Many people look for a job without organizing themselves, following up on applications or expressing their interests honestly and clearly. This is why I came up with other factors that the job searcher should seriously consider when looking for new employment or changing his position. Ones these steps are met the applicant does not have to spend as much time getting his/her message out and can concentrate on getting the necessary training or doing research on the company. Here are the pointers:
If you're going to apply for a sales position, keep that information on the top of your resume and other details lower down. But if you're looking for a writing post, put that information first and the sales stuff secondary. If you're not looking for sales altogether, wipe it out or create a separate resume with that on, should you change your mind. If your job is going to involve technical writing, employers are going to want to see if you have had prior experience. That sounds like a catch-22 scenario but there employers who will take newbies on knowing they have the academic background and there are agencies who know their client needs well enough to propose someone who does not have much on the job training or experience.
It is always good to follow up with job agencies to see where your resume is going and to follow up with any additions or changes that might occur along the way. Remember job councilors are not there to call people for updates. Job councilors are there to make suggestions on what type of resume should hit a certain employment and how it should be laid out for their perusal. They are going to skim through your information and the most important stuff they want to see is dates, employer names and what you have to offer.
If your resume is styled chronologically, the dates and places will stick out but if it is styled in terms of what experience you have, from the most recent on the top of the list, they are still going to look for dates and places. Don't forget your educational background if you have furthered your studies after a degree program. It will show the employer that you're willing to learn new material. Remember when it comes to job-hunting one has to rework a new strategy every now and then.
Attend the workshops that the agency forwards to you and suggest ones that will make you more marketable. Even if the workshop does not have the employer you are looking for you might get a good lead by networking with somebody else attending.
Complaining about how job agencies do not look after your interests will work against you especially in this world of supply and demand. The agency is there to find people work but they do not owe you anything and are not responsible for the conditions of the job place you are applying for. It is up to you to screen your prospects by asking pertinent questions especially if you have a phone interview before going down.
Pass on vital information about job description changes, employment variables and the like to the agency. It will show that you care seriously enough about the job placing process to want to inform the agency and will demonstrate a sincere interest in getting a job that suits your needs.
