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First of all, you need to decide what type of job you are interested in. Once you have made this decision, you can then start to formulate your plan of how you are going to secure employment in your chosen vocation. Resist the temptation to just go for ‘any job available'; doing that will point to an absence of focus or passion, and many employers can pick out such thinking by reading in between the lines of your application letter. You do however need to be realistic in the type of job that you go after. For example, there is little point in seeking a job where you have neither the qualifications nor the skills nor the experience.
Once you have decided what sort of job you are after, you need to prepare all the things that you are going to need to make sure that your application is successful. These documents will include your resume, cover letter and copies of your educational and professional certificates. You may also be required to provide copies of your identification documents such as a passport, driver's license, passport or your social security card.
Pay attention to the details you present in your documents. One area that many people go wrong when looking for a job is on the email address. First impressions matter and unfortunately harsh judgement can be passed on your application solely because of the email address you used even when in reality you are the most competent person for the job.
It is important that you have a professional looking email address. For instance, perfectforjob@jobster.com is always a winner when compared to lagerlout69@boozebar.com. There are numerous free internet mail services you can use to create an email account that you will sorely use for your job applications.
Another tip which will propel you toward finding a good job is networking. Let your family and friends know that you are looking for a job. Indeed, over 75% of all jobs are ‘advertised' through word of mouth rather than formal recruitment and selection processes. Many companies would rather not go through the tedious, expensive and sometimes futile process of placing an advertisement, rummaging through thousands of resumes, performing tens of interviews in order to hire someone.
What's worse is that the new employee might choose to leave after a week! It makes more sense for businesses to wither headhunt people or spread the word through industry networks. So other than your family and friends, go for those seminars and professional association meetings and rub shoulders with the people in the industry.
You should also consider using a recruitment agency in your job search. Go for recruitment agencies with an excellent reputation and have a consistent record of matching people to good jobs. Where possible there is no harm in using several agencies at the same time. The goal is to have your name out there in as many places as possible.
Research is another job winner. Before you apply for a position or go for an interview, take time to trawl the organization's website. It will have a lot of important information about the company which you could use in your application or interview to sway the employer in your favor.
Keep tabs of the latest industry trends as well as the terminology used. But do not just cram the words as this could lead to an embarrassing situation if you are asked to further expound. Understand the context of each new industry term, trend and topic so that you can give a good account of yourself if you are asked to explain. Nobody expects you to be an expert in every facet; but knowledge and interest in current events is a desirable trait in many jobs and could make the difference between you and the next job applicant or interviewee.
Be ready to explain any gaps in your employment life such as if you had to take time off to focus on raising your children.
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