Many factors - economic conditions, month, seasonal hiring, the need for your skills, geographical area, your personal requirements, etc. - determine when you will obtain a good job. Plan an organized job seeking approach which uses various paths for getting interviews. Keep up-to-date written records.
PEOPLE
Friends, relatives, and others may or may %not be able to help. An employee far removed from hiring activities probably doesn't know what is taking place, hiring-wise, until a new employee shows up. But someone who is close to or can make a hiring decision is an excellent contact.
List people you know who could actually help - former co-workers, school friends, salesmen, bank employees, owners of small firms, etc. Contact them, explain your problem, and ask if they know of anything available. Typically, they may have nothing to offer; but may know someone who does. Ask friends to make contacts and get that necessary endorsement. Have the way smoothly paved before you make a contact.
If a friend doesn't want to call, get permission to use his/her name. Expand your contacts by pyramiding. Use a person's name to obtain an interview with another firm. Be aggressive but not unreasonable. Add names to your list and follow-up. You may be surprised who really helps you. Some of these individuals may become references. Make sure these individuals are definitely willing to be references. Different references should be able to discuss your personal qualities, education, work experience, and growth potential. Keep them informed as progress is made. I know of one woman who got a job at a bank by casually mentioning her job needs to the owner of the apartment house where she lived.
Want Ads
Newspapers, especially Sunday editions, have pages of want ads. Another source is business and professional publications. After describing the job, and maybe the company, the typical ad will request you to contact, telephone, or send a resume. When looking for employment at a salary in the teens or lower you will find appropriate jobs listed. So will others! While many seekers respond to an ad, only a few will get an interview. Still fewer or just one will get the job. Competition is great!
Improve your chances of getting a job by doing the following:
- If you are interested in changing geographical areas, subscribe to the major Sunday newspapers in that area.
- Review all ads. Many small firms write poor ads which are sometimes misplaced in the classified section of newspapers. Usually ads are placed under major headings and/or in an alphabetical order.
- Review old publications (1 to 2 months) for ads. Answer every appropriate ad to obtain more interviews. Good positions take time to fill but may be advertised only once or twice.
- Carefully read the ad several times. The firm has a problem and needs someone to solve the problem. Fit your response to their needs.
- Answer ads where your background doesn't exactly match the high requirements. Firms seldom find anyone to meet all of their specific wants. An attractive ad may have a lower salary than you would expect. Job titles reveal just as much as they hide. Only some of the job duties may be mentioned.
- Answer blind ads since these attract fewer qualified applicants than ads giving the company name. With fewer job seekers, your chances are better. Be careful! You may be responding to your current employer. Management may be planning position changes that few people know about.
- Usually a well written letter is better than a resume. The letter's content should be directed to the specific job wants of the firm and give your qualifications to meet their needs. A second choice is a cover letter and resume. To send just a resume is a waste of paper and postage stamp. If the ad requests a telephone call, be prepared for screening questions.
- Time your response till just after the rush. By reviewing potential employees, the company has an opportunity to see the level of available and interested talent. By arriving late your response may get a more objective review. You will be closer to the time when the decision is made about whom to interview. Send a letter and/or resume arriving 7 to 10 days after the ad appears. Avoid the Monday rush. If a phone call is requested, call near the end of the time period instead of early.
- Giving salary information may eliminate you if your salary is either too low or too high from the hiring salary. If you definitely know you are in a low paying company or industry, keep the salary to yourself until the appropriate time in the interview. Salary requirements should be based on what you can produce. You will be contacted if the firm feels you have the proper qualifications. When asked, indicate your salary objective in terms of a percentage range, say 10 to 20 percent, above your current salary. You can say that a range is given since the cost-of-living, geographical area, job duties, responsibility/authority, and other factors affect your salary requirements. Giving your current salary figure to all may be a source of future embarrassment.
- After your initial response to an ad follow-up - 2 to 3 weeks - on the most appealing ads if the firm has not contacted you. Use different material, your competitors may be failing to do this.
