Job Seeking Tips
Observations of Someone Who Went Through It

CNN informs me that I am not the only who is out there seeking a job because the recession is impacting more than just my life, so I thought I would include some tips and things that I have found useful to my job hunt (obviously, you aren’t allowed to use any of these tips if you are competing for the same opening as me.)

1. Never loose confidence in yourself no matter how long the hunt takes

I put this first because no one is going to hire someone who isn’t confident. Don’t get me wrong I know how hard this is. I cannot always stop myself from thinking what is wrong with me…it must be something since no one will hire me. This is a trap that is deadly for the seeker to fall into because finding a job is all about celebrating the crap that you do well. So stay confident.

Here a few things that helped me and might help you:

• focus on your accomplishments and not your failures
• conquer some of your fears (like splurge on skydiving or I ended my comfortable yet stagnant relationship)
• hang out with people who know how great you are and can remind you
• exercise and eat healthy (I know this sounds cheesy but when you look good confidence tends to follow. Plus, you get crazy high off the endorphins from exercising)
• make to do lists that are actually doable everyday so that you have a sense of accomplishment when you finish that last task
• research tips for staying positive and building confidence on the internet.
  

2. Tell everyone you know you are job hunting

I even mentioned my job seeking to the guy who works at my neighborhood deli because you never know who will turn you on to your next opportunity.

3. Use multiple strategies while you are hunting

There are many ways to seek out jobs:

• searching career websites
• setting up informational interviews
• using temping and staffing agencies
• looking in the newspaper
• job placement from the unemployment office
• career fairs
• networking with your colleagues
• bugging your family and friends to pull strings and work any of their connections
• finding transferable skills so you can hunt in more than one industry
• searching for jobs on the websites of companies you would like to work for

Using a few different search strategies will not only improve your chances of finding a job, but also will make the search a little more diverse and interesting.

4. Make the search interesting and exciting

• apply your passions and personal interests to your search
• apply or jobs that are slightly out of your league
• transform your job hunt into a way to fulfill your dreams

I found that I had a better time job hunting when I started thinking about jobs abroad because it is has always been my dream to travel and live abroad. Applying my personal interests to the job hunt helped keep my interest in hunting alive.

Also, I found the job hunt less boring when I applied for some jobs that might be considered a little ‘out of my league.’ Just the possibility that I might get a call about one of those high paying jobs or more experienced positions kept me dreaming about what it would be like to actually transform my job hunt into a sort of promotion and/or raise. And just in case you think this sounds crazy, I did get a call back on and interview for a job that required a little more experience than I had so you never know…

by The Seeker

The Seeker is a twenty-something ergophobic writer, who having left the comforts of a small-town home for New York City. “The City”, an unforgiving place forces the Seeker to face the harsh realities of public transport, business casual, and office happy hours. Through the Seeker’s sometimes painful and often hilarious journey to survive in the ‘real world’, one can join in the hunt to find a job, follow one’s dreams, and afford a decent bottle wine at dinner. - March 8, 2008

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Source: http://gainfulemploy.wordpress.com/2008/03/08/job-seeking-tips/