Job Search

Job search or job seeking is the act of looking for employment, due to unemployment or discontent with a current position. The immediate goal of job seeking is usually to obtain a job interview with an employer which may lead to getting hired. The job seeker typically first looks for job offers or employment opportunities.

Knowing the employers
It is expected the job seekers will have done a reasonable amount of research into the employers. Some basic information about an employer should be collected first in a resume before applying the organization's positions, including full name, locations, web site, business description, year established, revenues, number of employees, stock price if public, name of chief executive officer, major products or services, major competitors, strength as well as challenges.

In the Internet
Contacting as many people as possible is a highly effective way to find a job. It is estimated that 60% or higher of all jobs are found through networking.

While 80% of job openings are not advertised, you can augment your odds of success by combining your strategy to access the hidden job market.
  • Conserve a routine by searching local, regional, and national newspapers, Internet, and employment agency job boards daily.
  • Maintain records of all networking contacts, cover letters and resumes sent interviews, thank you notes, referrals, and follow-ups.
  • Be persistent - if you are not getting the results that you desire, try laying out your resume in a different style with resume templates.

Write an effective cover letter and resume

Cover Letter
Present a one-page cover letter with every resume you provide. Your cover letter is your marketing tool and should not duplicate your resume. Attract the interest of the prospective employer, communicate your interest in the job and organization, communicate your marketable qualifications, offer contact information and ask for an interview.
  • Address your letter to the individual responsible for hiring and include their title if known - do not use sir or madam.
  • Ensure your letter is free of typos and grammatical errors.
  • Use action verbs to convey warmth and enthusiasm.
  • Describe how your skills, abilities and personal suitability will benefit the organization.
Resume
Always direct your resume to a concrete position within an organization. Request for a copy of the job description and clearly identify how you meet those qualifications and skills required by the job.
  • State your contact information at the top of your resume examples.
  • Employers often use the resume as a screening device. Thus, most resumes will be given a thirty-second glance. Keep it to three pages or less and list your qualification statements in bullet form near the top.
  • Match your qualifications to those advertised or to the statement of qualifications.
  • Back up your qualifications by using specific examples in the body of your resume.
  • Technical companies, especially those advertised on the Internet often use a software program to screen resumes. Pay close attention to key words used to identify the required qualifications, skills, experience and education and use these key words in your resume sample and cover letter.
  • Keep your resume upbeat and enthusiastic by using succinct, positive action verbs to identify your qualifications.
  • Be sure to have the names, contact information and consent of at least three references on hand.
  • Always include a cover letter.
Applying
One can also go and hand out résumés or Curriculum Vitae to prospective employers. Another recommended method of job hunting is cold calling or emailing companies that one desires to work for and inquire to whether there are any job vacancies.
After finding a desirable job, they would then apply for the job by responding to the advertisement. This may mean applying through a website, emailing or mailing in a hard copy of your résumé to a prospective employer. It is generally recommended that résumés be brief, organized, concise, and targeted to the position being sought. With certain occupations, such as graphic design or writing, portfolios of a job seeker's previous work are essential and are evaluated as much, if not more than the person's résumé. In most other occupations, the résumé should focus on past accomplishments, expressed in terms as concretely as possible (e.g. number of people managed, amount of increased sales or improved customer satisfaction).