Job Hunting 101 (Girls Addition)
Tis the season.. for job hunting!! Now that it is the beginning of the year, it is the perfect window and time for job hunting and also a perfect time to write a blog like this and I am very excited! ^_^ I have been through the process a number of times throughout the passed few years and learned a lot from my experiences! So it's only right I share my tips! I would consider myself a pro at this point and I have a few tips if you are in the market for a job or even a new job if you've been wanting a change. This will be a very different style job hunting article but very informative!
Job hunting tips!!! <3
Job hunting tips!!! <3
Tip #1 Know recruiting windows!!! There are optimal times of the year for job hunting. These are called recruiting windows. As I'm typing, it is the end of January and we are in a recruiting window!!! That's why I said tis the season! I will go over how to be on your ps & qs later in this article but even without them, if you are putting in apps within this time, it is still a BIG help to you landing a job. That's why I put this tip first because it's a very big tip. Learn your windows! Recruiting windows are in winter and fall! I would say the strongest months within that time are January and October. In the winter (right now) they are looking for new hires. In fall they are looking for seasonal which also usually have room to turn into a new hire as well. So now is the time to be pounding the pavement or should I say pounding the keyboard. This brings me to my next tip which is..
Tip #2 Save the gas, save your best outfit. Within the past few years, almost all major company's do recruiting online now. I think it probably saves time and paper and is just an overall more efficient way. The majority of places will do applications online so basically job hunting consists of you being at the computer for a certain amount of hours per day. There's a good and bad to this. But the good is that it saves you gas and wasted time!
Tip #3 Be prepared for group interviews! Along with paperless applications also comes group interviewing. This is something a lot of company's are doing as well to save time and overall costs. They mass interview. Group interviews are much more different than solo interviews and can also be kind of awkward in my opinion. Before group interviews, they will have you standing around for maybe 20 minutes or so. Depending on the job, you will be in different settings. For an office type job, you will all be seated in a given area to wait for the interviewer. In a store/boutique kind of job, you will basically be walking around the store waiting and feeling awkward. In the second example, I recommend talking to someone right away. It helps take away the awkwardness of the situation. People are usually very open for conversation at these moments I noticed so it doesn't matter if you say something stupid because they are just happy someone talked to them and they even try to prolong the conversation without you even do anything because they wanna talk too. You can talk to them until the interview starts and this will probably give you more confidence during the group interview as well. When the group interview starts make sure to answer all the questions the interviewer gives. Take initiative and try and stand out as best you can. More than that, try to appear capable and dependable. Those are two strong qualities. Capable of doing what needs to be done and dependable (which also hints at responsible) which means they can rely on you without having to worry. Group interviews can be hard but be confident and try to enjoy the experience the best you can! ^_^
Tip #4 5 a day! I went to a job hunting workshop when I was in school and I was told 5 apps a day is a good job hunt and I never forgot that. So if you were ever wondering about a specific number, go with 5. If you do 5 apps in your day, that is a successful job hunt!
Tip #5 Apply in bulk! This is a tip I acquired on my own. If you've seen a hiring now sign in one location, chances are that company is hiring in many locations, so apply in bulk!!! This is my pro tip! This also makes it easier to reach 5 apps a day without searching all over the place. Some systems will remember your answers too so it isn't as much of a pain to go through the application over and over. Basically you type in that company into a job board site and there you go!
Tip #6 Have at least 2 accounts with 2 good job boards. Chances are you will end up having way more accounts than this because you will run into many of these while job hunting and you need an account usually to apply to the job you saw. But have at least 2 main ones you always go to. I recommend Indeed and Monster.
Tip #7 Work Index Card This is another pro tip!!! Have all your work history on an index card with dates and addresses and phone numbers and all that good stuff. This way you won't have to spend time thinking or wondering and making up stuff lol. You simply copy from the index right into the application. It's easy and simple and saves A LOT of time.
Tip #8 Early bird gets the worm. Job hunting can be very dull. Very very dull. Your at your computer day after day basically putting the same info into little boxes. Also, you can only spend so many hours doing it (probably about 4 hours or so). This can make people get into the habit of, eh I'll do it later. And to add, since you don't have to leave the house, you may think, eh, I'll just stay in my pj's and do this. No problem. But personally I think that's not a good idea. I say set your alarms like you have somewhere to be! Have your coffee and everything and then get started!
Tip #9 Get comfortable I don't believe in just getting through things. I believe in enjoying them the best you can. It helped me to make the experience enjoyable. I would have some music on. Maybe I would take a break and pick up an ice coffee and have that while I'm working on my applications. Little things like that that makes it more enjoyable.
*another bonus tip*
Tip #10 Malls/Promenades If you decide you want to be more personable and go out in person (because though things are going digital, you'll still find places that do things the old school way), hit up malls and promenades to get applications in in bulk! Also (pro tip) for malls: Malls usually have a concierge and you can just go there and ask for a job listing and they will give you a binder full of all the stores that are hiring at that time. Not everyone knows this (I didn't) but this saves a lot of time as well! If you are in need of a job asap, these are the best places to hit actually. For every one man they hire for office type jobs, they hire 10 for retail work and things like that which you will find at a mall. I recommend to go everywhere. Submit to the jobs you want and also the ones you don't really care for so you have more offers and options and a bigger chance of getting something.
And those are all my tips for submitting applications! For interviews which is the other half to this process, I have a few separate tips!
*another bonus tip*
Tip #10 Malls/Promenades If you decide you want to be more personable and go out in person (because though things are going digital, you'll still find places that do things the old school way), hit up malls and promenades to get applications in in bulk! Also (pro tip) for malls: Malls usually have a concierge and you can just go there and ask for a job listing and they will give you a binder full of all the stores that are hiring at that time. Not everyone knows this (I didn't) but this saves a lot of time as well! If you are in need of a job asap, these are the best places to hit actually. For every one man they hire for office type jobs, they hire 10 for retail work and things like that which you will find at a mall. I recommend to go everywhere. Submit to the jobs you want and also the ones you don't really care for so you have more offers and options and a bigger chance of getting something.
And those are all my tips for submitting applications! For interviews which is the other half to this process, I have a few separate tips!
Interviews!
Prepping for interviews is a little more personal. It's about YOU and what you represent so I've come up with a few tips that will get you an interview on the spot!
Tip #1 Presentation. I have seen people come to interviews in all different ways. Some in sweats.. 0_0 lol. Some in business attire like they just came from a meeting lol. These are both wrong and I'll tell you why. For the first one, obviously that's a no no but also obviously everyone doesn't know that. Sweats and jeans are for the most part unacceptable. Sweats doesn't mean your lazy.. But you have about 30 to 40 minutes to make an impression that you are hard working and serious about this job! Sweats/casual wear doesn't cut it. If you come in looking like you just roolled off the couch and rolled in the store like a tumbleweed , that's unacceptable lol. Dressing casual says you are casual about this job and don't really care!
For the opposite side of the spectrum, I've seen people come in, fresh hair cut, suit and tie, polished shoes, shined up like a new penny etc lol. Like they are about to attend the Grammy's lol. This is also a no to me. This all screams faake! An employer doesn't want someone who can play dress up, they want someone who they feel actually has the qualities they are trying to portray about themselves. Now if you dress in a suite and tie on the norm and that is just the way you dress, go for it, but if this is just a presentation to get a job, stop. People can sense when something is an act. Try to appeal to what they want while also staying true to yourself! I'd say the best presentation is something right down the middle (Think of how managers dress). Your dressed professional, but it's also a bit casual and relaxed. You don't look like you just got your hair done the day before. You just look professional is what I'm saying. Like this is who you really are. This is my best tip.
Tip #2 Makeup This IS job hunting GIRLS addition lol and this is actually a big subject believe it or not! I've seen girls come into interviews, dramatic cat liner and all! This is a no! Though you may be being true to yourself, there is a line no pun intended lol. You still have to remain professional. Coming to an interview with the messy sex hairstyle and super dramatic liner looking like the devil is not professional lol. I feel like this is a no brainer but all these examples I'm telling you of, I actually seen with my own eyes in interviews lol. This was also the girl wearing sweats.... and had a giant victoria secrets shopping tote and purse doing her makeup while waiting for the interview... uuh. yeeea. All of these things are a no. For makeup, you want to go with something light and clean. This is the best presentation. No dramatic colorful makeup. Makeup can also be very helpful. It can make you look more awake and energetic and just more on your ps and qs. I think a good highlighter under the eye or white liner can be good too. It can make you look for awake and alert. And a nude lip or gloss is good also. Nothing to flashy and distracting but still pretty.
Tip #3 Hair For hair, it's best to just pull it all back I think. This is the most professional look. You can play around and do what you like just as long as at the end, you have a clean and neat look. That is the goal. It isn't about a specific hairstyle. It's about at the end of the day, does this say professional? If you've noticed everything is about making a clean and neat appearance. So you wouldn't have big hoops on or a very dramatic dangly earring. It takes away from the neat look. Go with studs or something neat like that. And for purses and bags. Don't carry around all this stuff with you like totes etc.. Just have your purse and your resume.
Tip #4 Resume Have many copies of your resume so they are printed and ready to go! (print in bulk to save time). Even if you already gave them one, always carry one on you. I've had people ask me for another one many times. This way your always on it. Always have a pen too. I think this is a good impression. For resumes, if you can try to fit all your resume onto one page,this is better for when you hand it to the employer. I made my resume with the career center at my school and they said this was the best also so I've just stuck with that. Pro tip: If you want to add an extra touch of professionalism, have your resume in a really nice folder, Not just the plain manila ones. This is a very nice presentation also. For mine, I put my resume in a clear paper holder with other resumes and important papers. I don't know exactly what it's called but it's like a clear thin box that is the size of paper and it clips closed so it looks really neat and professional. Another pro tip: If are applying to a specific company, try to already appear as an employee. For example, I worked at Victoria Secrets some years ago. when I was first applying, I handed my application and quickly scanned the way the girls dressed in there and showed up at my interview dressed the same and got the job! It's kind of a little trick that works! Dressing as if you already work there makes you seem more like a fit unconsciously and the employer might end up going with you because of that!
And lastly Tip #5 just don't give up. Keep positive! Think of it like a journey rather than a destination! That's something that really helped me. After all that actually is what it is. It really isn't about if they hire you are not. It's about you. It's about the life experience and learning new things along the way. That's what it's truly about. I've went through interviews and felt awful about them and while walking away, I asked myself what was the point of even going through all that. Like why did that happen? lol but trust me, all experience work for your betterment even if they seem like they don't. I heard this quote on this Korean show (don't ask me why I was watching lol) and the main actress said, "do your very best, that way you can accept the results." And I wrote it in my phone right away. It's so true. Do your best that you can possibly do, so when the results come, you can accept them and still feel really good for what you did. I've found that when I do my best, like the best I could possibly do, there's not really any room to feel bad. I feel like a success no matter what the results are!
So to recap!
* Know your recruiting seasons!
*Apply in bulk!
*Print your resumes in bulk!
*Have 2 job board accounts
* For Retail, go to malls (same as jobs in bulk)
*Ask concierge for job listing (to save time)
*Put all work history on index card pre filling out apps (to save time)
*5 a day! (5 apps a day is a successful job hunt!)
*hair/ makeup/ appearance should be professional
* And remain positive! =)
Good Luck!
xoxo T <3
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