Time is going soooo slow today. Maybe it's the rain, or not knowing what to do with my life, or the fact that at 3pm I'm meeting for a "general" interview at Ralph Lauren and I have no idea what to say. What the hell do I say? And in a really awful turn of events I recieved my Newhouse alumni email and realized I've become 3 of the top 10 "Don't do's":
-3. IAN "I¹LL DO ANYTHING" - Ian is so desperate he¹s lost all focus (if he had any to start with). He spends his time answering classified ads and stresses his willingness to 'do anything' with contacts. Remember: Employers are looking for candidates that know what skills they have to offer and how those skills will benefit the company. Unfocused job hunters usually turn to passive job hunting methods like classifieds rather than getting the focus from themselves. They come across as desperate and are unable to convey how they can help employers effectively. GET FOCUSED (see #5 below).
-5. CASSIE "CLASSIFIED" - Cassie spends her days applying to job openings she sees online. She's applied to over 100 in the past few months and has had a couple of interviews but no offers. She really feels she's working hard on her job search. Classifieds are a great supplement to your job search but they are not, in themselves, a job search. A better way to use classified ads is to investigate the company first and try to talk to someone BEFORE you apply. If you see a job that interests you, research the company and call or email asking to speak to someone in the dept where the opening is. Don't identify yourself as a job candidate or mention that 'I saw you have an opening.' Once price is on the table, they'll just refer you to HR or tell you to apply and hang up. Tell them you're interested in what they do and would he/she give you five minutes? Then network. Iff they like what they hear, they'll probably tell you about the opening. Not only will you have an in but you also have an opening line for your letter when you apply - "I spoke with _____________ in your production department." Better yet, ask the person if you can send your resume/letter to him/her directly. Will this work every time? No, but try to become a 'who do you know' rather than remain an anonymous job applicant.
6. DUDLEY "DO NOTHING" - Dudley sits at home and feels sorry for himself. His contacts 'aren't helping him, there are no jobs out there and no one's calling him.' He¹s given up. Remember: Successful job hunters have focus, have done their research and let people know they¹re out there through networking. Get your focus by determining what skills you want to use on the job, creating a list of places that need your skills and developing a target list of specific companies that fit your geographic market. Do your homework - know what those companies do and start letting people know you¹re out there. Join professional organizations. Find out what job hunt techniques worked for people in jobs of interest to you. And what didn¹t work for them. As "What Color is Your Parachute" author Richard Bolles says, 'If you don¹t know how to find a job, talk to successful job hunters.' Also, put in the time in job hunting activities that pay off. Be honest with yourself. If you're only dedicating two hours a week surfing the Internet for job leads, you shouldn't be surprised that you're not working. Job hunting takes time and effort. NO ONE IS GOING TO FIND YOU. You need to make yourself known.
