Job Hunting

My response (slightly expanded) to a discouraged new job seeker on a forum.  Appropriate in view of the current job market.

The first job is the hardest. Get any experience you can including internships, temp and/or part time. Include responsible volunteer positions you may have filled. 

Try to get in front of the actual hiring person, rather than HR. Approach the hiring person with what you can do for them / their company, based on your research about their company on the Internet, friends who've worked there, etc. Do not focus on or imply you want the job to get a car and a place to live (your personal reasons). Focus on their needs and your proven qualities that would help them to meet those needs. 

For starters, I find it helps to compile a personal list of abilities, accomplishments, by going over my past life (several times), and writing down / listing those actions, projects, events, that I felt proud of, that were noteworthy accomplishments, that moved something forward, maybe in spite of problems / obstacles / challenges (not necessarily job related, but school, personal, sports, volunteer, community ...), and then rewriting them into business advantages / tools /qualities, using business terminology. E.g., were you successful in assisting in getting some activity started, running, and finished - see how that could be adapted to successfully leading / managing a business project (project management; self-starter, self-managed).  Change your personal terminology into business terminology -- learn some of the related tools, e.g., project management tools: flow charts, the Gantt Chart (easy to learn and implement on a word processing app or spreadsheet app. -- Google helps here for examples / explanations; and you don't need a certificate, just enough familiarity to adapt, define,  run, explain, and complete a small project).    . 

Have a "story", real examples, of how you would meet their business needs, by how you actually met similar needs / challenges in the past, the steps you took, your thinking / actions / approaches ... Role-play with a mature friend so your responses become 2nd nature. Expect and welcome open-ended questions, like "tell me a little about yourself'", by not giving your life story, hobbies, personal interests, but target your response - maybe even rephrase their question and then reiterate your qualities that fit their needs. 

And don't talk yourself out of a potential job interview because you think it doesn't seem to fit. If it appears close: Apply. Go. Do the above, and if the job offer doesn't come, at least it was their decision, not yours. You'll get more experience at job interviews, and, more importantly, I personally have seen other opportunities open from the same company when the initial job wasn't a fit, but they liked what I brought to the table, and knew of a future opening that would be a great fit. Look for openings before they're advertised by talking about what you're doing (and listening) with all your contacts, since there will then be less competition = networking. Be professional / modest in appearance (dress one step up from what would be called for in the actual position), conduct, language, conversation, word choice, etc. Minimize anything off-putting, e.g., piercings, tattoos, wild hair styles / colors, etc., unless those are typical of that workplace. 

And recognize that there will be many "nos" until the "yes", so don't let the experience affect your self-worth (easier said than done). Be positive and smile, even if you don't feel that way inside.

John E. Lincoln   jel@jelincoln.com