There is more than one way to find a job

There are two types of job seekers. Job seeker number one treats his or her résumé like a newspaper flyer. They send their résumé out to anyone with an address, often the same résumé no matter what the job. Sometimes this style of job search is the result of pressure from an outside source, to find work. It doesn’t really matter where the pressure is coming from, it could be anything from a nagging spouse to the looming end of EI payments. If you send out a couple of hundred résumés in a short period of time, there is a good chance you will forget who you sent them to and that many will be filled with typos. This shot gun approach to job searching is all in hopes that something will stick. Unfortunately, it is often a job that doesn’t last long.

The second type of job seeker is focused. They know what they want, where they are going, and if they aren’t sure where to go, they ask. Their résumés are targeted, their cover letters are personal and they don’t apply for anything or to anyone they haven’t researched. Since a smaller number of résumés are being sent out it is also easier to keep track of who they are sent to. They also spend less time with the newspaper and more time with real people. The end result is more often than not, a position that lasts.

Now the million dollar question: What type of job seeker are you?

Your comments are welcome.
Glen Slingerlands Skills 101 / Job Development