| Topic Name: |
Top 10 Job Search Obstacles |
| Message Name: |
I would like to suggest... |
| Date Posted: |
03/15/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
10. You have totally screwed up at every job you have ever held - nobody likes you or trusts you or is willing to help you. You have burned every bridge. You can't get an interview to save your life: time to consider rehab.
9. You are still unemployed after a very long period of time: Keep at it. I've never known anybody who didn't finally get a job.
8. You're embarrassed and humiliated to be out of work and you just want to hide: Get over it - these days, just about everybody has been there and nobody thinks you are a loser. If you're going to hide out, nobody is going to help you.
7. You find yourself spending more and more time in front of the TV flipping channels: Force yourself to approach your job search as a full time job. Discipline yourself to spend 8 hours a day on productive job search activities. (posting to this board does not qualify)
6. You are discouraged. Nothing is working. You are getting depressed: You just have to gut it out and keep going - it's a numbers game.
Lather, rinse, repeat - 8 hours a day.
5. Your resume just isn't getting any response: Don't count on your resume to do the job for you. You need to develop personal contacts within the company/industry.
4. You aren't very good at resume preparation and wording. Get together with another job seeker who does what you do and compare notes. Analyze the skills and job descriptions on job postings and job ads - pullout ideas as they apply to you and rework your resume to include things you overlooked in your own skill set. Talk to somebody in the org and find out who got the job. See if you can find out why they were selected. Review resume prep suggestions on Monster.com, etc.
3. You keep getting downsized and your resume job history looks awful: take a good look at the "survivors"; those who keep popping up like corks after every headcount reduction. Find out what they're doing that you aren't - why they're on the upside of every political/management shift. Get involved with the outplacement service your company provided and ask for advice.
2. You screwed up in a couple of jobs and you can't get anybody you ever worked for to say anything good about you or help you out: you have to start rebuilding at zero. Get any job you can and do brilliantly at it - make friends and mentors of everyone you work with and stay in touch with them.
AND THE #1 OBSTACLE
1. You don't know how to network: get yourself a good rolodex or electronic address book. Keep updated contact info on every single person you've worked for, partied with, gone to school with, go to church with, volunteer with, are related to etc. Keep in touch - send b-day cards, holiday cards, pictures of your vacations - any reason to stay connected. Entertain - modestly or elaborately whatever your budget allows. Join and volunteer in alumni and professional organizations. Repeat above process with everyone you meet. Start smiling and dialing. Let everyone in on the secret - you need a job. |
| Message: |
That the term "Veteran Job Seeker" speaks volumes. It is not something to aspire to.
Take my advice and you will be a "Successful Employee" and not a "Veteran Job Seeker."
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