Job Search Referrals

When you apply to a company for work and they don’t have any positions available for which you are qualified, you may be able to get them to refer you to other companies that may have positions available. When you apply for the job, if you are told there are no positions available or that the job you applied for was given to someone else, you can politely ask the individual if they know of any other companies that may have similar positions available.

Additionally, don’t overlook friends and family as potential sources of referrals. Someone you may know just might know someone who works in your chosen field. You may never know unless you ask, so if you’re having trouble finding a job, ask around. Your aunt, cousin, or old college roommate may not work in the field you do, but they may know someone who does. It never hurts to ask around.

Don’t forget about employment agencies. They don’t just hire for temporary positions! Some employment agencies may even specialize in recruiting for your chosen field, or they may specialize in finding long-term employment. So don’t overlook these companies as potential sources of jobs.

Finally, it never hurts to become friends with people in your industry. Attend trade shows and hang out where they congregate. The more people you meet and become friends with in your chosen field, the better your chances will be to find a position when you’re looking. If you have friends at most of the top companies in your field, you will always known when positions come available so you can be first in line to apply.

And you never know when one of these people will be promoted into a position where they could actually have some say in the hiring process. That guy you met who works in a mail room today might be promoted into human resources next month!

Online Job Searches

Searching for a job can be very daunting, especially if you are in a field with limited posisitons, or if you live in an area where jobs in your field are very rare.

In order to have the best possible chance of finding a job, you may need to perform a job search online. If jobs in your field are hard to find locally, you can search all over the country or the world if you use the internet.

In the past, it was quite difficult to look for jobs in other areas. You would usually have to go to your local library and hope that they had current newspapers for other areas where you could located potential positions.

These days, it is very simple to look for positions all over the world just by using some of the online job boards. You can find a job in any field, anywhere in the world, simply by performing a quick search online.

You can also send your resume electronically, so you don’t have to worry about it getting lost in the mail or having to have more copies printed if you run out.

Searching for a job online is also a huge time saver. Instead of dropping off resumes locally and having to drive all over town, you can just email resumes out to the companies you locate online.

The major problem you will have to deal with when searching for jobs online comes when you are selected for an interview by a company that isn’t in your local area. You can request a phone interview, but this won’t always be possible. Some companies may require you to be physically present for the interview, so you should be prepared to travel for job interviews if you’re going to be searching for a job outside of your local area. Remember, you may or may not get the job, so it’s up to you to evaluate your chances before you spend the time and money to travel out of town for an interview.

Resumes for Graduates

As a recent college graduate, you won’t have a lot of job experience. Hopefully you will have done a few externships or internships or had other part-time experience in your field before you graduate, but if you don’t, you will have to play up certain features of your resume while downplaying your lack of experience.

If necessary, you could take a position in your chosen field on a part-time basis as an intern or in a low-paying position in order to get some experience. This experience will be extremely valuable on your resume. If you can’t do this, you will have to emphasize your educations and skills.

Emphasize Your Education

A lot of applicants will have some experience but no degree. If you have a degree in your field, it’s very important to emphasize this as much as possible. Don’t worry about putting your GPA or class position unless it was absolutely stellar, but you should definitely emphasize any extracurricular activities that might have prepared you for the position.

If you are applying for a marketing position and you were in a marketing club in school, this will show the interviewer that you have a passion for the topic and some additional experience outside your educational experience.

Mention Awards and Contests

If you have ever won a contest or award in your field, you should mention this. If you are applying for a position as a writer for a newspaper, and you won a national award for your writing work on your school newspaper, you should definitely emphasize this.

Show a Passion for your Field

If you don’t have experience, you need to show the interviewer that you have a very strong passion for your chosen field. If you can convince the person reviewing your resume that you have a deep love for the field, you will have a major leg up on the competition who may be in the field simply for money.