Tips For The Job Searcher

By Richard Lowe, Jr.

I've searched for a few jobs in my time, and I've interviewed many hundreds of people. Here are some things that I've learned which have had great success. I hope they are of value to any job searchers.

Treat job hunting as a full time occupation - If you are currently unemployed and can physically (or mentally) work, then there is absolutely no excuse for not spending every waking moment looking for a job. You can read want ads over breakfast, go on an interview in the morning, spend lunch on the phone scheduling a couple more interview for later in the week, go on another interview in the afternoon and write a few letters over dinner.

After dinner, you can surf the internet researching your career, locale and companies. The point is, there is nothing more important than finding a job - it is the basis of survival. Treat it as such.

Research - Spend your evenings doing research about potential employers. First you are looking for companies who need to hire someone with your qualifications. This is your first research task. Once you find some companies, schedule some interviews. When you talk to the receptionist on the phone, you could ask her to send you a brochure or some information about the company (if the interview is soon you could pick it up the day before if possible).

You can get on the internet in the evening and see if any articles have been written about the company. Remember to check various sources to see if the company is financially sound - you don't want to get employed only to be laid off a month later if you can help it! Also find out the names of as many corporate executives as possible, but make sure your information is current.

What do you need this information for? The data has many values: first, you could find out the company does not meet your needs and not waste your time on an interview. Having information makes you more powerful during the interview process, as you will not be going in ignorant of what's going on. Finally, you can use this information to convince your interviewer that you are qualified for the position.

Contacts - The plain fact of the matter is, scanning the newspaper want ads is perhaps the least successful method of job hunting. Sending out hundreds of resumes simply does not work well either. In fact, the best way to get a job is through personal contacts.

What does this mean? You need to get on the phone, get in your car or bicycle or whatever, and talk to people. If an interview does not work out, you call the person back and ask them if they know of someone else who needs your skills. Ask the receptionist, ask the human resources person, ask anyone who will talk to you. Open your mouth and get friendly with people.