Reach Out – Known formally as networking, this can be as simple as telling everyone you come in contact that you are looking for work. If you want to get advanced attend some professional development sessions or networking events, but you don’t have to go this hi-tech. Finding work that hasn’t yet been advertised can be as simple as letting updating your facebook status or telling your day care provider what you are looking for. Everyone is related to somebody else and with experts telling us we are only separated from another person by six people, your new job could be just around the corner.
Yellow Pages – Grab your copy of the phone directory, highlight a list of places you would like to work and give them a call to see if they have anything coming up. If possible always request to speak to the Manager. Getting on the phone can be nerve wrecking but you would be surprised the amount of potential opportunities it opens. The best case scenario is that they ask to interview you straight away and you get the job, worst case, they ask you to email in your resume for their records.
Set a Target – I’m always surprised by how nobody does this. The single most powerful thing you can do right now to jump start your job search is to set a target of how many jobs you are going to apply for on a weekly basis and stick to it. Make it non-negotiable. This means that if you set your target at 20 and you can’t find 20 advertisements to apply for you have to get out of your comfort zone and start calling or writing to potential employers.
Pick up the Pen – I have seen amazing success with this one time and time again and it is actually my number one tip. Write a cover letter, print off your resume and send a personal note to the manager of the organisation you want to work for expressing your interest in any suitable positions. I don’t know if it’s because people don’t get snail mail anymore so it’s a novelty or not but I have seen people line up four interviews in one week through this approach. (Also this eliminates any of the competition you would usually get from an advertised position)
Revamp your resume to include achievements. I’ve said this before a hundred times but I still see hundreds of resumes that don’t do this. PS: How certain are you that your resume is the best it can be? Download a free sample below and make sure!
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