How to Get a Job Fast

In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job they need to live.

While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.

But it's not only individuals who have been turned out of jobs that this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change one's goals and focus in life. Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?

The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do. Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you re-focus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will take you through contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.

The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you?

How to Find a Job?
My friend has been trying to find a job for weeks. His money in the bank is fast running out, credit card bills are mounting and even his car payments are two months overdue. Desperate to find a job, he’d scanned all known job postings in the internet and the local paper and asked for help from friends. He sends out his resume in a veritable mailing-list that would shame the mailing catalog of some newsletters. But he still can’t find a job.

When I met my friend a couple of weeks back, I asked him how he is faring in his job search. He said he’s doing fine but his down-trodden look gave more than he’s willing to admit. Since we’ve worked together before, I know that my friend is qualified and he has good work ethics as well. But I also know that my friend has difficulties putting his thoughts into written words. Eager to help him find a job, I asked for his resume, purportedly to give someone I know who is hiring. He anxiously gave me one, knowing that I’m up to something.

When I reached the office, I took time off to read his resume and cover letter. While I found these are not badly written as I first thought, I sensed something familiar with the documents. I immediately browsed some internet sites which offer resume and cover letter formats and guides and to my utter disbelief, both documents were directly lifted from one of the sites. The cover letter, specifically, was lifted word-for-word from one published in the internet.

It dawned on me what my friend’s problem was. Recruiters and HR personnel are adept in scanning from a mile away resumes and application letters that are not originally written by applicants. They are familiar with the guides available in the web and they would know if one is lifted fully or even partially from those guides. Thus, when some HR people got hold of my friend’s cover letter and resume, these are at once filed away and forgotten, or worse, thrown directly to the trash bin. The reason therefore why my friend can’t find a job is not because he’s not qualified but because recruiters don’t like the documents he sent them.

I thus got on my computer and re-wrote his resume and application letter, supplying some of the necessary information from memory. I reorganized his resume to highlight his work experiences, skills in computers and his education. I made references to these important job-hunting factors in his cover letter. I even removed an entire paragraph which I found irrelevant in his quest to find a job. I emailed the re-written documents, with a nice message of encouragement. But I didn’t tell him what I found out about his resume.

He called me a few days back to tell me that when he started sending out the new resume and cover letter, he made some real headway. He started getting some positive responses. In fact, he told me that he’s scheduled to be interviewed that day in one of his better prospects. I wished him good luck and I told him I never doubted that in time and given the right tools, he would find a job that he deserves.

Discovering Jobs:
Many people do not have good job hunting skills. They are not experts at locating job openings for which they may be qualified. Here are some ideas to help you uncover those jobs.

NEWSPAPER ADS -- usually draw the greatest number of applicants, so you'll end up with a lot of competition. If you have no geographic restrictions, you may want to check out of state newspapers.

Find a way to make your resume stand out so that it isn't lost among the many applicants. Here are a couple of ideas:
(1) Send a customized cover letter with your resume.
(2) Call before you send the resume in. If possible, talk to the person who will be doing the interview or who you'll be working for. If this isn't possible, talk to the personnel director about the job and let them know that your resume is coming. This will help them to remember your name and may help you get through the resume screening process.

PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES -- these are agencies that try to match employees and employers. These agencies vary in the way they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are somewhat unscrupulous.

Your best chance is to go with an agency that specializes in your field. Beware of agencies that continually run the same ad because, often, they are just trying to build a list of candidates. I recommend that you only use agencies that don't require you to pay a fee.

TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS -- Are often the best places to look. This is one of the primary means of job advertisement for some types of professions. Example: The magazine Environmental Science continually carries ads for environmental professionals.

Other good places to look include: trade shows and professional conventions, personnel offices, college placement offices, friends you have who are in the same profession as you. Another method is to simply go through the yellow pages and look for companies which may need a person with your skills. Then contact these companies by phone and follow-up by sending in your resume.

Job seeking is a skill that requires persistence. You must not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of contacts. Sooner or later, you'll find the job that's right for you.