workers staying with your company for many years, or do most people leave after a few months or years? Do you want to be part of this kind of operation? You should look into people's reasons for leaving so that you are not left out in the dark. Turnover is a very good indicator how your company ranks and its health.
What is the management style of owners, directors, managers, etc.? Do they look out for the best of the company, employees, customers, etc. or are they in it just for themselves, regularly and haphazardly changing direction? Is your management experienced or mostly promoted from within with no experience, education, nor ability to manage and do their job right?
A few words about vesting: Does your company have any retirement or 401(k)k plan? Is your company contributing or matching your contribution? When do you fully vest? Some companies boast about a large percentage of 401(k) matching but forget to mention the fact that their pay is dismal. Or, you may have to stay for many years to fully vest. Ask yourself a question: is it really worth wasting years of your life just to wait and get vested or should you get a better paying job now where you can contribute yourself significantly more real dollars even with a smaller employer matching? How about a piece of mind working for a company you really like, rather than being a hostage just waiting to be vested. How about your happiness--isn't it even more important that a few dollars? And finally, is it worth to wait years to get fully vested rather than just getting another job right now and make up the difference (lost vesting) in a few months with better pay or treatment?
These are just some of the questions you need to be asking and answering them honestly and objectively to yourself.
Remember, people in Human Resources (HR) who will read your resume don't have much time; they give resumes just a few seconds to determine if your resume will get any further attention or if it goes to the "rejected" pile. For this reason, make it short and concise. Your resume must be visually appealing and easy to read. For instance, use bulleted format rather than wrap text in long, unreadable paragraphs. The purpose of your resume it to get employers to salivate and call you--that's when you tell them all the details. More importantly, have several friends proofread your resume and give you feedback on the entire resume: flow, terminology, spelling, grammar, accuracy, their very first impression, etc.
Next, have someone who actually works in HR (obviously in another company) critique your resume. They will give you an invaluable feedback no one else can. Listen very carefully to everyone giving you feedback, but you are the ultimate decision maker.
There are few more considerations. Many resumes are nowadays scanned electronically so you need to keep your typesize to at least 10 points, avoid shaded, underline, bold, italic and condensed typefaces. Avoid lines and grapphic elements. If your resume is more than one page, staple them. Don't use double-sided layout. You don't need to mention the word "Resume" in heading, because it's obvious. You don't need to mention the standard cliche "references upon request," because everyone has them. However, make sure your references are really familiar with your resume, situation, and are presentable in case they are contacted. Make a sample phone call to test them. If your present company isn't well-known, mention what kind of business they are in. It may help you to keep track of your resumes by adding a small sized date or a version code at the end or your resume.
Make sure your resume is searchable--containing appropriate nouns or key words specific to your field for database search. Your goal is to have the right key words in your resume to end up on their "hit list."
Depending on your profession you may need to prepare several different versions of your resume according to which skills you wish to emphasize. How many? It really depends on your profession but 2-3 should be enough. The bulk of your resume will be the same, but perhaps certain accomplishments and skills will be worded differently or listed in a different order to emphasize what you are trying to convey.
Make sure contact information such as your name, address, phones, etc. is clearly listed. In your contact information you may want to list your personal email, Web address, and even your work number. Make it easy for them to contact you. HR people work mostly during the day just like anyone else and leaving just a message on your home telephone answering machine will cost you an extra day to answer and could make a difference between getting an interview (and a job) before someone else gets it. Oh, don't forget most HR people are very professional and discreet when calling you at work.
You may need to prepare an electronic version of your resume to be submitted by email. Most companies prefer plain ASCII text, maximum 80 columns wide (it's easier to read without having to download enlosure). The layout of your e-resume will be slightly different; use line spacing and all capital (CAPS) words to emphasize headings, sections, etc. If you think it would be beneficial, you may enclose additionally your nice and clean resume in the most common word processing electronic format--MS Word.
The purpose of your cover letter is to summarize and emphasize your skills (that match prospective employer's advertisement requirements) and then ask them to contact you. Make sure your entire contact information is clear on both your resume and cover letter.
Read carefully instructions for submission. Make sure you mention the position you are applying for and all the necessary job posting codes and references. They are critically important to HR people and in large companies. Also when submitting electronically, see if they want you to leave out cover letter and just reference the job by a code on your resume.
Just save your cover letter and resume as one document file in your draft folder and when you are ready to respond, just edit the details like position, email address, response code, etc. and hit Send.
Some companies allow you to submit directly on their Web site. Just follow their directions and paste your entire resume including your contact information in the space provided. You may paste your cover letter at the end of your resume if there is some specific reason or information you wish to provide or they ask you to do so.
If you don't have your own email you can get one for free in a matter of seconds on the Internet. Try one of these: YahooMail (recommend), Mail.com, HotMail, or MailExcite (and many more). Follow their simple instructions and voilą... you have your own private email accessible anywhere in the world for the rest of your life.
If you don't have access to the Internet, many public libraries provide a free access. In order to be efficient find a library with a fast computer and connection. Otherwise you are better off to rent a computer by the hour at a cyber cafe, computer rental place, quick copy place, or a similar setting.
There are several ways of going about it: either point your Web browser to a Web site with job postings (some links are listed below), go through a search engine to find sites or specific companies, or go directly to a company's Web site you are interested in. In any case, it is important to have some kind of system for looking up positions. For instance, keep a list of sites you have visited, date, your site rating (see below), number of positions you have found and responded to, and any other pertinent information about searching, shortcuts, key words used for searching, date of posting sorting information, etc.
I personally used simple A, B, or C rating for Web sites. Letter "A" would mean a site that is fast, easy to use, and I found several matches that interested me. Letter "C" means no interesting results or slow, hard to use site, basically, don't come back. Letter "B" would be anything in between. Keep on visiting "A" and occasionally "B" to see if anything changed; avoid "C".
I'd recommend visiting each site once or twice per week and looking up only the latest and hottest jobs that were added since your last visit. After visiting different sites you'll note some sites work for you better and have position that match your requirements while others don't have anything in your field. Simply keep on visiting sites that work for you and avoid the rest.
You can directly visit a Web site of a company you are interested in to see what openings they have. Most major companies have a Web site with their name as part on the web address like 3M, Adobe, Boeing, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sun, Xerox, etc. Then you can go to their career, employment, job or similar section. Basically you type www.companyname.com in your Web browser. The latest version of some browsers allow you to simple type the company name and the browser substitutes the "www." and ".com" part of their address.
If typing the company name directly doesn't work, you can do an Internet search (for instance Search.com will give you the option or searching using over a dozen different powerful search engines). You can also get Web addresses from companies' ads, Internet listings, or simply call the company and ask.
Another way of finding job listings is to go to bulletin boards listing jobs (well, thousands and thousands of jobs to be more exact). Again, because of the number of jobs listed and different specialization, make sure that you keep a log and use some kind of system to make your job hunt efficient. Below is a list of links to some bulletin boards. There are many, many more on the Internet...
American Job Bank http://www.ajb.dni.us
If you go to Search.com and then click on Employment you'll find several dozen links there.
Another way to find more jobs or job specific listings (for instance, there is a site just for Hollywood stunt performers) is to go to different search engines (Yahoo, Lycos, Search) and either search directly for keywords like employment, career, job, etc. or use their pre-indexed links to job sites. You can find more links, top job sites, and resources at Lycos.com/careers or http://www.yahoo.com/business/employment. There are literally hundreds of sites listing thousands of jobs.
If you don't have access to the Internet, public libraries provide this service for free. Make sure you are using a fast computer and connection; some equipment is antiquated. Or, you can gain access through the numerous cyber cafes.
To sum this all up, if your goal is clear and you are determined you will find a job on the Internet. It's only a matter how much time and effort you are willing to invest.
One more twist: you may want to respond to companies that hire a large number of people in different categories even though they don't list exactly the position you are seeking. Why? Perhaps it is because they might have not advertised exactly all their needed positions, are very busy, and you just might reach them at the right time. Don't discount this avenue--this does happen! (I personally got a call because of this technique.)
Here are some links to upcoming job fairs:
Career Expo http://www.vjf.com
Many job sites have interviewing tips and here are just a few links:
http://www.careersltd.com/CareersLtd/candidate/OnlineServices/master.html
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COMMITMENT
Once you have decided to find a job, you need to commit yourself to this task. You need to realize it will take some time and effort but the payoff is worth it. Make a list of the tasks you need to do to accomplish your goal. For instance, your list may contain the following: spend each week 2 hours looking through newspapers and responding to ads on weekends, 2 hours searching the Internet and responding by email during the week. Simply, four hours per week. This is really small time investment that will pay off big in the near future, isn't it? Stick to your schedule but be flexible enough to give yourself a break once in a while if you feel like it.RESUME
You need to prepare a killer resume to get ahead of the pack. Just skim a book or two in the library, look at some examples and give it your best shot. Remember to give yourself credit for everything you have accomplished. You are the only one rooting for you. Be truthful and honest but don't be bashful to speak positively about yourself; no one else will.COVER LETTER
Again, skim a book or two in the library about cover letters and write and revise your cover letter the same way you are revising your resume. Similarly, you may need a few different versions to emphasize some skills and accomplishments. Here is a very important point you need to remember about cover letters: many HR people don't even read cover letters. Or, you may not even be able to submit your cover letter. For instance, when you give a resume to someone when networking, during job fairs, or some companies' electronic submission process (email or on the Web) specifically requests you submit your resume only. For this reason, put all the important information on your resume and have different versions.RESPONDING BY EMAIL
Many companies accept resumes by email. I hope I don't need to explain how much easier it is to modify one electronic file containing your cover letter and resume on the screen and then simply hit the Send button. (That's what I did to get my job.) It's much easier than to type, print, lick stamp, and go to the mailbox. Obviously, use your private email because yours at work could be seen legally by your employer.JOB RESOURCES
Below is a listing of sources for your potential employers. For best results use all of them; each has its advantages and disadvantages.INTERNET JOB LINKS
The Internet is a great resource. There are so many Web sites listing thousands of job postings and many companies' Web sites list their own job listings too. If you are determined, you should be virtually guaranteed to find a job within a few days or weeks.
Best Jobs USA
http://www.bestjobsusa.com
Career Connections
http://www.career.com
Career Magazine http://www.careermag.com
Career Mosaic http://www.careermosaic.com
Career Path (20 newspapers; resources) http://www.careerpath.com
Career Shop http://www.tenkey.com/cshop
CareerSite (newspaper search) http://www.amcity.com
Career WEB http://www.cweb.com
Careermart http://www.careermart.com
Careers http://www.careers.org
Careers Ltd. http://www.careersltd.com
College Grad Job Hunter http://www.collegegrad.com
Colorado Jobs http://careers.rockymountainnews.com/careers
Computer Work http://www.computerwork.com
Dice.com (computer) http://www.dice.com
Fed World http://www.fedworld.gov
HeadHunter.net http://www.HeadHunter.net
Interbiz (el. recruiting links) http://www.interbiznet.com
Hot Jobs http://www.hotjobs.com
Job Center http://www.jobcenter.com
Job Engine http://www.jobengine.com
Jobhunt.com http://www.jobhunt.com
Jobs.com (+Job Fair) http://www.jobs.com
JobTrak http://www.jobtrak.com
Merit Job Search http://thisweek.chronicle.com
Monster Jobs on the Web http://www.monster.com
NationJob Online http://www.nationjob.com
Networkers Associates (CA) http://www.networkers-associates.com
Select Jobs http://www.selectjobs.com
Software Jobs http://www.softwarejobs.com
Petersons Education Center http://www.petersons.com/career
State--try "http://www.state.XX.us" where XX is your 2-letter state abbreviation. Then click on jobs. For instance, Colorado is at http://www.state.co.us/jobinfo.html
Technol. and Dist. Edu. Can. http://www.etc.bc.ca
The Internet Job Locator http://www.joblocator.com
Telecommuting Jobs ** http://www.tjobs.com
TOPjobs USA http://www.topjobsusa.comNETWORKING
When networking, you have the greatest chance of getting a job that isn't even advertised anywhere. It is very simple and powerful. Whenever you meet anyone mention to them you are looking for a job. Don't limit it to just your friends, family, or professional meetings. Be your own promoter. You'll be truly amazed how many people know someone else who could be your contact. There are books about networking and just skimming through them will give you some ideas how to go about it.NEWSPAPERS
This is straightforward. Look through newspapers and mark jobs that interest you. It's good to have a system and keep (clip) ads you responded to for a future reference, in case you hear back from them. Don't respond blindly to every ad; gather some information first to see if this is a place you want to spend a great part of your life. You may want to do some research about a company before responding. Many companies have their own Web page with information. Library is a good source too.JOB FAIRS
Job fairs are great place to test the waters and talk directly to many HR people in one day. It is especially good if your type of job is advertised for certain job fair. Bring many resumes and try to engage HR people into conversation; make more of it than just dropping off your resumes. Get some feedback on your job potential, earnings range, get feedback and their (first) impression of your resume, get their business card for a future follow-up, ask about job openings, regions with openings, etc. Answer questions they may have about you, your qualifications, relocation availability, etc. and any other specifics, especially if they are writing notes on your resume.
Cfg, Inc. http://www.cfg-inc.com
Lendman http://www.lendman.com
Resumail (+Job Search) http://www.resumail.com
Tech Fair Tech FairHEAD HUNTERS
Depending on your position, this is a good resource if your job is the type they seek. It is good to keep in touch with head hunters on regular basis just to keep the relationship going. Give them a call every few weeks or so just to remind them you are still available. It is still very important to continue your own search--don't just rely on someone to do the search for you exclusively.INTERVIEW
Don't take this part lightly; prepare well in advance. Practice, practice, practice. There are many ways of doing this. Find a coach, someone who is good at presentation skills and who can coach you. Do a few dry runs, fully dressed just like for an actual interview, and pretend this is a real interview for a real position. Write a list of 10 questions your coach will ask you on top of referring questions to your resume and other job-related questions. Have your coach give you feedback as to your eye contact, body posture, voice, gestures, etc. Use video camera for feedback if possible for at least one of the session.
Go to www.careershop.com and then click on "Preparing for the Interview" on the left. See many more career tips at Career Advice.JOB OFFER
When you get a job offer, think thoroughly about what the new position offers and demands from you. Give notice of resignation to your old employer only after you have received a written job offer with some basic information like position title, duties, compensation, start date, duration, direct supervisor, etc. Consult a legal professional if necessary. Remember, some parts of job offer may be negotiable. Do a research on your future company to make sure you are getting into what you really want.
Well, these are just a few tips. I hope you find this helpful. Any feedback and input is welcome. Please feel free to mention this Web address to friends, bookmark this page, or link your page to this one, but please don't copy the content--it's copyrighted. You can reprint this page in its entirety including copyright notice.
since July 13,1997.
© Copyright 2000 Alexander
E-mail: czechadee@hotmail.com
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