Finding a Job, part one

Okay folks, it's time once again for one of those blogs about why being an adult is less than satisfactory. This time I would like to talk about finding gainful employement. I touched on this in my blog on life after graduation, but this time I will focus solely on the actual process of looking for suitable work. This process has become exponentially more difficult given the current double-digit unemployment figures.

When you go to look for a job, a variety of resources are available to you: newspaper classifieds, internet sites such as Monster.com, maybe even a headhunter.

If you choose to use a web site to look for a job, you will build your resume, post it to the website, and will begin to get emails from companies who are interested in you. Unfortunately for you, all of those companies will be companies that want to offer you a fabulous job as a telemarketer or a pest control salesperson. Who cares if you have a PhD in electrical engineering; you'd make a great customer service representative!

You may also find companies and push your resume through to them either on a mass job-search site or their own company website. Your resume will go in, and you soon find, be sucked into what I have affectionately dubbed "The Human Resources black hole." You will observe this phenomenon in action when you NEVER hear back about any of the jobs you apply for.

If you are lucky, you will hear from a company that you actually WANT to work for. Of course, keep in mind that 300 other people are also applying for the same job. The company wants to get the most qualified person for the cheapest amount of money. You, on the other hand, are totally OVER qualified, and therefore want an obscene amount of money.

When you go in for the interview, you'll want to make sure you dress appropriately. I trust that you will know not to wear a suit for an interview at Starbucks, nor do you want to wear jeans to interview for your first job out of law school. And, for crying out loud, wear something that covers your 5 tattoos! Let the boss see those AFTER he's already hired you.

More to come soon....