Tips for Job seekers:
1. Set goals. With the extra free time I've had lately, I've found that it's easy to get distracted, especially when job hunting and working on resumes at home. A way to keep myself focused is to set goals, like applying for 5 jobs a week, for example. Another way to keep myself focused has been to physically remove myself from distractions at home by jobhunting at other sites, like the local library or workforce center. I've learned to really get in the mindset that job hunting is now my full-time job, at least until the next great career opportunity comes along.
2. Network, network, network. I've found that it's helpful to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances. There's no shame in letting them know that you're looking for work, because quite often your friends and former coworkers are quite sympathetic and receptive to your situation. A few of them may even refer you to good job opportunities! Social media networking on LinkedIn and even on Facebook apps like BranchOut are also good online networking options.
3. Keep the communication lines open. If there's a really good job opening that you've applied for or interviewed for, I strongly recommend following up with that employer. I keep a day planner and write down who I interviewed with and applied for and when to follow up with them. I usually follow up with a thank-you letter and/or email after an interview, and I would also recommend a follow-up call.
4. Stay positive. I know the job search can be frustrating, and it's very easy to get down on yourself, especially after a rejection letter finding out you didn't get the job you interviewed for, or just flat out hearing nothing after applying or interviewing. However, by keeping a positive attitude, I've told myself that if I didn't get a certain job, that just opens the door for other possible job opportunities. It's also helped me open my mind to look at other companies or fields that I might not have considered before. Positive self-talk is another good way to stay motivated. My motto during this experience has been "never give up," and it's a creed that I plan to stick with throughout.
5. Make some time for yourself. I know that job hunting can be a grind sometimes and it's not always easy to keep your hopes up, despite the positive self-talk that I just mentioned. That's why it's OK to make time for yourself sometimes. Before I lost my job, I already had plans to go to a couple of Twins games and rock concerts this summer, and I kept those plans - losing my job wasn't going to prevent me from having a little fun! Even just taking little breaks from the job search by taking a walk, watching a movie, reading a good book, listening to your favorite music or even lunch with friends can instantly improve your mood.
I also came up with a few helpful hints for employers, from the job seeker's point of view:
1. Keep the communication lines open. I've repeated this topic for the employers section of this blog, because when I've talked with other fellow job seekers about their searches, the most frustrating experience they've shared with me is the lack of follow up from employers after applying or an interview. I understand that employers don't physically have the time to follow up with every single applicant for every single position, but contacting candidates who've been interviewed for a particular position is another story. It can be very disheartening to put forth a great effort in applying and interviewing for a position that you know you can excel at, only to not hear from the people you interviewed with.
That's why I recommend that job seekers take the initiative to follow up themselves. In my opinion though, I strongly feel that interviewers should also follow up with every person they interview for a given position in a timely manner. I know that companies are often bogged down with dozens and dozens of applications and resumes and I don't expect them to follow up with each and every applicant, but if someone takes the time and effort to fill out their applications completely and promptly, asks good questions during the interview and is someone who could be a good fit for the job in question, it's well worth an employer's time to recognize that effort with a good followup call, email or letter. Keep the communication timely, too - if you tell a candidate they'll hear back from you in a week, then be sure to reply by then. If you offer to answer questions after an interview and a candidate calls with one, make time for them and answer their question while it's still fresh in both of your minds.
2. Keep communication personal. Another annoyance I've experienced after what I thought were good interview experiences has been to receive a form rejection letter or email. The worst one I received was when I was in college. I'd interviewed at a local company, and I'd thought the interview went well. Imagine my surprise a week later when I received a standard form rejection letter. To top it off, the human resources person at that company didn't even sign their name to the rejection letter. Instead, the salutation was "Sincerely, Human Resources" and the HR person signed the words "Human Resources" instead of their name to the rejection letter! I'd received form rejection letters before, but this one really stunk. It led me to believe that this was an impersonal company that I was better off not working for. I even toyed with the idea of sending them a form letter in reply, signed "Sincerely, Applicant" instead of using my name! Fortunately, after a few laughs, I thought better of that idea - no sense in burning bridges, right?
For the employer, I'd recommend a personal reply via phone, letter or email, which should thank the person for interviewing, and maybe even mention a few positive items from the interview. I've had the good fortune of interviewing for a couple of very good companies this year and although I didn't get the jobs, they were very prompt and personal with their replies, which made me feel that the effort I put forth to apply and interview them were well worth it. This type of positive feedback is something that makes me proud to refer job seeker friends to these companies, because the impression I received from them is that they are personable organizations who value their employees (and applicants)! I would also recommend these companies' products and services to family and friends because the impressions I received during these interviews is that they are reputable, trustworthy businesses.
3. Don't have an overly long list of job qualifications. When talking to other job seekers, some of them have mentioned that seeing a job posting with a long laundry list of qualifications and expectations can instantly discourage them from even applying for that job because they don't have all of the skills needed. I've seen some of these postings too, and they usually make me wonder how many of those required skills are really necessary. If they're all necessary, fine.
However, in my experience, that hasn't always been the case. Instead, I'd recommend listing only the key skills that are most important to the job being offered. If some of the skills required in a job posting aren't really necessary but fall in the "would like to have" category, perhaps the company should think about offering training, either on-the-job or offsite, for some of these skills. Personally, I don't have much experience with AS400, medical coding, or cloud computing, but if I was starting or considering a job that required those skills, I would take it upon myself to learn them, either on the job or on my own time.
Well, those are just a few observations from my job search. I'll try to update you on my progress in my job search, and if you are unemployed yourself, please feel free to let me know how you're job search is going. If you benefit from any of this advice above, then this blog post is a success. Stay positive, and realize that a good job is out there for you - I know mine's out there somewhere! Thanks and enjoy your day, everyone!
