by Eric Burke

Created on: April 26, 2010

Most people have the impression that finding a job is dreadful, and requires more effort than it should. Job hunting is filled with uncertainty, and demands commitment perhaps more so than actually working. This holds true because to find a job requires aggressive persistence to the point that being complacent is counterproductive, and only serves as a hindrance. This persona is all too real to many people who struggle searching for a job, without knowing where to find one.

Common practice is to "shop" for a job, which is entirely the wrong approach. People often look for a job by visiting nearby places they would like to work, and neglecting any that may seem less desirable. The first thing to assess is how badly you need a job. If you have to pay the bills tomorrow you have to do whatever it takes today. If you've got the time to find a desirable job, then there is nothing wrong with doing so, provided that you don't waste that time waiting for it to find you. It may seem obvious, but many people don't realize that it is vital to do things like following up after submitting a resume, and following up again after an interview. Many companies won't hire employees that don't do this. It is also important not to get discouraged from being rejected for a job. It is not uncommon to face ten interviews before finding a job.

If you do have the time to make sure you get the job you want, then there are a few strategies for finding it; After all, the biggest challenge of finding work is finding places that have the work you're looking for.

A typical way to hunt for jobs is online, using services that employees post open positions to. While this is an excellent source of finding work, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door, because there are many people who have the same access to this list of resources as you do. So it is important to ask the question what resources do you have access to that most people don't know about? This is where Google comes into play; Try searching for companies that do what you're looking for in Google business listings (www.maps.google.com,) or any phone book or directory of businesses. You will have a large list of companies, most of which aren't going to hire you, but a couple of which are looking for someone just like you. The trick is to just start calling down the list, and setting up interviews, or submitting resumes. Once you get to the end of the list (and it only ends with how far you're willing to go for a job) you WILL find a new job. Good luck.

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