1. Throw away your old resume and write a new one

If the old one did not get you a job, it won’t. Write a new one for each job you apply for.

2. Get noticed with an attractive cover letter:

Make a list of all the key skills required for the position and list your own expertise against it. Embellish your accomplishments and benefits that you obtained for your past employers especially about how you were instrumental in gaining market share, obtaining additional revenue and saving time and money for the company.

3. Upgrade your existing skills while training for other skills you don’t have.

Acquiring new skills is fine but it does not count for experience which is what employers are looking for. The new jobs will require cross-hiring and cross training where one works multiple tasks for the same salary. Hone and retrain for skills you already have i.e. Public Speaking, Computer skills, Golf, volunteering, proposal writing, accounting, even woodworking or repairing may help save a company from hiring a contractor etc. I know someone who was a pastor part time and got a pastor job at a hospital not the job they applied for.    

4. Submit your resumes for jobs that apply to your career track.

Employers are looking for ambassadors to represent them both on and off-site... So if you look and act the part, the odds for getting hired are higher.

5. Clean up your Face book and MySpace Profile:

Run your background and credit check and remove anything raunchy or derogatory from your online community profile. Employers are increasingly using these sources to check you out and if this information is online for the world to see, you cannot blame them if they don’t hire you.

6. Tell everyone you know you are looking:

Job offers can come from the unlikeliest places. Tap your church, friends, and networks; take whatever job to stay employed, or take on multiple contract jobs to keep your skills updated. There is no shame today in working even the most menial jobs to pay your bills and care for your family and shows resiliency and ability to adapt to a future employer.

7. Who’s hiring?

Temping is increasingly becoming the preferred method of hiring because employers are taking the try-before-you-buy approach.  Jobs are plentiful in the healthcare, customer service, non-profit, civilian military, judiciary, law enforcement, TV and retail industries. You may get less hours but any pay is better than no pay!

For more details about specific jobs in your industry, please email:jp@1800jobquest.com

Author: Jo Prabhu. Reproduction of this article is prohibited without the written consent of the author.