Eight Tips for Job Hunters

Posted by MoneyThinker in Jobs | 0 comments

Alright, so, this economy absolutely stinks, right? Gold is rising because investors want a more secure investment.  The global economy is ready to go into a world-wide recession. It’s hard to sell a house, hard to buy a house, and over everything else, it’s horrible trying to find any sort of job. So, if you’re in the job market, you want to do everything you can in order to ensure your success in the job hunt, right? Today, we’re going to look at eight tips that may help you do just that.

1. Be flexible. If you work multiple jobs or are a parent, this will be harder. But, if you’re someone who doesn’t have a lot of time restrictions, tell your potential employer that you can work basically anything. Flexibility is cherished.
2. Be aware of your social media. Yes, I know, Facebook has privacy settings. But people can still find things out. Be smart about what you post. Don’t post inappropriate pictures, statuses, tweets, or whatever. They could hurt you later.
3. Spell-check your résumé. Please, please, please do this. I’m begging you. I was on the search committee for a youth pastor at my church, and you have no idea how many résumés I disregarded because of sloppy spelling and grammar. Have someone else check it; don’t just depend on Word’s spell-check feature.
4. Have multiple résumés. There was one resume that I saw that looked like a résumé for a web designer job. It was for a youth pastor position! Have a résumé for each of the jobs that you could be considering, and adapt it as necessary.
5. Always follow up. If you’ve sent someone a résumé, letter of interest, or application, follow up to make sure that they’ve received it. Also do this after an interview. Now, don’t do it immediately after; I was turned off by an email we received from an applicant right after his interview because I perceived it as being pushy. But do so within 48 hours.
6. Network! Do this in college, do this at the job you’re currently in, do this with people you interview with, do it with friends and in your social events. Just network as much as you can! Drop hints, ask and see if others know people in your field, make phone calls and send emails. The more people you know, the more likely you’ll find what you want, and quickly.
7. During your interview, showcase yourself. I’m horrible at this, I’ll admit. I’ve bombed many an interview because I’m bashful about my successes and strengths, but am very aware of my weaknesses and failures. This is your time to show off, so flaunt it!
8. Always update your skills. Take classes, learn newer technology, do whatever it takes to be on the cutting edge of your skill set. I always try to find new things that I may or may not have skills in, just to be able to throw them on my resume.

So there you have it, job hunters. Eight tips to help you be on your way to being the top candidate for a job you’ve had your eye on. Until Monday, spend smart, save smart!