In our struggling economy, finding a good job poses more of a challenge than in years gone by. As businesses worry about their budgets and make staffing cuts, more and more people are left searching for new employment, which makes competition for open positions quite fierce. No matter if you have recently been laid off, are fresh on the job hunt after finishing your education, or are simply looking for a career change, there are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting your hands on a new job.

First of all, it’s vital to understand that finding a job takes time; it’s going to take more than just applying to a couple of jobs online each day. In reality, looking for a job is a full-time job itself. If you are putting forth the effort to customize your resume and cover letter for each job, follow-up on each application, and prepare for every interview, you really are going to need to devote a lot of time to your job search. In order to streamline the process and make things easier on yourself, it’s important to come up with a system for organizing your application activity. For example, keep a log of all communication, including when and how you apply for jobs, make follow-up calls, go on interviews, etc.

Having a strong resume and cover for each job you apply for is essential. It’s crucial that you customize your cover letter and resume for each job. If your information highlights the specific points that a position is calling for, you are more likely to stand out among the sea of other resumes. A strong resume is informational, yet concise; if your resume is multiple pages in length, there’s a good chance that it will be ignored. The key is to keep your resume relevant by only including work experience that pertains to the field for which you’re applying. If you lack work experience in the industry, then your resume should focus more on pertinent education, certification, volunteer work, or skills in that particular field. Also, be sure to take the time to double or triple check your writing and grammar. Try reading your resume and cover letter out loud to yourself-you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to catch errors when you do this. Send your documents to a friend who you think has strong writing abilities for a final check. It’s better to be safe than sorry because even if the job you’re applying for doesn’t call for much writing, a professional-sounding resume and cover letter is sure to make a strong impression when compared to others that clearly did not put forth the effort.

And finally, the importance of following up on your applications cannot be stressed enough. For every resume you submit, you should be picking up the phone and speaking to someone at that company. Try your best to do your homework and find the name of the person who is responsible for hiring that position. Sometimes you can find this information by just looking at the job description. If you aren’t sure who to speak with, just look on the company’s website and find a phone number for the human resources department-they should be able to help you. The purpose of this follow-up call is to let the employer hear your voice and get a sneak peek at the professionalism and enthusiasm you would bring to the position. Just like with your resume, the goal is to deliver the important information in a concise manner. Wrap up the call by stating that you look forward to hearing from them after they have had the chance to review your resume.

Peg Smith is a lifestyle expert who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to employment.

Peg Smith is a lifestyle expert who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to http://www.glassdoor.com/Job/Laser-Spine-Institute-Tampa-Jobs-EI_IE241460.0,21_IL.22,27_IC1154429.htm employment.

Author Bio: Peg Smith is a lifestyle expert who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to employment.

Category: Jobs
Keywords: