Job Search Techniques

Traditional Job Search Techniques

Looking for a job is not an easy task. It can be overwhelming for some, especially those
with some type of employment barrier. Where do most people look for work? In the help
want ads. Wheres the worse place to find a job? In the help wanted ads! tatistics show
that only !" # $% & of all jobs are ever posted in the newspaper. 'hat, combined with
the fact that most people start their search with the want ads makes it one of the most
diffic(lt ways to find a job.
)oes that mean yo( sho(ld never look at the want ads to help someone find a job. *f
co(rse, the answer is no. 'here is some val(able information to be gained by looking at
the want ads, s(ch as new b(siness opport(nities, labor market trends, and salary
information, j(st to name a few. If yo( do (se the paper, Wednesday and (nday papers
are the best ones to search. +owever, dont limit yo(r search to the paper and dont
co(nt on finding the best jobs there. ,emember, over -"& of all jobs are never listed in
the paper.
Why dont employers like to advertise in the newspaper? 'here are a n(mber of reasons,
b(t one of the primary reasons is that people like to hire someone they know. If they
dont know someone who is interested in the job, they will ask friends, family and other
ac.(aintances for referrals. /nother reason is that it ca(ses them a lot of work. Its not
(ncommon for employers to receive 0% applications for one job opening when they
advertise in the paper.
1oing to the company personnel office and filing applications are also not the best ways
to find jobs. 'he personnel departments job is to screen o(t applicants # not screen
them in. /pplications are generally (sed in m(ch the same way. 2or high t(rnover and
seasonal positions this may be a viable way to locate employment, b(t dont co(nt on it
for higher level or professional positions. Well talk more abo(t job applications a little
later.
+ow abo(t mailing o(t res(mes? /gain, this is not one of the most effective ways to find
a job. I know st(dents who have mailed o(t literally !%%s of res(mes and not received
on interview. 'his is not an effective, targeted way to find a job. 3o( might get l(cky and
get an interview, b(t the odds are against it. In fact, one st(dy fo(nd that it took over
!,4%% res(mes mailed o(t (nsolicited to land job. 'his is a costly and often disco(raging
way to find a job. In occ(pations where skilled workers are lacking, it may be effective,
b(t not in most occ(pations. o how do yo( locate opening? 'he best place to start is in
the hidden job market.
What abo(t the local Workforce 5ommission or private employment agencies? 'hese
too res(lt in few openings and even fewer job offers # abo(t "& of the people who (se
them act(ally get a job. 'he Workforce 5ommission can be a good place to (se a base for
yo(r job search. 3o( have access to their comp(ters, both for Internet searches and for
typing applications and res(mes. 'hey also generally let yo( fa6 applications or res(mes
for free. 7rivate employment agencies generally charge a fee, so be s(re to check this
o(t. ome employers pay for their services, b(t then the employer is their c(stomer
rather than the job seeker.
The Hidden Job Market
o j(st how do yo( find a job? 8ost people learn abo(t job openings from someone they
know or by contacting the employer directly. Weve already disc(ss that most jobs dont
get advertised, so that means yo( have to find the jobs before theyre open. 8ichael 2arr
9!::!; talks abo(t fo(r stages of job openings. In the first stage, there is no job opening,
b(t the employers are interested in locating good workers. In the second stage, the co<
worker or s(pervisor knows that an opening is coming (p, b(t he=she hasnt taken any
action. 'he third stage occ(rs when there is an opening, b(t it hasnt been advertised.
'he last and final stage is when the job is advertised.
o what does this mean? 3o( have to get to know the employer and get the inside scoop!
5ontact potential employers before they have an opening and let them know yo(re
interested. *ne way to get to know employers, in addition to cold calls, is to attend
5hamber of 5ommerce f(nctions or join local civic gro(ps s(ch as the ,otary or
>iwanis. 7rofessional organi?ations can also be a potential for jobs. 2or rehab majors
the )allas /rea ,ehab /ssociation and the 'e6as /ssociation of /ddiction 7rofessionals
provide networking opport(nities. )ont ask if they have an opening, ask if yo( can talk
to them abo(t f(t(re openings. I think back to the last job interview I had. I applied for a
job and wasnt hired 9t(rns o(t they already had someone in mind # so(nd familiar?;.
+owever, I did get an interview and let them know of my interest sho(ld they have
another opening. (re eno(gh, when they had another opening, they called me and I got
the job.
If yo( know that people (s(ally hire someone they know or someone that was referred
by someone they know, how do yo( approach the job search? @egin by telling everyone
that yo( know that yo( are looking for a certain type of position and ask each of them if
they know anyone yo( can contact. It doesnt have to be someone yo( know real well.
'hink of all the ac.(aintances that yo( have # neighbors, former teachers, members of
yo(r ch(rch or social gro(p, etc. 8ake a list and get in to(ch with them. 2airly often
when former st(dents call me, I have j(st learned of a job opening. Im happy to refer
them to the job, b(t it might never occ(r for me to call them, (nless I know specifically
that they are in the job market.
/nother way to locate job is thro(gh a techni.(e called Aprospecting.B In prospecting,
yo( are looking for companies that might be good places to work and might have an
(pcoming opening. 'he yellow pages and the Internet can be a good way to identify
potential employment opport(nities. 5all the employers and ask to speak to the
manager of the department that yo( are interested in. /void the personnel department
if possible # remember their job is often to screen o(t applicants. ,eading the b(siness
section of the local paper is another way to identify potential employers. 8ost new
companies are feat(red here.
Whatever so(rces yo( (se to identify potential jobs < stay in to(ch and send them an
email or thank yo( note for their time. )ont ass(me that j(st one call will be s(fficient.
7eople get b(sy and so yo( need to follow (p if yo( havent heard back from them. C(st
take care not to be a pest.
Information/advice interviews
Informational interviews can provide a great opport(nity to contact an employer. 'his is
(s(ally best (sed when a job seeker is not .(ite certain what she wants to do and wants
to learn more abo(t a specific occ(pation. Listed on yo(r sched(le is a great reso(rce on
informational interviews, along with some possible .(estions to ask.
Internet job searches
'here are literally tho(sands of reso(rces on the Internet for job seekers. Dirt(ally every
city has a state<f(nded one<stop career center and most colleges and (niversities offer
reso(rces to assist job seekers in their search. *ne thing to remember, however, is that
most people wont act(ally find a job on the Internet. ome e6ceptions to this are jobs in
the comp(ter ind(stry and high skilled demand jobs. +owever, the Internet gives yo(
tons of information abo(t potential job openings, ed(cational and skill re.(irements,
and salary trends. Ive listed a few of the better so(rces on yo(r sched(le.
Resume writing
,es(mes are generally re.(ired for most professional jobs. +owever, like many of the
other tools weve disc(ssed, they dont necessarily g(arantee a job. In fact, they are often
(sed to screen people o(t. /s mentioned above, sending o(t (nsolicited res(mes is not
an effective way to search for a job. Its far better to get an interview first, then send yo(r
res(me. Its also a good idea to send yo(r res(me to ac.(aintances that yo(ve recr(ited
to help in yo(r job search. When st(dents call me in.(iring abo(t job openings, the first
thing I tell them is to send me a res(me so that I will better able to match them to
potential jobs.
'here is a lot of disagreement on what makes a good res(me. +owever, everyone agrees
that yo(r res(me is representing yo( # so make s(re it is clean, professional, and error<
free. I advise most people to stay away from artsy res(mes or paper that is too bold.
'here are e6ceptions to this r(le, s(ch as when one is seeking a job in the art or graphics
ind(stry. 1enerally, res(mes sho(ld be no more than ! # $ pages. 'oo long and yo(ve
lost the employers interest.
'here are lots of good tips and e6amples of res(mes on the Internet, so I wont go into a
lot of detail. @asically, there are $ types of res(mes # chronological and f(nctional.
5hronological res(mes are the most traditional and they list all yo(r e6perience in
chronological order. 'hese are best (sed when yo(r more recent history is connected to
the type of job yo( are seeking and when yo( dont have a lot of employment gaps.
2(nctional res(mes can be helpf(l when yo( want to highlight yo(r strengths and
downplay gaps or weaknesses. /nother key point to remember is to (se action verbs
rather than passive verbs. Words like assisted, helped, etc. dont have a lot of p(nch.
/ction words like designed or administered are m(ch more powerf(l. ome companies
will not accept res(mes, b(t only accept job applications.
Job alications
Like res(mes, job applications are often (sed to screen people o(t. 7art of the problem
with applications is that they clearly specify dates of employment, reason for leaving,
and many ask abo(t salaries. 'his can be problematic for job seekers who have
employment gaps, were terminated from a job, or are seeking a promotion and higher
pay job. 'hey dont give yo( a chance to list yo(r strengths. ome employers will accept
a res(me in lie( of a job applications, b(t others will not. If yo( m(st complete an
application, bring yo(r previo(s job information with yo(, incl(ding dates of
employment, s(pervisors names, phone n(mbers, and salary information. @e e6tremely
neat and complete. )ont leave blank spaces # (se E=/ or will disc(ss if necessary. @e
positive, b(t be honest. 'here are n(mero(s incidences where people were fired for
lying on their application, when being honest wo(ldnt have prevented them from being
hired in the first place. Well disc(ss how to handle some diffic(lt iss(es in the ne6t
class.
Interviewing skills
'he interview is yo(r opport(nity to cinch the job! /gain, there are many Internet sites
that give tips on interviewing. I have even posted on that gives some of the top .(estions
asked d(ring interviews for social service positions. @e s(re to check that one o(t. 3o(
know the basics # dress appropriately, arrive a little early, dont chew g(m, etc. 3o( will
most likely have F% min(tes to an ho(r to try to convince the employer yo( are the right
candidate. @e prepared. >now as m(ch as yo( can abo(t the company. 1ive specific
e6amples rather than general information in responding to the .(estion. If yo( arent
s(re yo( (nderstand the .(estion, ask for more clarification. @e positive and do yo(r
best to rela6. 'ry to connect with the interviewer # find a common bond. can the office
for things that yo( might have in common # pict(res, awards, etc. )ont leave witho(t
finding o(t when yo( can call<back. 5heck o(t the so(rces I have linked on the sched(le
page for more information.