Tips And techniques Job search

I read an news story in today's newspaper & came away, asking myself, "Is there worse way to look for a job?" Evidently, there was a job fair downtown yesterday. 135 companies and/or employers were present & about 5,000 job seekers attended. Right off the bat, on a straight line average, that is about 37 candidates to every company. Second off the bat, I don't like those odds. It all becomes a glorified cattle call.

It was a long news story, & yet, four quotes stuck out in my mind. First, a company representative said something to the effect, "this is a lovely time for us to be here, as they can pick & select who require." Second, a job applicant said to the effect, "I need a job, any job."

I was four times disappointed by the conceitedness of the representative & profoundly saddened by the desperation in the job applicant's statement. The news story quoted several more candidates & all of them sounded the same theme of needing a job, any job. Of work, I am sure not all 5,000 folks there were desperate. Some, no doubt, were well qualified, well prepared individuals. But why quote them; they would not make for an excellent narrative.

Back to my preliminary query, "Is there worse way to look for a job?" At the moment, I cannot think of another way worst than this. Sure, the success rate for mass mailing resumes to job postings online or in the paper is probably as low as finding a job at a fair. Yet, what people hope for the most in attending these things is also what can be the most crushing.

Most candidates think, "Well, if I can see a live, breathing human being, I know I can sell him on me." With that, people attend these sessions with hopes high & expectations great. & for most, the let down is as bad. Because it gets back to the mindset of the representatives & recruiters attending, & that attitude is one of conceitedness &, "great, they get to select & select the steers they wish."

Life changing jobs & significant jobs come when the employer has a necessity & the applicant can feel that need. But to the degree feasible it's to be on equal footing. The company brings its needs & issues to the table. The applicant brings solutions & answers to the table. Both sit at the table. At a job fair like the one held downtown yesterday, it was standing room only.

All that said, in the event you are going to attend a job fair, you must do, at the maximum, these things:

1. Get a list of companies that will be attending. With this list, narrow it down to the top ten you most would like to work for. If there's going to be 100 or 150 companies in attendance, you can make a second tier list of 10 companies.

For the first, ten companies; do some research by the net & find some history on the companies. Look at recent articles that discuss their future designs, what their challenges are. Contact the firm organizing the job fair & secure a name of at least one recruiter attending for those companies.

2. Prepare a separate cover letter & resume targeted specifically to those ten companies. You require to take some generic resume to drop off willy-nilly, fine. But for the top ten companies, your cover letter & resumes must be targeted & addressed to them.

3. Wear your best suit to the job fair. I do not care how hot it is outside. You will be amazed by individuals who do not. Do not wear blue denims or slacks or anything other than a conservative, four piece suit. This is serious & you must dress the part.

4. Get there early or get there late, but do not go in the middle. In the event you go in the middle, you will get lost. Be the first to see them & have your resume at the bottom. Or see them last & have your resume at the top of the pile, but do not leave your resume in the midst of the pile.

5. After you have seen your top ten, you can walk over to the second tier group, or drop resumes off here & there. Actually, I recommend you go to the parking zone after you have seen your top ten & finish your day. In the parking zone, immediately write out thank you notes to the people you saw & mail the letters that day; not tomorrow or the next three days, but that day.

In the event you are going to attend a job fair, then be one of those who come prepared & has a purpose. do not be one of those, "I need a job, any job, it's been so long..." candidates desperate for anything. Because if that is going to be your mindset, then I guarantee you won't be the steer that gets selected.

In lieu, walk in to the job fair, with purpose & make that case that you can meet the needs of the company you require to work. That is the mindset you need to separate yourself from the other 4,999 individuals who will be there.