How many times have you heard the phrase “Looking for a job is a job itself?” Well I can attest to that! It’s a full time effort to job hunt, its time consuming and it’s hard! No one will tell you how hard it is; they will give you a list of websites and tell you to let them know how you fare out. Yes, that’s right you are now on your own!
First step
Believe me… it can be less strenuous if you become O!
Yes, get O!—organized. Organization makes it much easier to begin your journey. As you brainstorm it is equally important to write down your job needs whether it’s in a notebook or creating a soft copy document in Word or Excel. Take some time to think about things such as, the business you would like to work for, salary expectation and hours you would like to work. It’s good to also include other factors such as access to transportation or the ease of getting to work as these could dictate whether or not you experience a healthy or unhealthy work – life balance.
Second step
Dust off your resume and take a good look at it! It’s important to assess the relevance of the details on your resume, make sure it’s up to date; it may have been a while since you had to use it. Did you include the last project you worked on or your recent certification? Too often we forget to include in our resume our best work or work related training.
I began my sons resume while he was in Middle school, sounds presumptuous, right? Doing this allowed me to manage his school achievements through high school. His resume was instrumental when it became time for him to apply to college. All he needed to do was, retrieve the document, peruse the details and compose his application essays. Every achievement certificate he earned was updated to his resume as soon as they were brought home so we did not lose any valuable information. It would have proved difficult to recall all his achievements thru the years at the opportune time.
Note to parents….help your children build a resume, start now!
Using a resume wizard is a good way to critique your resume and help you to organize important information about you. To eliminate the cost associated with the wizard, have a trusted friend or family member review your resume and give you feedback.
Your resume is an important key to getting your next job!
Breathe…it will get easier!
Third Step
Now that your resume has been prepped and is ready to go, what comes next? Finding the best career website to create your profile… I suggest creating as many profiles as you possibly can on good career websites such as Linkedin, Glassdoor and Payscale. These career sites will provide personal assessments, reports on your ideal career position held by others in the same job, companies that are hiring and industry trends.
Features I find quite interesting on these sites are the company and CEO ratings which are provided by us…people like you and I. Think twice about working for a company where the CEO is rated poorly. The rating is usually an indication of how successful the company is and the culture that runs throughout. These assessments are done by both past and current employees; the people are the company and there is usually truth in their assessment.
Your city or state career website is also a great resource! We often overlook these websites and we focus mainly on social networking websites. The US Department of Labor provides programs which allow agencies within your locality to provide you with the resources necessary to regain access to the workforce or a new career path. They also provide grants to assist with developing new skills sets or to enhance your existing skills. The information the city/state agencies provide is usually free….and who doesn’t like free?!
Stay tuned … more to come! Share your comments, ideas and questions as we continue to WORKTALK!
T’s TIP: Beware of scams…Don’t place your social security number on job boards online!
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Excellent, innovative and interesting facility which many persons should find useful especially in the current difficult job market.
Well done !
Welcome to our community! T
This is very detailed and informative. Not to mention helpful. I wish I had this information when I was raising my children.
Thanks for sharing!
Well done Louraine!!! Very informative and interesting. Looking forward to other posts.
Thanks for joining the conversation!
Very clear and easy to follow. Great points Louraine! Being organized is so important. For students, yes, also very important to keep notes as it’s so easy to forget vital details.
Thanks for joining the conversation!
Thanks for the info.
I found my last job because I had posted my resume on Indeed. Not that Indeed is any better than what is mentioned here, I’m just saying that is where I found success. I also had my resume posted on Monster, Dice, Glassdoor, Linkedin, and Careerbuilder.
Thanks Art… the more we share is the more we educate! Congrats on your success!
Very good information. I particularly like the idea of building children’s resume as soon as possible. It’s difficult enough for adults to look back a few years for their achievements; a tremendous challenge it would be for kids if you have reached college application stage.
Thanks for your support!
Wow! Excellent advice with great information. Tell us more.
Thank you! Stay tuned!
Excellent advice, the point you make about being organized is so important as looking for a job is a job in itself. Building a resume and constantly updating is also key. Thanks for sharing Louraine looking forward to more!
Thank You! Your voice is important!
Very good thoughts expressed Louraine. I hope it will be spread far and wide enough so that as many persons who need the guidance can be reached.
I look forward to what is next.
Thank you! Your voice is key…spread the word!
Congrats on your achievement Lor! Very useful and informative.
Well done!
Thank you… continue to share with the community!
Loraine very useful information let spread this information to the world and help families to achieve their goals. Keep me updated. Thanks
You have now joined the conversation… thank you!
Impressive. Very professional. Great to have you share your ideas, and experiences to help others succeed. Looking forward to the next post.
Thank you. Serving you is my goal!
Words are powerful when connected with ideas and experiences that help others or bring a smile to someone’s face. Keep on sharing!
Thank you for connecting with us!
Great advice! Very helpful for those who need it in these tough times.
Thank you… we share because we care!
Motivational and empowering! Thanks for that extra push!! Great job!!
Thanks for your kind words Ren! The community welcomes your support!