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Posted By: Staff Editor In: Business Professional I never thought that my love for March Madness would inspire me in my job search, but it certainly has.
As I prepare my March Madness bracket like I do each year I usually take the route of submitting as many brackets into the pool as I can thinking that I’ll have a better chance of winning. But given that I have been participating for the past 10 years to no avail, this year I’ve decided to take care in submitting only one thoughtfully prepared bracket.
And I never thought that my love for March Madness would inspire me in my job search, but I was wrong about that too. While in a way job seeking is a numbers game and it seems logical to submit your resume to as many jobs as you can in hope of landing at least one interview that’s not usually the case. The way to win that interview is to be thoughtful in your search. So from what I’ve learned, I’ve decided to share with you.
Here are my top six tips to approach your job search with care:
Target your resume.Don’t maintain just one general resume that is a mishmash of all of your experiences. You should tailor your resume to each job you apply for and match your skills to those requirements of the job so you’ll sound like the perfect fit.
Stay organized. While you search for a new job you’ll need to create a system that works best for you to keep track of the positions you’ve applied for, those you’ve followed up on, and those you need to provide with more information. Staying organized while sometimes taxing will be your best friend throughout this whole process.
Make goals. While your job search might seem out of your control a lot of the time, make sure that you set goals for yourself throughout the process. While you can’t realistically know when you’ll land your next great job, you can certainly keep yourself on track by setting deadlines for yourself like researching a particular company you’re interested in pursuing or reaching out to networking contacts. Setting and meeting goals throughout your job search will keep you in good spirits.
Do your homework. Before applying to a job make sure you do a little digging before you submit your resume. Try to learn as much about the organization as possible so that you can target your resume and cover letter appropriately.
Use your network. If you come across a position and you’re unsure of the work involved with the job reach out to your network for some advice. Turning to your network of contacts to introduce you to potential employers is not their only purpose, but they’re also there to be your sounding board.
Be positive. No one wants to be around someone who feels sorry for them self and seems like they’re about to go off the deep end. Having a positive attitude and being able to roll with the punches shows a great sense of character on paper and in person.
Just to end on a high note, while your job search can be seem daunting at times these six tips will help to keep you grounded, and if that doesn’t help the odds of you landing your next great job are way better than you winning your NCAA pool.
Comments
Posted by: Ross Ditner
Helpful to remember these simple strategies.
Posted by: willie
No,actually my job searched doesn't make me mad, it only motivates me more and more to look for more sites, its so exciting to be hooked in job searching...
Posted by: search weary
Timely article since I am in this exact situation. Good to know there are others feeling the same and going "mad" waitng for the next big job. Describes it perfectly.
Posted by: sukhdev s grewal
Excelent tips,I appreciate it, because they are most useful right now.
Posted by: Dee
The "young" person who says that she is motivated by all the sites and is excited to be searching for a job - must of just got laid off and still living with her parents.The search is NOT fun when you have been out of work for 5-11 months..
Posted by: John
I found the article insightful and true. An open mind and positive thinking can go a long way too.
Posted by: Thomas Garnett
I've worked 102 days out of the last 30 months. I can't even get an interview. 90% of my applications don't even generate a "No Thank You". The company that hired me for 102 days gave me a great severance package including the services of a coaching company to help. I'd appreciate feedback from companines that are specific as to why I was not chosen so I'd know what to work on.
Posted by: Nancy Scheibel
I too would like to know why I do not get a reply from any of the companies I have applied to. As a job seeker we spend a lot of time on resumes and filling out applications. A word of Thank-you sometimes goes a long way to keep on searching.
Posted by: kannan rangaswamy
Your ideas are quite appealing and informative.
Posted by: Sue
I agree with Dee the person who is excited, could not be possibly be in the real world . I have been unemployed for 24 months now. I have sent out countless resumes specific for the position. I have only had two interviews in the last 24 months. It is getting tiring, and each day I am less and less motivated to network (people are tired of hearing from me), submit resumes and be just down right positive. Before my company downsized, I had only been out of work twice, it took me less than 60 days to find work. This time it is daunting. Im not sure even if the advise here is helping or making me feel worse. I am doing the "right " things! Thank goodness I had the forethought to save! I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be out of work over 2 years!
Posted by: Joey
The standards and tips for getting a job seem so much higher than the ones at the companies you are applying to! I feel for all of you trying to maintain this sunny upbeat attitude especially in the face of people(with jobs!) who don't look at apps unless you are referred internally, treat you rudely on the phone, don't reply to a courteous well timed email etc. etc. Or being interviewed by naiive 25 year olds who ask why I would apply to a job I was overqualified for! I was lucky enough to save my sanity with a small artisan business which relies on me alone. (To supplement I teach adjunct courses.) I have side stepped the bitterness I was feeling and now can be pleasant and positive but my pay is 1/3 what it was unfotunately and I may be ending my career on a low note.
Posted by: Mpumi
I'd like to stay positive even though it is very hard to find a good job, but to stay positive is the right way to go.. THE REALITY IS:Whenever I find the key to success, someone changes the lock. The road to success ??.. Is always under construction.Fact is alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but if you think again, neither does Milk.All the desirable things in life are either illegal, expensive or fattening or married to someone else.Since Light travels faster than sound, people appear brighter before you hear them speak.You can never determine which side of the bread to butter. If it falls down, it will always land on the buttered side.If you have paper, you don't have a pen??. If you have a pen, you don't have paper?? If you have both no one calls.Irrespective of the direction of the wind, the smoke from the cigarette will always tend to go to the non-smoker
Posted by: Frank Waldes
I have to say that being out of work for a long period wears you down. It's as if you have acquired leprosy, and you keep getting told that the longer it takes, the less desirable you are as an employee. The truth is that your capability, capacity, intelligence and resourcefulness are the same as they have always been. It is those that are employed that are sometimes insensitive because they haven't been through the process in a while. I've got a degree and 15 years management experience at the same time, and I've been out of work 7 months now. It's not me, and it's not you, employers are afraid to grow and we are the ones having to deal with the repercussions. Keep your chin up.
Posted by: shratha
excellent article.
Posted by: Karen
Walk a mile in my shoes! I send targeted cover letters; professional resumes; dot the I's, cross the T's; speak well and have been unemployed for one year. I find it hard to shrug off the lack of response when I email someone in HR and they ignore my message! Whatever happened to proper business etiquette? I'm not asking for the job, just a simple question like what can I improve to get hired by your company? Thanks for this forum!
Posted by: Fellow Job Seeker
Excellent article – thank you!A little common courtesy goes a long way; an individual in H/R who will not provide a general response to inquiry, unfortunately, should not be in the position he or she is in. I am a firm believer in The Golden Rule, 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'; since, one day, this person, too, may find himself or herself looking for work.As recently discovered, in some cases, lack of response may also be due to other unforeseen factors. Please see communication, below, as forwarded to a very well known search site regarding job postings."Please Note: Educational/Skills requirements associated with the current posting differ drastically from those on the employer's website (i.e., organization requesting bachelors degree vs. high school or equivalent, 8 years of demonstrated responsibilities vs. 5+ to 7 years, prior industry experience preferred/certification desired vs. no employer preferences specified, etc.). Only after tailoring resume detail were actual requirements vs. perceived qualifications discovered, hence, I was unable to apply.Searching for employment can be a very arduous task; a variance of this kind can cause applicants to feel extremely discouraged when "the phone doesn't ring," due to non-qualification from the beginning.Additionally, the spelling contained within the posting for the above-mentioned position is deplorable; a potential candidate would be disqualified for this type of carelessness in representation.Quite disappointed."In a week's time, aside from an automated acknowledgement of receipt, I have yet to receive a personal response concerning this matter.On a more positive note, my best of luck to each of you – take care.
Posted by: Sharie
How timely is your article, and what wonderfully well-qualified, diligent job seekers I am in the company of! My job search is definitely driving me mad lately, especially because I know I have been doing the usual right things for the last year and four months to find another job but to no avail. I have had only one interview in all that time. I have also experienced thoughtless treatment from uncaring HR people who made wonder what has happened to business etiquette. My favorite HR questions are "why do you want to work here?" and "what have you been doing since your last job?" -- exaspirating. I could go on and on but I'll stop here and thank you again for this very helpful and timely article. The posts are validating. I'm working on my BA in business thinking it will help, but I see herein why it has not made any difference whatsoever.
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