maybe if you had said “please” you would had landed the job. ha! tons of crazy things run through your mind when you are out of work, looking for a job. but you got to get those crazy thoughts out and keep digging!
i have a category on my blog called “job search” because two years ago i was jobless and looking for a job, and of course i blogged about it. thankfully i found a teaching job and i am still employed at the school, and i am extremely thankful that i have a full time job. if you are jobless i can truly say that i’ve been there and know the feeling. the job market is dismal and sometimes it feels like you are sending your resume into a black hole. many of my friends are unemployed and i just want to encourage those who are seeking a job to keep at it.
the article over at cnn, motivational tips for a job search, is worth reading and taking points. one of the tips is to use the computer but to get away from it.
network
networking in the real world really helps! a teacher friend of mines who is in the job market was invited to a luncheon for business women, she was debating if she should go or not, and i encouraged her to go because you never know who you will meet. sure enough, she goes and meets someone that helps her land a couple job interviews at a school district near where she lives. my friend didn’t land a job from it, but it was a foot in the door kind of thing. network outside your field of work, as well. this was a luncheon for business women, but she meets someone who works for a school district. many people have side hustles that you never know how someone is connected or how someone can help you. i’m sure you’ve heard this tip a thousand times, but really, are you networking? visit meetup.com to find groups that interest you.
fax your cover letter and resume
the paper application is basically history. most companies only accept electronic applications. it’s pretty easy to apply to jobs now days, this is a good thing and a bad thing. good that it is easy. bad that it is easy. there are tons of applicants for a single job posting, and how are you going to stand out from the pile? find a contact at the company and fax your resume over. it’s a step further than the electronic application. your resume and cover letter is physically in someone’s hand.
so tell me about yourself
you should have this question memorized with conviction! practice, practice, practice those questions that come up in almost every interview. i totally hate the “do you have any questions for us?” question. yes, i want to know are you going to hire me? but of course you can’t ask that, but that’s the main question you have. during the interview really listen to what they are saying and do try to have a question. show some interest. i look at job interviews at performances, part improve but part scripted. really know who you are and sell yourself.
how i found my job
i eventually found my job through a job placement service. the guy charged me a monthly fee for my first year of teaching. i highly advise against this if the placement fee comes out of your paycheck, but if you are desperate then you know what measure you have to take. i hated chunking over my placement fee each month, but two years later i still have a job. it cost me, but as the saying goes it takes money to make money. nonetheless, i highly advise against paying a job placement firm out of your paycheck.
it’s not you it’s them
bottom line is that it’s a tough job market out there. and it’s not you it’s them. in sociology there is this concept of the sociological imagination, and when you develop your sociological imagination you realize that there are social forces working in the world. social conditions that affect many aspects of your life. most likely you are not jobless because you are incompetent or unemployable. you are jobless because of the economy. so don’t be too hard on yourself. if each day you are hitting the pavement and doing the best you can to find a job, something will come up.
i’ve been that job seeker, it’s not easy, but don’t get discouraged! you really do have to keep that “it’s right around the corner” mentality.
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