“Searching for a job, is a job
in itself.” As the old saying goes, embarking on a job search can be
exhausting, stressful, but ultimately rewarding (hopefully). Maybe you too have
experienced the joy of this important milestone. Or maybe you haven’t, and
could use some insight into it.
Well, as Shannon and I continue
to get settled in San Diego, CA, I am job hunting myself. The usual go-to move
of repetitive online searching and applying is the easiest way, but perhaps not
the most effective. We all basically throw our resumes into the bottomless pit
of online applications that are rarely looked at and even less frequently
considered, clinging to the smidge of hope that one day someone will respond. Or
you can pull the old-fashioned move of going to the organization in person and
asking to speak with the hiring manager. Ballsy.
The other option is that you
send your application directly to HR, follow-up with a phone call within 24h to
a few days, and make a better impression that way. This has been effective for
me in the past, and it could be in your future too.
Source: Hubpages.com |
Things can go awry in these
situations too, though. Most recently, I
accepted a job offer to work as a Fundraiser with Greenpeace. With a strong
background and passion for environmental policy, I was blown away at the
opportunity to work for such a powerful organization. Well, while the online
job description explained one thing, it meant another and during training, I
realized I was hired to canvass, meaning I stop people in the middle of the
street (or mall), talk to them about a recent Greenpeace campaign, and
eventually ask them to donate money.
With canvassing in general, I
learned on my first day that I am actually very capable of doing it, but not to
my enjoyment and definitely not able to do so full-time. Too much stress, as
many people just ignore you and brush you off. Doing this for eight hours a
day, I concluded, was best suited to other people.
So as you can see, the job
hunt will surprise you. You’ll think you’ve landed something interesting, but in
the end realize you don’t want to stop people as they go have lunch at the
funky looking Mexican restaurant around the corner. Okay, maybe this isn’t
always the case but all I’m saying is be prepared. For anything. In the end,
you will learn to better explain yourself – as you interview for various
positions and convince others to hire you, understand the local job market a
little better, and hopefully find a job you are happy waking up for. Or happy enough to make it work.
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