8 Things to Know When Doing a Job Search

After 10 months of being unemployed and going on at least 10 interviews, I believe I am qualified to  the whole job searching process. I hope none of you ever find yourself in that position looking for a job for several months but if you do, I have some tips on the job search. 

1) It takes lots of work. You might have heard the saying finding a job is a job. It is no joke, you can't put in 2 hours a week into your job search and expect to find a job. Maybe you can find any job in that amount of time but for the job that you really want, that you would succeed at and that your qualifications match, you gotta put in the hard work of searching for a job. It isn't just the searching that will take your time. 

2)  Do your best in writing that all-important cover letter. Make sure you always write a cover letter. A cover letter is the opportunity to explain a bit more why you desire the job, what specific qualifications makes you a good candidate for the position and what you can bring to the job. 

3) Tailor your resume for every job you apply for. For every job I submitted my resume to, I would use the verbs in the job announcement in my resume to make the tasks I did in previous jobs to sound similar to the tasks in the job I was applying for. I would make my resume with the experience I had to fit to the job that I was applying for. Use the company's words and speak their lingo. 

4) Follow up, follow up. Maybe you emailed your job to an HR email address. Do you know if your resume was even seen? The only way to do so is to follow up. Call HR, ask if they received your resume. Get that person's name you spoke to and keep in touch with that person. However, don't be annoying. Don't call every other day asking if HR knows when interviews will start. Be polite and never be rude. Please and thank you are manners so use them.

5) If you get scheduled for an interview, prepare for it properly. Learn about the company or wherever you are interviewing. Learn their mission statement and memorize a few facts about them. So the company, you have taken the time to learn about them and also review the position you are applying for.

6) Part of preparing properly for the interview is dressing appropriately. I hope this is a given but ladies don't wear too short of a skirt. Hide your boobs. Don't dress too sexy, sorry just don't. Dress as though you give a darn and you actually want the job, take the time to show the interviewer you care about your appearance and you aren't wasting their time or your time by dressing inappropriately. Sorry, jeans are never acceptable. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

7) During the interview, get the name and title of everyone who interviewed you. After the interview and within 24 hours, send a hand written thank you note. Don't buy a fancy thank you note, a basic thank you note will do the job. Use the thank you note to thank the interviewer for their time, further explain why you are the best candidate and if you didn't answer a question how you liked during the interview, restate your answer. It is the last opportunity you have to be in touch with the interviewers so use it wisely. 

8)  It is hard but be patient after the interview. From my personal experience, the more quiet the company is, it is never a good sign. If they aren't responding to your calls or your follow-up emails, sorry but it isn't good news. The company will constantly be in touch with the top candidate. So unfortunately quietness is not a good sign.

I know I said 8 things but I need to add a personal 9 tip when job searching, rely on God during the whole process. He created me with certain skills and He knows what jobs are best for me and what jobs He doesn't want me to have. It was hard after the rejections I received but I had to realize that it wasn't God's plan. I always want God's will in my life especially when it comes to jobs so I put my complete faith in His will for me during the process. It didn't mean I sat back and waited for jobs to come, I still had to do all the work, submitting resumes, going to interviews, etc. but if it was God's will for me to have a job, I believed He would make it happen.

Anyone else have some tips to share on job searching?