Job Hunting Tips

When I was in college, I took a two-day seminar on finding a job.  It was immensely helpful.  Since then even when I'm not job hunting, I have always kept an eye out for tips for job hunters.  Since my son is 17, I thought it would be a good idea to brush off some of the tips and share them here.  For all us parents out there with kids who may be looking and for all of us who might be looking ourselves.  These are all just random.

-The Hunt -

Certainly there are plenty of places to look for jobs from the newspaper to online searches, but one of the best things you can do for yourself before you even start that hunt is to think on the positive side.  Think about what it is you want and the goals you are looking to pursue rather than focusing on the negative from where you may have been. 


Here are a couple sites beyond your newspaper:  Snagajob.com, SummerJobs.com, Simplyhired.com, and Linkup.com (great place for corporate listings).  Of course these are just a drop in the bucket.  There are lots of places out there.

- Resumes -
Getting a resume together is very important as well as figuring out the right style.  You can get a lot of hep online with loads of examples just by searching the internet.  You can also check out free sites like Resumizer.com.

- Job Interview -

Know your company.  It is vital that you know about the business that you are trying to become part of.  Yes, as kids a lot of those first jobs are simple department stores and restaurants, but being savvy to the company and what is going on can only help you.  

Think about achievements of yours.  This is a question that could pop up that will point to your skills that can be applied to your job.  Go over these accomplishments now to avoid the "ums and ahs" later.

Practice your interview.  In my class, we did dry-run interviews with our instructor.  She asked us questions that she said could be part of our regular job interview and helped us with how to handle the situation.  Believe it or not, half of the questions she asked me were asked at about 75% of the interviews I went on.  It was so nice having that extra help.  Practice your own interview with family members and friends.  You can also try signing up with BetterTalking.com.  You can do a mock phone interview for free and then go over the recording to see what you need to work on.  

- What to wear -

It is generally a very good idea to dress up for your job interview.  The best idea is to dress a bit nicer than you plan to dress when at work.  If you haven't yet, definitely check out their website and the organization.  You will get very good ideas on what to wear as you get a feel for the company.  Subdued is also best for women when it comes to make up and accessories.  You want what you wear to be complimentary not distracting.

Besides dressing nice you should also include a wrist watch.  I hadn't really thought about the significance of this since so many people now rely on a cell phone for time, but it is still a really important outfit feature.  A wrist watch subconsciously signals to employers that you are punctual and also that you value other people's time. 

Okay this is really just a start, but I hope there are some tips that you can use or share.  :)