Where do I find a job?

So there I was, finishing up my work for the day, getting ready to head home when I get a call from HR asking me to stop by for a minute. Having known of several layoffs over the past several months I immediately knew what I was walking into...a layoff. I was offered 2 weeks of severance and best wishes in my future and handed a box to empty my belongings. How do you find a job in two weeks time? Well it is a real challenge depending on the skills you have and area you live in. I have known people that have been out of work for 2 years. However, there are some strategies you should employ when looking for a new position. Looking back this experience has been a huge blessing for our family and I understand that sometimes the Lord has different plans for our lives than we do.

Shout it out: I think the natural response to being laid off or looking for work in general is one of being embarassed or ashamed. However, if nobody knows you are looking for work, how can they let you know about the positions that are available at their companies? I decided that finding employment was more important to me than what being laid off said to someone else. I immediately sent an email to all my family members letting them know of the situation. I then put a message out on Facebook to all my "friends" to let them know I was looking for employment. I then sent an email to all the former co-workers that I had addresses for. I found that LinkedIn was particularly useful for communicating with old co-workers and seeing where they are located. I sent a message to all recruiters I had worked with in the past as well. In a very short amount of time I had let everyone know of my situation and to inform me of anything they were aware of. Within a few hours I was getting great information about possible positions. Many of those I sent emails to, sent emails in my behalf to people that they know recommending me as a quality employee for their company. Another option is to use your local BYU Alumni associations as a means of sending out your resume and networking. On some of the social networking sites you can also create a discussion wherein you can mention your employment needs and enable others to contact you about them.

Online Profiles: There are several generic job hunting sites that can provide a lot of job listings. Some of the most common are Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder and Indeed. For those in a technical field, Dice.com has been the source of almost every job I have had. You should create an account on each of these sites. With your account you can upload a resume and create a customized profile that tells recruiters about your skills. With your profile, make sure to include key words that you come across in the job listings you have had. Some recruiters have access to profiles online but the don't post jobs. Instead they look at the job profiles for candidates and call those they are interested in. I have received multiple phone calls from recruiters regarding jobs I had never seen nor had I applied for. After creating your profile, you can set up email alerts to send you emails on a daily basis regarding new opportunities posted in that last day. This keeps you on top of the newest information in a timely manner.

Apply online: Get ready to spend a lot of time applying for jobs online. Very few positions have offline applications. In some cases you'll simply be allowed to upload your resume but in others you will need to fill out multi-page forms. You have to decide how badly you want the position to determine how much work you are willing to do on it. The bottom line is that if you want to get a job, you'll have to go through a lot of different methods of applying for the job.

Don't give up:If you don't get called immediately, don't give up. Keep in mind that hiring managers are often very busy and their timeline is rarely as fast as your need to find employment. In some cases you'll get called within hours of submitting your application, but in others it may be a few days. I recommend starting your day with scripture study so that your mind can be clear and enable you to remember the Lord in the search and do things according to His timetables.

Evaluation: If you aren't getting any calls, try to analyze why. Are you applying for the right jobs? Did you put the right key words in your online profiles? Is your resume suitable for the positions you are applying for? Depending on the position you are applying for, you may need to modify your resume to fit that position. For example, if you are applying for a role that has leadership responsibilities, modify your resume to include statements demonstrating your leadership experiences. I have 3 standard resumes that I use to apply for jobs. However, in some cases I may need to modify one or two things to include experience relevant to the position I am applying for. I then save that different copy as well.

Be Ready for the Call: Sometimes we spend so much time searching for the jobs, that when the phone rings we get caught off guard. Keep in mind that on the phone it is much more challenging to display enthusiasm and excitement than it is in person. You should plan out rehearsed responses to questions you are likely to get asked by the recruiter on the phone. First question is almost always something like "Tell me about your background". You can respond with, "There are 4 things you should know about my background" and then list them out with some short examples. Remember that the first phone call is the doorway to future interviews. You need to sound polished, experienced and interested in the opportunity.

Keep track: Keep a record of positions you have applied for. Create a spreadsheet using the following template:

Date Applied

Company Name

Website Used

Contact Info

Job Title

Results