Lately companies are laying off personnel, going bankrupt and closing their doors forever. Right now there are a lot of people looking for employment. For every job you find available, there are at least 100 people or more applying. Recently at job fairs there may be 300 hundred jobs available but thousands are applying.
How do you get that job? How do you stand out, attract the employers to hire you? How do you show them that you are what they need, that you have those qualifications that can help their company grow?
To get a job you basically have to be one step ahead of everyone else. To do this, you have to basically put yourself on display. It’s a combination of skills, education, work history and most of all, money. Are you willing to negotiate a salary? Right now, the employer has the upper hand. They will look for someone to fill that position but at a lower salary than the previous employee. With things as tight as it is, many are willing to take a big cut on pay just to get their foot in the door.
When considering a position, take a few things into account. Okay the pay is not great but what about the benefits, health insurance, dental, 401k, etc. Is their benefit package so good that it can outweigh the pay cut? In some cases it is.
You need the health insurance, dental and that 401k for your family. There are a lot of sacrifices to make out there but if you can present yourself well, it won’t be so noticeable.
If you play your cards right, in time, you will be employed and if you do your work as well as you presented yourself, you will have an increase. All you need to do is get in that door. For that, here are a few tips that can help you:
RESUME
If you resume is more than a page or two, they will just put it to the side. Even a two page resume is at risk. Keep your resume simple, detailed. Try to make sure that your resume is linked to the qualifications they are looking for in an employee. By doing this, when they are going through the resumes, it will catch their attention, giving you a chance to be interviewed.
USING THE WEB
Create profiles on Facebook and Twitter. Follow the companies you are interested in and the people who work there. Nowadays, companies are often quicker to engage with people on social media sites. This is new to the companies and honestly, they find it so much easier. It is also different; this actually works better than some of the search engines online.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Many don’t realize this but your appearance when you arrive for your interview is very important. Next time you go to an interview, look at the person who is going to interview you. They glance at you very quickly, it’s hard to notice when they do this. Did you know that at times, just by looking at your appearance they have already made a decision not to hire you?
To avoid this from happening to you, don’t walk in to the interviews dressed up as though you plan to go clubbing. You also don’t want to dress down either, that will give them the feeling that you might be too laid back. You have to dress for success. We don’t like suits but believe it or not it makes an impression. Keep it simple, nothing too fancy.
Wear shoes that are not too scuffed, don’t wear colors that are too bright or too bold. For instance, red is a dangerous color to wear, it shows power, authority and some recruiters feel intimidated. Yyou don’t wear the first thing you find, choose carefully and put the clothes for your interview aside. That way they are ready to wear when that time comes around.
VOLUNTEER
When you are searching for a job, you have to put yourself out there. A good way to do this is to volunteer at conferences or networking events. By volunteering at events such as these, it actually can put you in a position where you could meet your next employer. The reason why they say you should volunteer is because some of these events do come with a price tag.
Tickets to these functions can cost anywhere from $20 to $250 and for someone who is unemployed, it makes it difficult to attend. Since all these events need volunteers, contact the organizers and offer your services. Try to get the best assignments, such as the name tag or registration table, a greeter or offer to be a speaker escort. The point is to mingle with people that can give you the opportunity you need.