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Job hunting tips?

 
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:16 pm    Post subject: Job hunting tips? Reply with quote

Dear QwkBert,

I have been in need of a job for some time now and have sent out many applications to anywhere and every were. But it seams jobs are just not there. Any advise would be great.

- Jobless
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Jobless,

I'm sorry that finding work has been so difficult. The job market is tough right now and there seems to be no lack of effort on your part.

Getting a job involves a lot of hard work and determination, and an even greater amount of good luck. Let's talk about ways to improve your luck.

1. Keep yourself busy. Don't show gaps in your employment. If you can't get any job at all, then do charitable volunteer work. Keep yourself busy and show it on your resume. You don't want your next potential employer to get the impression that you just sat on your butt.

2. Network with reputable people, and ask for their help. This may be dated information, but I once heard that only 20% of jobs are landed by "cold applications" where you just submit a resume to a company without knowing anyone on the inside. The other 80% of jobs are landed because somebody with contacts inside the company put in a good word for you. Knowing people with a good reputation can really help. The employer hears from those good people that you are also the kind of person the employer is looking for. The employer is looking at a pile of 100 resumes and just found a reason to look closer at your resume. Many times it will get you the opportunity to interview and then it's up to you to get the job. Make sure you know how to interview well. First impressions are everything. Read a book on the topic if you need.

3. Be willing to relocate. There are jobs out there, but maybe not in your town. People that place restrictions on themselves to not move half way across the country also limit their opportunities. Being willing to relocate could get you out of the jobless category and into the employed category. Some towns are booming. You can get an idea where to seek out jobs by following unemployment statistics by city or state. Government sites like, http://www.bls.gov/web/laummtrk.htm have useful data. You might get even more information at investing websites like money.com Find the cities with the lowest unemployment rates.

4. Re-invent yourself. If you can't find a job doing what you know, then learn a new skill in an area where there are jobs. You might have to go back to school, or learn a skilled trade; and you're probably going to start at the bottom of the ladder again. But your prior experience may help you move up more quickly to where you want to be. And depending on what new skill you choose, you may do better than ever before!

Before you choose a new profession take some time to understand where the opportunities are. Unemployment data from 2008 shows that people with a high school degree have a national unemployment rate of 5.7%. If you have a bachelors degree it is only 2.8%. That's twice as good. ( http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm ). But not all bachelor degrees are created equal. For example, if you get a degree in history you might as well have saved your money. You can take this another level deeper by searching for which professions are flourishing, and which are not.

5. Take more personal control by starting your own business. I don't know if this is something that you have been considering. It's hard work with long hours, the pay is generally low, but you are your own boss. Then after all that, the 10 year survival rate of small businesses is only 29% or less. But if you have an entrepreneur spirit then this may be the next step in your life.

6. If none of these things work for you then there is one last option. I really hate to even bring this up because it is so dark, so shameful, and so terribly damaging to your reputation that it should be a last resort..... have you thought about going into politics?

QwkBert
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