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Go Beyond Your Resume to Build Your Job Search Skills
Peter Vogt/Monster Contributing Writer
Your Appearance and Image
Are you dressing and grooming appropriately for your job interviews and networking meetings? Do you speak clearly and intelligently? Do you have bad breath, off-putting body odor or a strange haircut?
“If you don’t pay attention to the details of your appearance – with pressed clothes, proper attire, proper hygiene — an employer can reasonably question how you will pay attention to the details and important elements of your work,” says Pamela Holland, coauthor of Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move? and chief operating officer of Brody Professional Development.
Your Job Search Tactics
Job Web sites like Monster feature so many job openings to apply for – and make it so easy to apply – that you’ll be tempted to concentrate your job search efforts online. But you’ll have far more success if you diversify your search, especially by including plenty of networking and relationship-building activities like informational interviewing, getting involved in professional organizations, and asking for advice and leads from family, friends and colleagues.
The numbers don’t lie: In a 2005 study by outplacement firm DBM, 64 percent of respondents said they ultimately landed new jobs through networking.
Your Job Search Targets
In your job search, you may be doing everything right except the most important thing: Looking for the job that’s a good fit for your education, experience, skills, abilities and interests.
Who decides what a good fit is? Ultimately, it’s the employer, not you. If in the employer’s mind you’re pursuing a job that’s either far beneath or far beyond your capabilities, you’ll be out of the running in a hurry – no matter how great your resume is.
Step Eight: Interviewing and Studio Visits
