HOW TO PREPARE FOR JOB HUNTING

INTRODUCTION
This report will prepare you for the difficult task of job hunting. Not only will it show you how to get a job but it will show you how to keep your job and get the most out of it. You will be able to use the most modern psychological measures in dealing with other people so that you are always ahead. Follow the instruction in this report and see yourself go to the top.

Know What You Want

You should be perfectly clear of what you want. Don't give yourself vague objectives such as "any job that pays." Make your objectives and goals very definite and specific. Your first step to getting a successful job is knowing precisely what you want. Ask yourself this question and write down the answer on a sheet of paper.

Expect The Best But Prepare For Adversity

Always expect success, but prepare for the bad things in life. Adversity happens to the best of us. Our challenge is to conquer adversity. Adversity is a great teacher; learn its lessons well. Remember, if you haven't been through bad times, you are far from success.

Be Positive

When you create a "win,win, win" attitude, you will start to win. When you start to think positively, everything around you will be positive. Whatever you expect to take place will take place. If you want things to be good, they will be good. You are the master of your destiny. Destiny DOES NOT rule you.

Be Confident

You must have confidence in yourself. If you are not confident in yourself, people will not be confident in you. People admire and respect confident people. You will even admire and respect yourself more. If you have doubts about yourself, other people will have doubts about you, also.

Action Is The Key

Do whatever you have to do to get where you want to. Commit yourself to action. Don't put off your plans, start today. The only way you will achieve success is if you act now. You must act now with full force if you want to achieve your dreams. Plan to act out your ideas today.

Visualize Your New Job

Look ahead and visualize the job you want. Tell yourself how much you want the job and what you are willing to do for it. Your dreams will become your reality if you let them. Know what your dreams are. Visualize success in your mind so well that it is almost real.

Be Persistent

Be persistent to do better. Anything worth doing is worth doing again and again and again. Don't let rejection stop you from reaching your goals. Keep trying and you will succeed. Nobody makes it the first time. Try over and over again and don't stop until you get what you want. There is no going back.

It's Going To Cost You

Nobody gets a free ride. If you want something, you must pay for it. It is going to be hard to get what you want, but it will be well worth it when you are successful. The best things in life are the hard things.

Other People Can help You

People will help you to get where you want to go. You will never make it alone easily. People can teach you and help you become a better person. Listen to other people--you will learn from them. If someone helps you, don't forget to reward him.

Demand A Lot

When you demand a lot, you get a lot. Your expectations of others and yourself will become a reality if you expect them to be real. What you expect to happen, will happen. If you push yourself hard, you will start to see results. demand and you will receive.

WHERE TO LOOK FOR A JOB

Look through the help and want ads of newspapers and professional and trade journals. Find out where government jobs are listed and then try out for a state, local or federal job. Check with your state employment center--it may be able to get you a lead. Most schools have job placement centers, check with them. The secretaries of civic organizations and the Chamber of Commerce may have some leads for you. You may be able to get a job by going to a job fair. If you are a minority or need special assistance, you may be able to get help finding a job from special interest groups. Check at your public library for further information.

Where You Can get Job Leads

Trade conventions and organizations that relate to your field may be able to get you job leads. Ask relatives and friends if they can furnish you with any leads in your field. Place a job ad in newspapers or professional journals.

YOUR RESUME

A resume is helpful for any type of professional job you are trying out for. A good and effective resume will lead you to personal interviews.

Preparing Your Resume

You must write down a collection of all the information about yourself on a sheet of paper. After all of this information is organized, transfer it to a resume. Only use the training and experience that are relevant to the job which you are applying. Write down all the information that relates to your goal on your data sheet. When you are mentioning jobs that are unrelated to the job you are applying for, be brief. Tell your prospective employer anything and everything that's in your favor and will interest him. Arrange the information so it catches your prospective employer's attention.

To determine what you should put in the beginning of your resume, think of what your potential employer will feel is important. You can organize your experience by job or by function. Your resume should be detailed enough to give an employer all the important facts on you, but it should not be too long or an employer may not read it. Employers are busy people and they want the facts in a few words as possible. When writing out your resume, don't mention anything negative about yourself. If you have never had any work experience and the job calls for work experience,should you put "none" in that section of your resume? No. If you have never had nay previous work experience, don't even include work experience.

Make Your Resume Impressive

Your resume must be typed on a good typewriter. Remember, when a prospective employer looks at a resume he subconsciously relates the quality of your resume with the quality of your work. It is the only thing he sees of you. The most impressive resumes are not five-color jobs on 20-cent paper. If your resume is too flashy, your prospective employer may not be too impressed. Don't pass out carbon copies of your resume because they look cheap and they tell an employer that you gave the original to someone else. Research has shown that resumes printed on yellow paper with brown ink are the most effective. If you don't want to print your resumes, just photocopy them on fancy yellow paper to give them that quality touch.

THE INTERVIEW

What You Should Bring To The Job Interview

Organize and prepare all the papers you will need with you at your job interview. Your main document is your resume. If you don't have a resume, take instead your school records, Social Security card, work records, licenses, military records, dates of employment and names of your employers.

Your References

It is also important to create a list of references. Be prepared to give an employer the names and addresses of three people who are familiar with you and/or your work. You should ask your references for the use of their names in advance. If you think it appropriate, ask a professional friend or former employer to write you a letter of reference, and include it with your resume. If your work is the type of work you can show, take samples of what you have done in the past.

Know The Company And The Employer

Learn all you can about the company that is interviewing you. Go to the library or your Chamber of Commerce to find out all you can about it. Try to find out exactly what they do and what they have in store for you as far as jobs are concerned. Find out who you will be working for. The person you will be working for will be very influential in your life. Make sure you really want to work for this person. If your future boss doesn't tell you about himself at the interview, don't ask.

Know How Much You Should Earn

Know how much you should earn with your talents and skills. Make your estimate a little higher so the company benefits when they bid you down. Don't go too high or you won't get the job. Know approximately what the salary scale is for the job and be ready to negotiate the salary.

Know Yourself

It is important that you know yourself. Evaluate what you can offer this company, whether it is education, training or special skills. Always tell them what you can do, not what you can't do. Know exactly what type of job you are applying for and what type of job you want.

Know Your Interviewer

Prepare yourself for the questions for the questions the interviewer is going to ask you. You should rehearse answers to the most commonly asked questions. Have some one ask you these questions to practice your answers:

Why do you want to work here?
how long do you want to stay with this company?
Why did you leave your last job?
Tell me about yourself.
Why aren't you working now?
How long do you think you would stay in this present job without a promotion?
Why should we hire you?
What is your greatest strength/weakness?
What did you like/dislike about your last job?
How much did you earn?
How much do you want to earn?
Why do you think you can do this job without experience?

Your Time

Make sure you are at least 10 minutes early for the scheduled appointment. Don't come too early or too late. Give yourself enough time to spend with the interviewer--don't arrange another appointment 15 minutes after the first appointment. Your time with the interviewer should be uninterrupted.

Your Appearance And Dress

Don't wear too casual or too formal clothing to the interview. Dress conservatively without flashy colors. Be well groomed and shave for your interview. Women should make sure they look very neat. Hair should not be in the face, it should be up or tied back. Makeup should be subtle. The way you look is very important to your interviewer. If your appearance is bad for the interview, that is the impression an employer will have of your job performance. Neat appearance is always a must.

What To Do At The Interview

When you shake an employer's hand, shake it firm, solid grip. Don't shake his hand passively. Be businesslike but pleasant and friendly. Smile throughout the whole interview. Make sure your smile does not look fake. Good eye contact is very important. If you can't look into his eyes, look at the bridge of his nose. This will seem as if you are looking into his eyes. Sit straight up but toward the interviewer. This will make it seem as if you are very interested in what the interviewer has to say. Don't smoke or have poor posture during the interview. If you are under stress, try to act calm.

What To Say At The Interview

Let the employer take charge of the interview. Answer his questions briefly but completely. Don't ramble on about unimportant things and waste his time. Dogmatic statements should be avoided. Tell the employer exactly what you expect from your job and from him. Also tell him exactly what he can expect from you. Stress your qualifications in a positive, affirmative tone. When the employer tells you what type of person is wanted, use this information when telling the employer about your qualifications. It is very important to tell him what he wants to hear. When you tell people what they want to hear, they start to agree with you. Don't over do it and exaggerate with lies. Use your resume or records to support any claim you make about yourself. If you don't understand a question the interviewer asks you, repeat it back to him to see if you understand it. Try to see what the interviewer wants to find out about you. If you know what he wants to find out, make you answers fit his needs.

What Not To Say And Do At The Interview

Talk about previous jobs if they are in your favor. Don't say anything bad or criticize previous employers or fellow workers. If you say anything bad about anyone, your future employer can expect trouble from you. Don't say anything negative about yourself. Try not to discuss anything personal, financial or domestic unless you are specifically asked. If the interviewer questions you at a quick pace with confusing questions,he is doing this to put you under stress. Stay in control and answer calmly. Don't be overly impatient when an employer asks you a question. Wait for him to finish the question and then answer it completely and in a relaxed manner. You don't want an employer to think you are desperate for the job. Don't take anyone with you to the interview--this makes you seem insecure.

At The End Of The Interview

If the employer does not offer you the job at the end of the interview, ask him when you will hear from him or when you can call to find out his decision. If you are asked to come back, write down the time and place you are to attend. After the interview thank the employer for spending his time with you. Ask him if he knows of any other company that may need a person with your qualifications. A good practice is to also thank the employer by mail with a "thank you" letter. Many applicants don't do this, so this may give you an edge on the job.

If You Are Hired At The Interview

Make sure that you understand what your duties will be. A good understanding of what your employer expects from you and what you expect from your job will prevent conflicts in the future. Make sure that you are very clear on both of them. You should also find out what advancement opportunities are open for you. Tell the employer what salary you want, but only bring up money when the employer brings up your salary.

If, at the end of the interview, you are not offered the job, tell the interviewer that you really want the job. Follow up with a thank you letter to the interviewer. Tell the interviewer again in the note that you really want the job. If you forgot to mention something in the interview that you thought was important, don't hesitate to mention it in the letter. If the company hasn't contacted you in a week or two,call. If somebody else is hired for the job ask the interviewer if he has any other openings in his company or if he can give you any leads.

Conclusion

Getting a job can be very easy if you look for it the right way. Knowing exactly what you want and then going after it will always get you what you want. Be positive, determined and persistent so that you will benefit, be rewarded and prosper.

Bryan Thorby

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