Job Search

In our current economy, many people feel that "rising" unemployment rates makes it nearly impossible to land a job, even a temporary job, much less a career.  Well, let me first encourage any job seekers out there with some statistics from the Department of Labor Statistics:

"Total non-farm payroll employment declined by 131,000 in July, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent. Federal government employment fell, as 143,000 temporary workers hired for the decennial census completed their work. Private-sector payroll employment edged up by 71,000."

So, as you can see, there are still jobs out there.  Employers are still hiring.  So, let's go through a few options that might help with landing that all-important income. 

1) First off, there's nothing that says willingness to work than simply pounding the pavement.  However, nothing says desperate like pounding the pavement.  It can also say "inexperienced."  So, it may work, it may not.  A lot of people do it, but that means it has to work every now and then, or else no one would do it.

2) Fork over the 50 cents to buy the local newspaper, or if your newspaper lists it's classified ads online, check them out there.  Know what openings there are in your area.  Know what employers are wanting out of someone in this capacity.  Contact the company directly and let them see how good you could be for their image, reputation, productivity, etc.

3) Manage your profile on social networking sites.  Many companies now check the way promising employees act on sites like Facebook and MySpace.  If the smiling, well dressed, impressive candidate who walked through their door turns out to be a drunk flousey, your chances have just dropped, my friend.

4) Go to a temp agency.  It may seem beneath you, but how desperate are you?  If you need some kind of income, a temp agency may be the way to go.

5) Make sure you're qualified. This could mean anything from going back to school, to learning what not to put on an application.  There are many online and print resources on how to write a resume, a CV, fill out an application, etc.  Take advantage of those resources.

6) Check out news websites like Yahoo!.  It was there that I came across this headline: "Can't Find a Job, College Grad? National Park Service Is Hiring."  How awesome would it be to work for the National Park Service.  Granted, it's a government job, but money is money.

So, whatever method you choose to pursue, remember to pray that God leads your life and your job hunt.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110370/cant-find-a-job-college-grad-national-park-service-is-hiring