Start your own business nobody is hiring til we get rid of Obama and the Commies.
Network, Network, Network. Linked-In, find or organize job placement groups. Let everyone you know, know you are looking.
My first question would be, what do you want to do? For different industries there are different methods that work better than others.
Face-to-face networking worked for me. I did the online job search thing, checked some classifieds, but what landed me a job after a lay off was getting my resume into the right hands at the right time. My current employer needed someone with my experience. I applied online, but what got me in the door was a friend that works at the same place. He hand delivered my resume to HR who then contacted me, then my new management. All said and done, entire process took less than a week.
I focus on two or three companies that meet my threshold for a good opportunity to learn. Get the company directory - it is not easy to find but it is out there - find the individuals who have hiring authority and direct your energies directly to them, not HR. Letters to the individuals should be 1 page only and brief as possible. You have one chance to make a first impression so spell check. Good luck.
You might consider joining Toastmasters—it can be a very good way to make contacts/meet people.
Research firms you’re interested in—what sort of work are you looking for? Do you want to use your journalism degree? You could apply at a community weekly paper, though the pay probably isn’t that great.
Go back to college, learn a new skill. You’re not going to be hired if you don’t have a degree, and if you can’t get hired, start your own business.
Look for companies you want to work for, then call and ask to set up an informational interview: http://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interviewing.html
Then call back every month or so to ask if they have any openings.
Networking is a great way to find a job. Just remember to go back and contact these people after a month or two and keep in touch with them regularly.
Generally speaking, by the time a job opening is posted it’s too late, as so many other people will be applying for the same job. You should still look at postings and apply, but it’s not the easiest way to get a job.
Good luck!
Check out teaching positions at the community colleges.
Due to the economy many more students are going the community college route for the first two years. There may be positions open for you in that area.
Not the greatest pay, but it’s a start. Sometimes retired execs take those jobs too and you may be able to network with someone with a corporate connection.
Many companies have in house newsletters......some companies use newsletters as a way to reach potential customers or clients.
I am an engineer working in the oil and gas industry.
With our up and down industry, I stayed employed by being willing to go anywhere and do anything while there, when I was younger an less experienced.
When I was first moving around, prior to the days of internet, I would read all the related job listings in at least 20 major newspaper every Sunday at the public library.
Times have changed but a similar attitude is helpful. While unemployed, my job was looking for a job, 40 yrs minimum a week.
My wife had success by applying to prospects within 60 miles of home. She also used recruiters which if nothing else gave her extensive interview experience. A good friend of mine was just let go two weeks ago and that is pretty much the same advice i gave him just keep plugging away, use recruiters and hope for the best
good luck
Work the connections - having some contact (even secondary or tertiary) is huge leg up over being an anonymous classified respondent. Be willing to move, or take an internship (if they feds haven’t banned them yet). Set up a linkedin.com page, and check craigslist job listings, there are a surprising amount. Get someone to review and help make sure your resume, looks good, stands aout, and sells you.
Offer to work on a 3-month or 6-month project basis. Create an opportunity like a temp to perm position. Companies may not be hiring but the people who have jobs are buried with work...offer to do a project pro-bono for 1-month or as long as you can afford. It will definitely lead to at a minimum a great reference or perhaps a perm position and in the process you out there in the workforce making connections.
Good luck. I wish you all the best.
Be confident in your own skills, but more importantly perhaps, in your experiences.
Network with everyone you know, letting them know you are actively looking and willing to consider anything. Ask them specifically to think of everyone they know who might be hiring or might even know of a job possibility.
This may not help you at all but I know of a man who had lost his job. He must have gone a year with no prospects. Well, he copied his resume and went to every place/location that could possibly hire him. There were no jobs posted at the time but he asked if he could leave the resume with them. (He showed up clean cut and in a blazer and nice slacks). After two months, he got a call from one of the places asking him to come in for an interview. Apparently, a person had resigned and rather than go through the entire posting process, they pulled applications/resumes. He had not even remembered the place since he had gone to so many and simply asked for the address. He got the job. I guess what I am saying is even if there aren’t postings, please consider just doing what he did. Best of luck and good wishes your way. Just a thought
You probably don't want to hear this, but my suggestion is to go back to school and get some training in a technical skill that is in demand. Journalism degrees aren't much use unless you go to work for a publication, and entry-level jobs are scarce right now.
The best online resource is “Indeed.com”. They comb newspapers, all the professional job sites, and company web sites. Do a radius search around your ZIP code using either a few key words that describe your knowledge or what your are looking for.
Also, go to the federal jobs location, USAJOBS.gov. The government is always hiring and they often pay relocation costs.
Are you looking for a job? [FR]
You need a good resume, get someone who knows you to read it and critique it honestly. Since you have a degree in journaliam you should be able to write a decent cover letter, which you can then tweak for each possibility.
I get over the transom resumes all the time (from lawyers & law student & secy types). What causes me to put them in the “round file” are bad cover letters.
Remember, the purpose of the resume/cover letter is to get you the interview. Then you have be positive, show energy & enthusiasm. You’d probably be amazed at how many people seem basically comatose during job interviews. If we get anyone with even a spark, they go to the head of the line.
Good luck!