Job-Hunting Do's and Don'ts
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
Here are the keys to successful job-hunting.
- Do use all avenues/methods of job-hunting available. And
do have a
job-hunting strategy.
Do take advantage of all
Web-based job-hunting methods, including general job-hunting sites,
industry-specific job sites, company sites, and networking sites.
Do know the
Job-Search Domino Effect.
Don't rely on any one method of job-hunting, especially
job-hunting on the Internet (which should be at most 25% of your
efforts).
Do have a professional looking resume and cover letter. And
do use
action verbs in your cover letters and resume.
Do focus on identifying your key
accomplishments. Also, do use
transferable skills to better explain your work experience --
especially for recent college grads and career changers.
Do consider developing a job
skills portfolio.
Do consider having multiple versions of your resume, including
a traditional formatted resume, text-based (ASCII) resume, and a
Web-based resume.
Don't expect to get a new job overnight; job-hunting takes
time and patience. But do take some time to reflect on your
strategies if you have been job-hunting for several months and have
not had any success.
Don't quit your current job until you have a new job.
Do know the current dress for
success rules for job-hunting.
Do take advantage of your friends, family, and colleagues to network,
network, network. And don’t simply rely on passive
job-hunting methods.
Don't get discouraged if you’ve been fired or
downsized.
Do follow-up all job leads. And do be persistent; there is
truth to the "squeaky wheel" cliché.
Do make sure a potential employer can reach you. Provide your
home phone, work phone (if you can handle the calls discretely), cell
phone, and email. And do make sure that your voicemail (or user
name for e-mail) is professional.
Do prepare and practice for your interviews. And
do ask questions at the interview.
Do
research on all companies that interest you.
Do send thank you
letters to all people who interview you.
Do make sure you know these other job-hunting do's and
don'ts:
Job-Hunting Do's and Don'ts Articles.
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