This article is based on
following book: What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual For Job-Hunters And Career-Changers By Richard N. Bolles Ten Speed Press 2004 Edition ISBN 1 58008 541 5 411 pages The best-selling job-hunter’s bible for decades, this indispensable resource is a complete handbook for people who are on a quest to find their mission in life, or at
very least,
next good job that will put food on
table. Whether you are a fresh graduate, never finished a degree, or are searching for your deeper calling after many years of work, this is
book for you. You may need a temporary job, but
book strongly suggests a major life-changing one!
There are two types of job searches:
traditional, and
life-changing. The former requires
usual resume-matched-to-the-employer-formula. The latter begins with a weekend of honest soul-searching and really deep thought. The actual life-changing job hunt may take much longer. You must have adequate reserves of energy and determination to go on this hunt. But
result of
long search is well worth it. Why? Because
search for
“job of your dreams” is really
search for your true happiness…and you have every right to seek this happiness.
What are you looking for? You may choose to embark on a life-changing job hunt for
following reasons: you are suffering from burnout, you want to set your career path straight, or you may want to earn more money. The best reason, though, is when you are searching for your mission in life.
The advantage of doing
life-changing job hunt is obvious: it makes you rethink your goals, really think about what you want to accomplish in this life, and it’s about getting in touch with who you really are. It requires time, effort and a lot of deep thought.
Looking for a Job
1. Write your resume well. There are several resume-writing resources enumerated in
book for your easy reference. You may also ask your friends who are known for writing excellent resumes for assistance. 2. Your resume should be a summary of relevant work accomplishments, citing what tasks you were responsible for, what obstacle you had to overcome and what you did to solve
problem and what
results of your actions translated into in terms of profits, etc. 3. Go where
employers go: www.monster.com, www.hotjobs.com, www.flipdog.com, and www.eurojobs.com are just some sample sites you could look at. 4. There are other ways to find a job than on
Internet. Use your contacts. Study
phone book, or look around your neighborhood. It is still always best to be referred to an employer by a good friend or colleague.
How Employers Hunt for Job-Hunters Employers like it when you:
1. Find their job ad on
Internet or on their web site. 2. E-mail your resume immediately. 3. Mail a professionally laid-out paper copy to
employer’s mailing address on
same day. 4. Make a follow-up phone call within
week to see if both copies were received, and to inquire about an appointment for an interview. 5. If you do get interviewed, send a thank-you note immediately after
interview.
23 Tips to a Successful Job-Hunt
1. No one owes you a job. You have to go out and look for it. 2. Your success is directly proportionate to your effort. 3. Be willing to change your strategy. 4. Ask successful job hunters what they did. 5. Treat your job-hunt as a full time job. 6. Remember that
shortest job hunt still lasts between two and eighteen weeks. 7. Persistence is
name of
game. 8. You will not find
same exact job you had before, so redefine yourself. 9. Forget what is “available” and go for
job you really want. 10. Tell everyone to keep a lookout for that type of job opening. 11. If you own an answering machine, tailor your opening message to communicate your ongoing job hunt. 12. Join a job-hunter’s support group in your area. If you can’t find any, create your own. 13. Go after several organizations at once. 14. Go after any place that interests you regardless of whether there are vacancies or not. 15. Concentrate on organizations that employ 20 people or less. 16. Go see 4 potential employers a day. If you are using
telephone, call up 40 a day. 17. Use
phone and
Yellow Pages to call up places of interest and ask if they are hiring. 18. Go to places where you would like to work and knock on their doors. 19. Look for full-time, part-time, contract jobs or temporary jobs and other types of jobs. 20. Forget about your handicap, whether real or imagined. 21. Don’t become depressed if you encounter several rejections. 22. Treat everyone you meet with courtesy. 23. Write a thank-you note to those who gave you their time that day.