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Over and over I see people complaining on how difficult it is to find work or that they aren’t making enough money or say they don’t like their job. Quite frankly, I’m tired of seeing it. I know it is difficult, and I’ve been there before. I’ve done the 6 month job search scrounging off friends and barely making ends meet. If I had know about some of these resources, or had read these tips I would have had a job much, much faster.

First off, before I get into the actual looking for work, I’m going to reference some good tips. They all do come from the same site, www.workawesome.com, and it all is GOOD information. I would strongly recommend skimming through the site at some time since here I am only going to link to the important bits about finding a job and what will help.

The Cover Letter

Let us start with the cover letter. (http://workawesome.com/your-job/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-that-gets-read/) It is well know that when a résumé is submitted with a cover letter it is more likely to be read and given consideration. Though, if you write your cover letter poorly then you will more then likely have your résumé trashed. Make sure you check your spelling and grammar and write a cover letter tailored to the job. Stay away from templates.

To quote the article: “Put yourself in the shoes of the poor slob who is slogging through hundreds of these letters. Shake that person up. Be different. Use your own words. Demonstrate that you take initiative. Learn about the company and show the company something about you.

Above all, be yourself. If they don’t like you for you, it’s not going to be a good job. And if they do like you for you, it’s going to be a blast”

The Résumé

With that said, let’s look at the résumé. (http://workawesome.com/your-job/beyond-the-cover-letter-resume-tips/) The number one tip here is to make it short and simple. Don’t let your résumé get larger then one page unless you have been in your career for more then 15 years. Any résumé that is over one page tends to not be fully read and is less likely to be considered.

Stop using “Fluff Text”! (i.e. “Advanced Customer Specialist” or “Data Support Evangelist”) It decreased the chance you will be looked at. This type of wording is confusing and does not explain what you did. Say things like “answered phones”, “data entry”, “on floor sales”, “flipped burgers”. This type of wording is short, sweet, and says exactly what you did.

Write your own résumé and check your spelling! Well, ok, if someone else writes your résumé then at least go back and reword it. Use your own voice and know what’s there. This will help when you snag that interview.

From their perspective

Now that you know a little more about putting together your cover letters and résumés, it’s time to take a brief look into what a hiring manager looks for. (http://workawesome.com/office-life/the-search-for-an-awesome-candidate/) Since this is not a topic I’m too familiar with, since I’ve never been in charge of hiring people, I will simply encourage you to look at the link provided.

The Era of Social Media

Ok, I don’t have a link for this, but this should be common knowledge. If you have an online presence and it is associated with your name in any way, chances are that they will find you! Your Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter pages are open to the world. If you have questionable content on either then make sure your privacy settings are set so only your friends can see the content, or simply delete the questionable posts. Also, don’t set your profile picture to show you half-dressed, drunk, post-drunk, friends did something to you when you passed out, stoned, etc. This does not display the type of image that a hiring company is looking for… and if it is, chances are you don’t want to work for them.

Tools and Resources to Use

Indeed: http://www.indeed.com/ – My absolute favorite resource! It pulls job information that matches your search criteria from hundreds of different sources from Monster to Craigslist and Various other sites. Once you search you can refine your search by Salary, Title, Company, Location, Job Type and Employer/Recruiter. What’s more, you can setup alerts so you can stay up to date with any new job postings.

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/ – This is the Facebook of Job Sites. Built around the principal of Social Networking and building contacts, this site will help you find industry contacts which will help to put a foot in the door.

Monster: http://www.monster.com/ – Put your information here and keep it up to date. You don’t have to say that you are looking for work but this is almost an industry standard for finding potential employees.

Craigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/ – For many, this has replaced the classified ads section of the newspaper. Lots of people post here; it’s just a matter of getting a résumé and cover letter out.

Your Feet

This is a highly under looked resource for many. Since we have come to rely on computers to do everything for use we overlook many businesses that only advertise that they need help in their stores. The biggest example of this is in the fast food and retail industry. Many times they don’t even advertise that they are looking because they receive so many applications a day. If you are looking for work and are in a store, take the time to ask a manager if they are hiring and if you can get an application to fill out.

If you are looking for work, keep copies of a modified with you when you go to retail stores. This résumé should show general work experience and skills. If you get an application while in the store you should fill it out there and submit your résumé. This prevents you from delaying and shows the potential employer that you are serious about getting work.

Local Temp Agencies

Search the area you live in and see if you can find any local Temp Agencies. Places such as Office Team and Kelley Services specialize in finding temporary employees to fill odd jobs. If you need money and don’t feel like committing to any one place then this is the route to go. On many occasions I’ve got into a Temp Agency and come out with a job that nets me about $200-300 for a few days of work. Also if you work hard the company you were temping at may hire you, or call you back at a higher rate.

Last Thoughts

There are many resources that you can use, and finding a job is not always easy. If you persevere and do the work you will find a job faster then you think. Put yourself out there when looking, and by you I mean YOU! Don’t show yourself off as something you are not and be mindful of the people you are thinking about working for. If your personalities don’t match and if you can’t stand the work, KEEP LOOKING.