Conducting a Job Search in Tough Times

Are you looking for a job? Does it scare you to read all the gloom and doom reports about the increasingly high rate of unemployment, and how tough it is to get a job? I have a suggestion, stop reading those articles!

Yes, I said stop reading that stuff. It’s enough to scare a job hunter out of even trying, and it shouldn’t. Why? Because even in the toughest of times, jobs are available in many different areas. People still quit jobs for various reasons, or they get fired, or they get laid off. Sometimes those jobs aren’t replaced, but many times they are, and the jobs will go to the people who haven’t given up trying.

Unless you have a rare set of skills, or unless you’re in a very high demand-type of profession, you may not have people begging you to come work for them. Therefore, you need to learn how to look for a job and how to present yourself in the best possible light.

Since most companies require a résumé, you need to have one that will get noticed. The résumé is a document that gives employers a taste of what you have to offer, but it doesn’t tell them everything. You want them to want to learn more about you in an interview. While a perfect résumé won’t guarantee you a job, a poorly written résumé will probably keep you from even being considered. Whenever possible, use the company’s job description and tailor your résumé to it. Please don’t lie. More often than not, when a lie is discovered after one has been hired, one is usually fired.

The next thing you want to do is be prepared for the interview. Most people are frightened at the prospect of an interview because they look at it as a one-way street. They see it as a test, and if they fail, they don’t get the job. I invite you to look at the interview as a two-way street. Not only is the employer looking at you, but you should be looking at the employer and thinking, “Would I want to work here with these people? Will I be doing what I’d love to do?” If you look at the interview that way, you might feel a bit more in control.

While you can never be 100% prepared for every question the employer might ask, you can prepare for some of the most commonly asked questions. Also, how you react to a question might be more important than how you answer it. Remain calm, take a couple of seconds, and then answer.

Body language is extremely important in an interview. Be sure you sit up straight--but relaxed-- keep your arms uncrossed, make eye contact and smile. You don’t have to grin from ear to ear, but try not to frown or look like the interview is a form of torture for you. The more comfortable and confident you appear, the more the interviewer(s) will see you that way.

The above is only a sample of what you need to know about the job search process. The Internet is full of great job search information that you can find by typing in words such as résumé, interview, or job search hints. Knowledge is power. The more you learn about how to conduct a job search, the better the chance that you will actually get hired.