While you're job hunting, you won't have the luxury of plopping down in front of the tube to watch "Seinfeld" or a ball game when you come home exhausted from work or the classroom. Instead, you'll need to be at your desk writing cover letters, revising your resume, or browsing through the want ads. You'll have to use your vacation time to go on interviews instead of trips. You'll have to use your lunch hour to follow up on job leads. You'll need to be in job hunt mode virtually twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Given the demands of the job hunt, look at yourself in the mirror before you commit to taking the big plunge. Ask yourself if you are really ready to deal with all the hard work, anxiety, pressure, and rejection that a search entails. Be honest. If you're feeling too sensitive, fragile, or insecure, you're better off delaying your search until you're in a better frame of mind. The truth is that a job hunt can have devastating effects on one's self-esteem and confidence. Even the job hunter who's feeling extremely positive and confident at the outset of a search can be quickly worn down after hearing one employer after another say, "we're not interested/' "you're not qualified” "you're over-qualified”, "we're not hiring at this time” and "we'll keep your resume on file." If at any point in your job hunt you start to feel burnt out, take a break and give yourself a chance to recharge your batteries. Only after you feel reenergized should you gradually ease yourself back into the hunt.
Don't Give Up on Those Want Ads
While networking may be the most effective method of job hunting, responding to advertisements in the newspaper can yield positive results as well. Paula Lee, senior career counselor at New York University, is living proof. Paula got not one, not two, but all three of her professional positions by responding to ads in the New York Times.
Get Connected
Networking is the most effective job-hunting method known to humankind. Networking means building relationships with professionals in your target field who can provide you with ideas, information, or introductions that will benefit your job search. The adage "it's who you know, not what you know" still holds true. A still more accurate statement would be "it's who you know and what you know." One cannot overestimate the power of networking. In a recent survey conducted at a major university, the data revealed that thirty-six percent of the graduates received their first job offer as a result of personal contacts, compared with fourteen percent through on-campus recruitment, and eleven percent through advertisements. The numbers speak for themselves. Besides which, most people find that as they get older, contacts become even more important.
The point is to put yourself out there, be active, get involved, go to parties, talk to everyone you know. There's no telling who that person is sitting next to you on the bus. He might be your future employer. He might be psychotic. He might be both. You will just have to take your chances.
Persistence
"Don't give up, don't ever give up." Those are the words of the late Jim Valvano, former basketball coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack, who in 1981 led a team of overachievers to the NCAA title. Coach V. would not have too much regard for slackers, and neither do employers. Valvano's legacy is a meaningful one for the job hunter. If you work hard, and believe in yourself, eventually good things will happen. Stay on course and be patient. When you feel like quitting just remind yourself how far you've come and that success could be just around the corner. Stay focused, determined and keep hammering away. Yes, there will be rejection, and yes, there will be frustration, but if you're persistent the fruits of your labor will flourish.
Creativity
In a tight market flooded with talented job seekers, you need to inject a little creativity into your job hunt. Stay open to new possibilities and approaches. If there is a job that you desperately want, think of every possible angle that might put you in a position to be hired. Resist the temptation to use the same techniques and tactics just because they're familiar.
