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Honing Skills for the Job Hunt

The most important lesson in looking for a job is: Do it as thoroughly and as well as you did the job you have or used to have.

Sloppy preparation for interviews, inertia in pursuing job leads, an inadequate resume, incorrect priorities and a lack of self-confidence can cost you employment even if you are well-qualified, experts say.

"The most common mistake is people's failure to view the job-search process as a full-time job," said Albert J. Bidwick of the Arlington outplacement firm Morgan & Banks.

Job-hunting can be divided into several key components:

Locating jobs. Newspapers, trade publications, professional associations and employment listings are obvious sources. In addition, government and private organizations throughout the area have information on job openings.

However, employment specialists say as many as 80 percent of all jobs are never advertised. You can go to recruitment firms, sometimes known as headhunters, to find out about openings. Remember, though, that they are working for the client, not for you. If no one is looking for someone with your qualifications, your name could go into the circular file.

Employment agencies also have job listings, but there are some turkeys out there. Never use an employment agency that requires you to pay anything. Reputable agencies make their money from employers when they place people in jobs.

The best -- and hardest -- way to find out about upcoming openings is to call people you know in your field. This is particularly true in the white-collar professions, but employment experts say lower-skilled jobs also can be located by asking around.

Many job-seekers dislike calling people they know because they feel they are assuming the position of supplicant; the best way to avoid this feeling is to keep good contacts while you are still employed so your calls as a job-hunter don't come out of the blue. Contacts also are vital as references and as go-betweens to those doing the hiring.

There is nothing wrong with cold-calling, either. If you hear or read that a company is moving to the area or expanding its work force here, try to reach the person in charge of that expansion. Or you might plumb your network of contacts to see if they know anyone at the firm.

Include in your network clerical personnel who answer phones and take messages. If you treat them rudely, there is a chance your message will not get through. And the manager you are trying to reach will think little of someone who is discourteous to a valued employee.

Writing a resume. Not all jobs require a resume with the application, but for those that do, a correctly phrased and typed document is essential.

Your resume is the first presentation of your work that a potential employer sees. It should highlight each of your past positions, usually in reverse chronological order. Include dates with each position; if there are gaps, explain them. That way the interviewer does not have to ask.

Every resume should be accompanied by a cover letter explaining what position you are applying for, summarizing your qualifications and requesting an interview.

Interviewing. Many job applicants misunderstand the purpose of an interview. It is not to show the interviewer what a great person you are. It is to demonstrate how well you would fit into that job, in that company.

"Many people don't do the background research on the company, so when they go in for an interview they may be far off on what the company is all about," said Ellie Wegener, executive director of the Employment Support Center, a nonprofit District-based organization that deals with about 200 jobless persons a week.

If possible, find out about the people who will be interviewing you. Your responses to questions posed by the head of human resources might be different than if you were being interviewed by the chief engineer. Get a good idea of the position you are being interviewed for as well.

Practice answers to questions you might be asked. While you can't know precisely what they will be, chances are your interviewer will want to know, for instance, what you think your weak points are as an employee. Turn this into a positive. For instance, if you lack experience, say you are not locked into a specialty.

Other questions could include: Why do you want to work for this company? (Preparation helps here.) What is the most difficult assignment you have ever had? (This gives you a chance to brag.) What did you think about your former employer? (Never bad-mouth him or her. The person who is interviewing you could be a friend.)

Don't try to hide the fact that you are jobless. These days, there is no stigma to it, and the person interviewing you will sense it if you are uneasy.

Salary is not usually discussed at the first interview, but if you are asked what you made at your last job, be truthful. If you have researched the company, you will know whether its pay is in the range you are seeking.

Other rules are simple: Allow enough time to get to the interview without looking flustered; dress well and neutrally; make eye contact; keep your body language relaxed but not too informal.

An interview also is an opportunity for you to ask about the job. If it is a clerical position, for instance, you might want to find out precisely what word-processing programs are used, and whether you would be required to learn new ones. You could ask about travel requirements and hours, why this particular job is open, prospects for advancement and the like.

The idea is to obtain useful information without conveying suspicion or implying you would not accept certain working conditions. If you indeed want to suggest a modification in the conditions, do so at a later interview.

It is unlikely you will be offered a job after an initial interview, no matter how well you do. Experts suggest writing a short note to the interviewer after the session, thanking him or her and expressing your willingness -- assuming you remain interested in the job -- to meet again.