Tips on Getting a Job [Infographic]

Matthew Gates http://notetoservices.com 4m 1,036 #job

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

Are you currently looking for a job? Have you been unemployed for a while? Do you look for and apply to jobs daily? Has it been so long without a reply, phone call, or even an interview? What’s wrong with you? Probably nothing.

When applying for any job, you have a lot of competition. You need to ensure that you stand out and apart from all of your competition. A college degree might set you apart from many, but there will still be plenty who will have almost the same qualifications as you.

Your Resume
You will want to make sure that your resume is up to date and you use keywords that make you sound professional, valuable, and unique. If your resume has not been updated in years, or if you have just been adding to it, you may want to redesign it completely to suit your personality and your desired profession. Make sure you update yourself with the latest resumes tips. In most cases, you no longer need to include an objective or “references available upon request” because those are just space-fillers and unnecessary. Make sure you do have at least three professional references available as an attachment or addition to your resume.

Volunteering
Volunteering will give you a great experience to figure out what you love to do. You will meet many people and get a chance to understand many perspectives. It will also make you feel good about helping others and yourself.

Volunteering does wonders to enlighten the spirits of a community and encourages others to participate. You do not always need to earn a dollar in order to help someone. Pay it forward. Helping your fellow person will raise your spirits as well.

You can choose to volunteer anywhere in the world. By volunteering outside of your comfort zone, you will learn to be even more open and are likely to develop long-lasting relationships. Volunteering in other places will also give you the chance to experience a different taste of food, learn the history of the location and the people, and possibly another language. The greatest thing about volunteering elsewhere, especially outside of the United States, is that it will make you stand out above many others, and you will always have a place to stay if you establish deep connections with the people.

Consider Relocation

It might be far-fetched, but if you are unable to find a job after months or possibly even a year of searching, you may want to consider relocating. If you have no strings attached to the place you are living or any bonds that keep you in your current location, than do some research on where jobs are booming.

You may even want to send out your resume to several jobs you are interested in applying for in the area you plan to move to and see if you get any emails back.

Make sure you have the budget and are moving into an affordable apartment or house before you just move on a whim. The last thing you want to do is move somewhere and end up homeless and jobless.

Make Your Own Work

If you are struggling to find a job, consider going into business yourself. There are plenty of ways to make money. If you are a good laborer, handy-man, web designer, find your niche and figure out how to make it profitable.

It all boils down to making connections and networking. Networking, not just through Facebook by “adding friends”, but actually talking to people, getting phone numbers, hanging out with them, and letting them know who you are, while also getting to know them. By networking, you may find people who share similar interests and interests in the same career path as you.

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Tips on Getting a Job

Getting a job sometimes feels like an impossible challenge. Here are some tips to help you get off the couch and back into the swing of things.

Network
The people you know can help you get the job you want. More than ¼ of jobs are filled by someone who referred them. That’s too big of a statistic to ignore. Go out and meet some people who share a similar career path as you.

Stop waiting and start doing
A few years ago, it would have made sense to hold out for your dream job since positions were being filled with external hires. Now, it makes sense to get your foot in the door with a great company and work your way up to your dream job.

Stand out form the crowd
Make sure your cover letter and resume include proper grammar. Don’t be like everyone else, make your resume stand out by listing accomplishments and career advancements. Your resume is the key to you getting an interview. Also – don’t be afraid to follow up.

Volunteer
Gain work experience that can be valuable to your career. You might need to pad your resume with volunteering experience if you’re between jobs and can’t find anything paid. Non-profits are a great place to volunteer, and volunteering demonstrates to employers that you are a go-getter!

Look outside your industry
In this era, we can’t always be as picky about our jobs as we could be in the past. You may need to look for a job which is outside your usual industry or take on a role which you’re not used to in order to find a job nowadays.

Consider Relocation
If you’re in an area with no jobs and you have the budget to move, consider relocating to a place which has a better job market.

Make your own work
If you’re between jobs for a long time, try making your own work by going into business for yourself. Even if it doesn’t pan out, you’ll have something to put down on your resume, and you’ll probably learn something in the process. If it does work out, your problem is solved.

This infographic was brought to you by: Resume Builder Online

Matthew Gates is a freelance web designer and currently runs Confessions of the Professions.

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