A few simple tips on finding jobs anywhere:
- Don’t apply for just one-ever.
- Apply for 2-300 if you live in the city
- Apply for ones that are above your skill level
- Search in fields outside the normal. Yes, you’ve done retail most of your life but are you sure you couldn’t get into corporate world via reception?
- If you’ve been working for a while, try your hand at management.
- Remember that they’ll only ever call you back if they’re interested. So once they have called you back, remember that. Don’t doubt your skills or what’s on your resume.
- Make an awesome resume. I can’t emphasize this enough. Your resume sums up your life and you in 3 pages. Make it glow.
- Don’t lie, but don’t feel bad about extending what you can actually do.
- Always, always thank jobs that reply with “Thankyou for the opportunity”.
- Where possible, make phone contact, not email, let your personality shine through.
- Nail the first interview. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Learn about the company, the job, the responsibilities. Have an answer ready for everything. I personally wing it, but I’m good at on the spot questions. You can never be too prepared for an interview.
- Shine in the first 3 months. This is your probationary period. Rock their socks off.
- If a friend has referred you, do NOT let them down. You look like an asshole and they look like an idiot for referring you.
- Be polite, don’t swear and don’t use slang in any conversations or interviews unless they do too, even then. Be wary, it could be a tester to see how readily you drop the F bomb.
- Enjoy yourself. If you don’t get it, there’s plenty more out there.
- Look everywhere. Don’t limit yourself to one computer site, one paper etc. Look everywhere.
- Be you. That’s important. Don’t fake a personality. When you get to the actual job and start being yourself, they’ll wonder what the hell changed.
- I’ll say it again. Enjoy yourself, have fun. Consider any jobs you don’t get practice for ones you really, really want.
