Thanks to the current economic downturn, employment is a hot-button issue on the cover of all the nation’s newspapers. To beat the odds and find employment in these difficult times takes a lot of work and effort. You must arm yourself with as many employment tips as you can find.
When you’re looking for a job, make job searching your full time job. If you already have a job, take time out of each day to search as well. You won’t get anywhere if you only try to work for one or two places. Take your time and create a list of places to apply at each day.
LinkedIn is a great place to find information about employment. There is a section of the website called “Questions & Answers” that will let you show off your skills within your industry. This area can also be used to ask questions of others regarding jobs and industries.
Bring several copies of your resume with you on the day of your interview. This is very important as you will need this to present to the person interviewing you. Also, you can look over your resume before the meet, as a lot of the questions will come off of this document.
Make a name for yourself! In a job market bleeding qualified candidates, self-branding goes a long way in helping you to stand out from the crowd. Self-promotion and developing your personal brand is not a matter of ego. Instead, it is an opportunity to showcase your best ideas, initiative and creativity. Never exaggerate or falsify your best attributes, but do not be afraid to set your modesty aside.
After you go on your interview, make sure that you follow-up on the status. This means that you should send emails to the company asking whether or not a decision has been made on your employment. This shows that you are persistent, which is a quality that companies love in employees.
Join professional organizations that relate to your industry. This is a good way to get your name out there and to boost your business network. Your membership in a professional organization gives you additional credentials on your resume that may make a positive difference in a hiring manager’s decision to hire you.
Ask questions during your interview. While you might look at this interview as them finding out if they want you to work there, you are also in control. You may not want to work with them! Use this time to ask about what the corporate culture is like, what the pay entails, and what opportunities for advancement exist.
If you are going to use someone as a reference for a job, make sure you give them the heads up. You don’t want to have a potential employer give someone a call, and they are not expecting it. This increases the likelihood that they will say something that could be damaging.
As stated in the beginning of this article, the current jobs environment is not good at all. This does not, however, mean that you are doomed. By educating yourself, carefully studying the information in this article and applying all that you have learned you can find great success. Stay positive, and never give up!