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First... RESUME!
I got my resume put together. I didn't have to make many changes to it just updated it. Every time I applied to a job I went over the qualifications and made sure they were relevant to the job position. A few sites that helped me get this together were:
- http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresumes/a/sampleresume2.htm
- http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/careers.aspx
- My school's career center website... if you're still in school. USE IT!
There were more but I can't recall them all. I looked at a lot of samples. Googling resume sample and looking at the images was a great help also.
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Second... COVER LETTER!
I created a moderate cover letter template with all the information about myself that I'd want employers to know. If I saw something I liked in another cover letter I'd copy it down in a document and rephrase it later or write a similar segment using my own experiences and qualifications. I'm learning what employers want to see and what to exclude. It's good to double check. It's good to overwrite and keep all possible thoughts in one document for later use. Although something is not applicable to one job, it may repeat in the next so it's great to be prepared.
You ALWAYS want a cover letter. Even if it does not require any, at least send a few words if there's a note section in the application. I've discovered that I have a lot more to say about myself and my qualifications once I started brain storming.
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Third... THE JOB SEARCH!
I first started by going on my university's job search site. Luckily, UC Irvine has an extensive job searching site that is practically updated with several jobs a day. But I do not believe that is enough... so I started using job search engines. Yahoo's monster affiliation site is excellent to search on. But I've noticed a lot of repetative, "Want a new job? We'll train you for a fee if you qualify" or "internet job from home" and they just end up wanting you to join something like a pyramid scheme. So you have to be careful of what you're thinking about applying to. I know I received an email regarding an application I sent that was for a recruitment/staffing company where you paid in order to find a job. I forget what they're called exactly but I do not believe in paying for a placement service when you should be actively pursuing job positions yourself.
A lot of entry-level positions are requiring at least 1 year experience to qualify. Even sales positions in the mall and at other retailers are now requiring work experience due to the current economy. But even if you never had a job, you should still try to apply in my opinion. The worst they can do is not review your resume and toss it away. But, I believe with each consecutive application, you become more aware of your qualifications and refine your resume and cover letters. Think about why they may not have considered you aside from lack of work experience. There are a lot of things you can mention, such as school curriculum and/or interests, to make yourself more appealing. Especially in the cover letter.
While a lot of sites have been mentioning considering an internship which is good; however, a lot of internships today require that you're a full-time student. Unfortunately, I didn't jump on the internship bandwagon while still in school. I am technically still a full-time student, but I'll be graduating in mid-June and I won't be a student for the time period they plan on hiring. So that rules out a lot of internships. They're still good to look for... just be aware you probably won't find an internship unless you're actually still in school or you will be in school for the coming term(s).
Other sources for jobs include craigslist, facebook, and LinkedIn. Do not overlook these sites! Craigslist has a lot of scammers, so I usually only respond to entries that mention the company and are actual companies (if you're not sure they exist then GOOGLE). If there's an option of emailing it through another email other than the craigslist one, I choose that so I know who I am emailing.
Facebook has a marketplace acts as an online classified ad. When people post job positions, you can actually see who posted it and visit their company/personal profiles most of the time. It's also great if you're a student like myself, looking for an entry-level position.
Lastly, to be honest I hadn't heard about LinkedIn until I started looking for a job. Some of the positions I applied for required familiarity with social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. LinkedIn was one of them so I decided to check it out. It has a job search feature and is excellent if you want to know who is working at a company and in what position.
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What do you do now that you've received a call-back, email-back, etc.?
The phone call to set up an interview. This is a BIG step. It is important to create rapport even in this short phone call. A number of sites I visited mentioned how a lot of people overlook this step. In my case, although I read a lot of articles on how to handle phone calls... I think I failed in distinguishing myself as a job candidate. Remember to SMILE! I noticed that my own voice changes and I lose confidence if I don't actively remember. You may be great at speaking on the phone but if you're like me then REMEMBER TO SMILE! If you're not confident in what to say... prepare it before hand on a document.
The Interview!
I've been googling techniques and it's fair to say I still don't feel prepared.
Results!
Even if you fail then you should have come away from it with the experience and knowledge of what to do better next time!
*I'm not finished with this post... I'll be editing it more later*
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