Chart your path to job-search success

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that today’s job market is highly competitive. With layoffs occurring around the country, new graduates aren’t the only people looking for work.

But even though the search is an arduous process, it doesn’t have to be hopeless. To be effective in today’s market, you should be proactive, strategic and package yourself extremely well to attract employers.

Here are some great ways to market yourself like a pro:

• Scour job search sites to find opportunities. Monster, Hotjobs and CareerBuilder are good places to start. There’s also SimplyHired, Indeed, and even LinkedIn has a job-listing module. Your school’s Career Services office can also get you started.
  
  
• If you don’t have much work experience on your resume, highlight aspects of that experience to stand apart. Point out examples of your problem-solving abilities, your work ethic and your demonstrated leadership skills, for example.
  
  
• After submitting a resume, call to follow up – unless the posting specifically says not to. Be polite and confident. Good interpersonal skills go a long way.
  
  
• Speak to friends, professors and anyone else who may be able to assist in your search. They can help with introductions, referrals and recommendations.
  
  
• Prepare for interviews with practice, practice, practice. Sit down with a friend and have her quiz you. You can find sample interview questions all over the Web on sites such as http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/. The more practice you have, the better your answers will be when speaking to a prospective employer.
  
  
• Find ways to stand out. When researching the company before your interview, think of the ways you could help them achieve their objectives. Discuss these in the interview and give examples of how your past experience or studies have prepared you to meet the challenges. Provide work samples whenever possible.
  
  
• Follow up with interviewers by sending a thank-you. Sending an e-mail is acceptable and efficient, but sending something in the mail is also appropriate. Less people are sending thank you letters via regular mail these days, and doing so could make you more memorable.

Treat your job search as a job itself. You will learn things along the way that will get you closer to achieving your goals. If you find that it’s taking longer than you expected, don’t despair. To avoid large gaps in your resume, there are other options to consider, such as post-graduation internships, temporary positions or volunteer work.

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