Today’s economy is brutal with our current recession issues. More and more people are losing their jobs every day and have to compete with thousands of other people for a position. That even ten years ago would not have taken as much effort. There is so much more competition out there than ever before and depending on how motivated you are. It could take months and even years to find the right job. In the meantime, you may have to settle for a more menial position until you get the job you want. Below are a few helpful ideas to make your job search a little more organized and manageable.
1. Get yourself a three-ring loose-leaf notebook with dividers. This will serve as the key to your entire job search. Divide the notebook in these sections.
a. Career Goal – this section is for recording your thoughts regarding the type of job you are looking for.
b. Contacts – List everyone who could potentially help you in your job-search. Unemployment department, Employment agencies, friends and references. Anyone in an organization that could potentially be a good lead for a new position.
c. Resume, letters’ of recommendation, references. Keep plenty of resumes and letters on hand to hand out or send in to potential employers.
d. Interview Preparation – Include a list of potential questions and add to them as you go for interviews and are asked new questions. If you’re not confident to how you answered the question the first time, do some research on how best to answer them.
e. Follow up – Keep a list of the companies and contacts that you interviewed with so that you can send out thank you notes for giving you the opportunity to interview. Sometimes this can make all the difference between getting the job or not.
2. Order some personalized stationary for your cover letters. Do not choose extravagant colors or designs. The paper should be an off-white or beige in color and be of reasonable weight.
3. Be sure and have a phone number that will carry over into an answering machine or voice-mail system so that you don’t miss an important call for an interview or job offering.