Hot Tips On How To “Job Scout"

by Mickey Mixon

Prior to looking for a specific job, learn how to effectively market your talents. This will help you gauge the possibility of landing on the job you want. First, skills and interests should be evaluated personally. Jotting these down on a list would definitely be the best way to define your capabilities.

Second, know your limitations. There are jobs that are too demanding that might not work for you, or jobs that you may be overly qualified for.

Third, plan the time to go to companies and prospective employers, usually early in the morning. This will give them a good impression and for the applicant, a time to complete and process the application. Remember, the early bird catches the worm.

The very first thing that needs to be done when looking for a job is to prepare an impressive, 1 page resume. The resume should be tailored to the type of job being applied for. There are times when certain employers require a cover letter. Every professional job you apply for expects to receive a well written resume.

After preparing the documents needed for application, the next thing that should follow is finding vacancies for new hires. Searching using the Internet will be very helpful for this activity. There are sites that provide this assistance like HotJobs, America's Job Bank, and Monster.com that combines several resources and makes it convenient for people to look for jobs.

Where else to look for job openings?

The initial step is to look at local newspapers for this provides information just by looking at the Classified Ads section and the lists of wanted personnel and employment opportunities. Visiting the State Employment Agency can often provide a listing of available jobs in your field and in your area.

How to look for jobs that are not announced?

Sometimes companies and other employers do not really advertise any job openings in their organization. Try to find someone in the company that might tell you of job openings. Start looking for the job personally. Tell everyone about your job search. Relatives and previous offices or company co-workers will be able to give hints on job vacancies in their current companies. Professors or teachers will also be helpful in recommending schools and institutions that are now looking for new instructors. These people might not have any vacant position in their company in mind but they certainly know someone who knows or needs a new employee. That is called networking.

Often times, the Yellow Pages and online directories providide information on how and where to call to look for a job. This gives an accurate list of companies and prospective employers in a chosen area. Visiting the library is also a tool than can be useful when looking for a job. There are libraries that have a list of local employers, just asks the reference librarian for more information.

Contact these employers personally, even if they did not advertise any vacant positions that needed to be filled. Just walk in and ask for information about any jobs and how to apply.

After submitting application forms and resumes to the respective companies, keep track of the progress by creating a chart where you can jot down the name of the company and when the application was submitted.

Here’s a job-scout checklist to help you along your way:

1. Identify experience list
2. Identify prospective employers
3. Prepare documents – resumes, reference list, previous jobs list
4. Plan schedules
5. Contact companies and/or employers
6. Get ready for an interview – practice, practice, practice!
7. Evaluate how the interview went
8. Evaluate and accept the job offers
9. Start with the new job!

About the Author - Mickey Mixon
Sugar Land Businessman Mickey Mixon is a Licensed Private Investigator, and a Talented Internet Marketer specializing in Affiliate Marketing. Mickey’s career includes a 15 year career in Houston Texas area retailing, owning stores in 5 malls until 1998. In 1997 he formed the PI firm American Information Bureau/American Investigation Brokers LLC. In 1996 he published his first book, Job Search Survival ,with an updated edition released on July 4, 2009. He is also Ministry Coordinator for the SCBC Job’s Ministry in Sugar Land TX. Contact Mickey at JobSearchSurvival@gmail.com http://www.JobSearchSurvival.com