Job Hunting

Job hunting is the first step in any budding career. At the same time, job hunting might be the most crucial. In job hunting, you are required to focus on jobs that can lead you to where you envision your career to go in the future. Hence, you shouldn't accept the first job you find. Job hunting needs to be strategic and self-conscious. You should ask yourself these questions: "Where do I want be in the future?"; "Will this job help me get there?"; "Can I imagine myself doing the tasks required of the job every day?"; and "Is this what I want to do for now?"

Where to go job hunting

When you've decided on what job to look for when job hunting, it's time to get to work. Begin by going through the typical venues where you can go job hunting. The first resource is the traditional classified ads. This is especially ideal if you are looking for a local job. When you go job hunting in classified ads, make sure to reply to postings as soon as possible. It is a good idea to prepare your requirements and mail an application within the next workday.

Another good venue for job hunting is the online jobs directories. These directories include several job positions from various companies. If you do job hunting in one of these directories, you will find so many choices. Again, focus on where you want to go in the future. Go job hunting for jobs that can help you get there.

When you go online job hunting, it helps to have softcopies of possible requirements, like your curriculum vitae. Most probably, job listing online will allow online submissions of requirements. They may even have an online application form that you just need to fill out. This saves you from going to the post office. At the same time, you are sure your application is with their human resources department in a jiffy.

Another way to do job hunting is to go directly to the employer. Several companies post available jobs in their corporate websites. If you have a particular company that you would want to joint, it is best to go job hunting directly via their corporate website.

And yet, another way to go about job hunting - although this is not recommended - is to become a walk-in applicant. This type of job hunting is not targeted job hunting, where in you'd have a job or company in mind. When you do a walk-in application, you end up asking what the available positions are, even when these may not be ideal for the career you envision.

Employment News

Raise your hand if you want a job

10 February 2011

Japanese college students shout and punched the air at a job-hunting ceremony in Tokyo. About 1500 mostly junior college students gathered in a park on Tuesday for the annual pep rally to offer each other moral support and encouragement and appeal for jobs. At 5 per cent, Japan's unemployment rate is high by historical standards... read full story

YOUR SAY

6 March 2010

Given the number of queries that come to MyCareer about how to write a CV, a surprising 65 per cent of voters in last week's online poll are moderately happy with theirs. But still the questions come in (see Jim Bright's column, right) and despite the amount of advice on CVs at mycareer.com.au/advice, it still clearly causes grief. On the subject of referees, most people haven't made contact in a while or have not briefed them fully. Last week's story was very specific: keep your referees up to date. This week's questions are on receiving criticism at work (page 3) and the gobbledegook that permeates so much management language (page 5).Tell us what you think at mycareer.com.au/vote. Also, email us your favourite management cliches at memo@fairfax.. read full story

Watch your mouth at work

5 September 2009

Honesty is valued in the office but sometimes you just need to shut up. Try Kath Lockett's tips... read full story

Dr Work

13 December 2008

Q MY SON has been out of a job for a long time. I want to encourage him to keep trying, even though it now seems harder to get a job. Any advice?.. read full story

Networking

13 December 2008

JOB candidates have been comprehensively warned about how inappropriate material on social networking sites can come back to haunt them. But the websites can also play a positive role in job hunting and one company has cashed in on that by offering recruiters a service to create and maintain a Facebook presence, a move it claims will "take the 'refer a friend' concept to a new level"... read full story