Best Methods to hunt for a Dream Job

Index

1.     Contact Professional Organizations in Your Field

2.     Visit Company and Organization Web Sites

3.     Apply Directly to Organizations That Interest You

4.     Network, Network, Network

5.     Join Professional Associations

6.     Participate in Job Fairs

7.     Use a Placement Agency or Recruiter/Headhunter

8.     Consider Temping

Contact Professional Organizations in Your Field
National, regional and local professional organizations exist in great part to help their members with career development. Many organizations include field-specific job listings on their Web sites or in their printed publications.

Visit Company and Organization Web Sites
Many companies and organizations post their job openings right on their own Web sites (usually under an Employment or Career Opportunities link).

Apply Directly to Organizations That Interest You
Do you know you want to work specifically for Company X or Organization Y? If so, send a well-written cover letter and your resume directly to the company, either to its human resources office or, often more effective, to the person who would likely make hiring decisions for the part of the organization that interests you. It isn't always easy to find the right person to get in touch with; typically, you'll have to do some digging.

Network, Network, Network
Generally the most effective job-hunting approach, networking is simply talking to people to either track down helpful personal contacts or learn about job openings that may not necessarily be widely advertised or advertised at all. Start by talking to your own family, friends and acquaintances. Let everyone in your life know you're looking for a job, and give them an idea of what type of job you want.

Join Professional Associations
If there's a professional organization in your field, join it and start participating in its meetings and other events so you can get to know people in your area of interest. Work with a career counselor at your school to both tap his contacts and learn of alumni from your school who might be able and willing to lend you a hand in your search. Finally, don't forget to tap your professors' connections as well.

Participate in Job Fairs
Many cities, particularly large ones, host job fairs at various locations throughout the year. Most colleges and universities hold their own job fairs as well, either individually or in collaboration with other institutions. A job fair is a rare opportunity to have employers come to you, so make sure you attend whenever possible.

Use a Placement Agency or Recruiter/Headhunter
There are companies out there that specialize in helping people find jobs. Some of them even focus on working with college students and recent college grads. Maybe one of them can help you. A word of caution, however: While most organizations receive their fees from employers (and not you, the job seeker), some will seek money from you. So be careful, and make sure you know who's paying the bill.

Consider Temping
Often, by working briefly as a temp for a company, you can position yourself to be hired for a full-time, permanent position that opens up later on. Even if that doesn't happen, however, temping can help you see various companies from the inside, meet people in your field of interest and earn some pretty good money.
The more diverse your job-hunting methods are, the more opportunities you'll uncover and the greater the chance that you'll find, and land, the job you really want.

How to Write an effective CV Covering Letter

If you are sending your CV to a perspective employer by post or fax it is essential that you send with it a covering letter. You need to use the CV covering letter to create a good impression so that the employer or recruiter will want to read your CV. It will have more impact if it is individually written in response to a particular role or advertisement. 

In the case of email applications it is acceptable to write a brief paragraph of a few sentences explaining where you heard about the role and why your qualifications and experience are a perfect fit for the job. You should ensure the tone of the text is formal as would be the case with a paper CV cover letter. It is a mistake to be too informal as this can be seen as unprofessional.

When making any sort of job application either Speculative, where you are sending your CV to an employer/agency with no specific vacancy in mind or, specific, where you are sending your CV in response to an advertisement for a particular role, the overall CV cover letter format is the same.

Here are the top ten tips to remember when writing a CV Covering letter 

•       The CV covering letter should consist of 1 page on plain white A4 paper.

•       You should use a font that offers a clean and clear appearance. My advice is to use Arial.

•       Aim for a maximum of three paragraphs. Remember simple is best.

•       Use upbeat and positive language and avoid exaggerated statements.

•       Ensure there are no spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes.

•       Always use black ink. 

•       Express yourself with confidence.

•       Where possible, write to a named individual.

•       Your CV or Resume cover letter should be tailored specifically for each application.

•       Be concise and to the point. Try to avoid repeating what's in your CV.

CV or Resume cover letter format

Your contact details

This should include your name, address, telephone number and email address if you have one. Remember make it easy for the employer to contact you.

Employer/agency details

This should include whom the letter is going to, company name and full address. If you know the name of the person e.g. if it is mentioned in the advertisement then use it. If no particular name was mentioned use a department title e.g. Personnel manager or Managing director

Date

You should use long date format in full e.g. 27th April 2006 and not 27/4/06

Salutation & Opening

If you know the name use it e.g. Dear Mr Smith. If you don’t know, use Dear Sir/Madam. It is preferable to use a name. The company’s web site is often a good place to search for the appropriate individual.

Letter title 

Centre and bold the text. This will enable the addressee to know immediately that this is an application

Paragraph 1 – Why you are writing

You want to try & get the interest of the Employer. You should start the letter with the reason for writing and indicate the position that you are applying for along with how you heard of the vacancy. This is also a good place to tell then why you are interested in the position and convey a genuine interest in the company. The company website will be a good source of background information.

Paragraph 2 – What you can offer them 

Here you describe briefly why you think you should be considered for the role. You should summarise relevant qualifications for the position along with your experience and skills. Also give a brief example of one or two jobs you have worked in that relate to the position. Try to make sure that it is not just a list of what is in your CV but is individualised to the job application.

Paragraph 3 – Summary and next step

Refer to your enclosed CV and also ask for the interview. You may at this point suggest that you will be making a follow up call. It is also important that you thank the reader for their time and consideration and tell them that you look forward to hearing from them.

Closing

Use “Yours sincerely” if you are sending the letter to a named person, otherwise use “Yours faithfully”. Add a few blank lines and finish with your name. The space between is used for your signature once printed.

Finally you may want to add your telephone number and email address beneath your name. Remember you want to make it easy for them to contact you.

12 things your CV should NOT have

The points mentioned here are not listed in the order of priority; instead they are listed in the sequence in which they usually appear on a CV. 

~ Colorful or glossy paper and flashy fontsYour CV is a formal, official document. Keep it simple.


~ Resume or CV at the top Many people tend to add headings to their CV. The usual are CV, Curriculum Vitae and Resume. Do not do this.


~ Photographs until askedDo not add your photo to the CV until you have been asked for it. Photographs are required only for certain types of positions like models, actors etc.


~ Usage of 'I', 'My', 'He', 'She'Do not use these in your CV. Many candidates write, 'I worked as Team Leader for XYZ Company' or 'He was awarded Best Employee for the year 2007'. Instead use bullet points to list out your qualifications/ experience like: Team leader for XYZ Company from 2006-2007.


~ Spelling mistakes and grammatical errorsProofread your CV until you are confident that it doesn't have any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. These are big put-offs for the recruiters. Moreover, sometimes these mistakes might land you in an embarrassing situation.
A candidate who submitted his CV without proofreading it committed the mistake of wrongly spelling 'ask' as 'ass'. Now you can imagine the type of embarrassment he must have faced during the interview, when the interviewer pointed it out. These mistakes tend to convey a lazy and careless attitude to the interviewer.


~ Lies about your candidatureDo not lie about your past jobs or qualifications or anything which might have an impact on the job. You may be able to secure a job with these lies today but tomorrow you may lose it as well.


~ Abbreviations or jargon that is difficult to understandPeople screening your resume usually belong to the HR department. If they do not understand what the abbreviations and jargon mean, they will simply dump your CV in the trash can. Avoid over-using such terms as far as possible.


~ Reasons for leaving last jobLeave these reasons to be discussed during the personal interview. For example, some candidates write: Reason for leaving the last job: Made redundant. Avoid making such statements in your CV, they add no value. Besides, if you do get an interview call, chances are the interviewer will address the issue.


~ Past failures or health problemsMentioning these immediately slash your chances of getting an interview call.
For instance, you have a gap in your employment because you started your own business which did not do well. Some candidates might write -- Reason for gap in employment: Started own business which failed. Do not do this type of injustice with your job hunt at this stage of writing the CV.


~ Current or expected salaryLeave it to be discussed while negotiating the salary.


~ Irrelevant detailsLeave out the details like marital status, sex, passport number, number of kids, age of kids. These are usually irrelevant for most interviewers but at times could be used as a basis for discrimination.


~ ReferencesDo not include them until asked. In fact, it is not even required to mention the line 'Reference available on request'. If the recruiter requires a reference, he/she will ask you to bring it along for the interview.

Now that you have run through the list, take a fresh look at your CV and prune away unnecessary details and unaffordable blunders that could have cost you your dream job.

THERE IS NOTHING TO LOSE BUT THERE IS A WORLD TO CONQUER............ 
Your comments are valuable for us