It is not very easy to look for a job after you have been out of the job market for a while. There are many things that have changed over the years and other things have stayed the same. Keep reading if you want to know the best way to go about looking for a new position.
Ask friends and family for help. They might be able to introduce you to potential employers. A lot of people will overlook this step. However, if you do not have good recommendations you may be turned away.
Social media can help you land a job and increase your profile, so use sites like LinkedIn to help get your name out there. The section about Questions and Answers can help you to show off what you know about the field you’re interested in. This area can provide answers from other users about their jobs, experience and ideas about certain industries.
Dress properly for your interviews, even if you don’t need to be. Although you may be applying for a job that has a casual dressing policy, you need to impress the employer. Wowing him or her with your dress will improve your odds of employment.
Instead of accepting that you do not have what it takes to land a specific job, ask yourself what you can do to become a better candidate. For example, if you lack experience with a certain software program commonly used in your chosen field, look for online tutorials and how-to books. MIT and other prestigious universities offer a variety of free, non-credit online courses. Topics range from marketing research to XHTML, and completing the programs demonstrates your willingness to go the extra mile.
After you are done with your interview, be sure to send a thank you letter to the person who interviewed you. This not only is an act of graciousness, but also shows that you are following up in a professional manner. This will make a great first impression if you did not make one already.
Before you go for your interview, do some research on the hiring company, about their line of business and their sales. Letting your interviewer know that you have done some research will show him your initiative in finding information and getting results. These are good characteristics of a dependable and resourceful employee that companies value.
Keep your skill set up to date, and never stop learning. Understand that technology is always changing; therefore, companies are continuously changing their business strategies. Keep up with your industry to remain employable. Professional seminars, as well as classes in a variety of topics, can help you keep up to date with these changes. This will only help you be a more desirable employee in the long run.
Make certain that you bring a list of your references with you on the day of the interview if you did not already list them on your resume. This list will help the interviewer get an idea of the person you are, as your references should include names and telephone numbers for follow-up.
Take advantage of your company’s financial benefits. Most companies will match their employees 401K accounts up to a certain amount, as part of their compensation package. To get the most that you can from your hard work you must use this tool. You not only get the money that they match, but you also get the added interest that it will earn.
When it comes to communicating with potential employers, focus on keeping your words bright, light and polite. ‘Bright’ refers to the quality and freshness of your ideas compared to those of other candidates. Do you offer interesting perspectives and insight into innovation? ‘Light’ sentiments avoid overly cynical or negative statements. ‘Polite’ is self-explanatory, but is commonly overlooked in interpersonal communications. This includes proper grammar, respectful title and a nod to professional etiquette.
If your office is set up into cubicles be very lenient with how your employees set up their cubicles. This will allow them to put pictures up, and even to have a set up that makes them feel at home. As such, their productivity will go up, and your bottom line along with it.
For organizational purposes, get a separate email address for job hunting. Sign up with gmail for a quick and easy throwaway account. This ensures all your job emails are in one place, and that they’re not buried under your personal email or heaps of spam, making searching simpler for you to do.
Now that you are armed with all of the information you need to snag a new job, it is up to you to do the rest. Make sure to have a well-written resume, plenty of experience and the right interview etiquette. A combination of all these things should help you secure a job in no time.
