How To Find A First Job – Whether you are a young person just starting out or an adult forced to go to work due to economic pressure, you will find one thing in common; lack of experience.
Don’t stress yet. That’s not always such a bad thing. Sometimes it’s better to have no experience. However, you must understand that any position you are applying for is entry level. This is your chance to learn from your employer and become a better employee.
When it comes to work, you should find that you get out of it what you put into it. By this I mean that those who work the hardest and smartest usually make the most money. So in order to work hard and really get something out of your first job, you need to be really clear about what you want to do. What would you like to do?
I can tell you that. I worked several jobs when I was younger. These jobs did not pay much. But I enjoyed these jobs so much that I didn’t want to leave. I worked for a major retailer as a warehouse floor clerk. It was a blast. We received money mainly for socializing. Pizza delivery is also a lot of fun for me. I like interacting with people in an environment where everyone is happy. I like to work with people who have a great attitude to work.
Learn from my mistake. I soon left the fun jobs to earn more money and slave away in a factory. I made a little more money, but I was unhappy. I hated my job and it was hard work. It took me years to learn that if you want to get anywhere, you have to love what you do. So first…I want you…YES!, I mean YOU!…close your eyes and think of some places you know you could easily apply for a job. I mean places you know are probably hiring. These can be retail stores, food services, anything you can think of. I want you to imagine how you do each of these jobs. Now ask yourself; “Which of these jobs would really make me happy?” If you are honest with yourself, you will find out what type of work you would like to do. This is the first step to finding your first job.
The second step to finding your first job is to research job opportunities in your area. You can do this by searching the classifieds in newspapers and online to see what types of jobs are available in your area. Try to find a job that matches what you imagine you would like to do. I will be honest with you. There are times when you have to take a job that you don’t care about that much. Maybe your bills are piling up or something. But if that’s the case, take what you can get, but focus on what you know you’d really like to do. Use it as motivation to get you on the right track to doing your “happy job”. Now I call the job you would like to do “happy job”. The reason for this is that when you find this particular job, you will not only be happy at work, but you will be happy all the time because you never have to worry about going to work. When you love your job, going to work is like going to a party. Anyway, if you have to take a job you don’t enjoy, then use all your free time to do a job you will enjoy.
If you have an idea of what you would like to do, then the next step would be to start networking so that you can pursue your “happy job”. If you can’t find any related positions available through classifieds, etc., then it’s time to pull out the phone book. Yeah, that’s right… don’t give up just yet. This is a little trick to get ahead of other bidders. So watch out!…lol…We all know that every employer must have employees. Everyone hires at some point. If they don’t post positions available in the paper or online, then don’t assume that’s a bad thing. See, now is your chance. You have the opportunity to get this phone book, call potential employers, ask to speak with the person in charge of human resources, the manager or whoever is hiring. Don’t forget to give them your name, tell them you are interested in working for their company as part of a team. Be sure to ask if they are currently hiring, and if not, when would be a good time to check in with them again.
If you call everyone in the phone book that relates to the industry you’re trying to get into, someone will be interested in you. If you do not receive any leads to apply, then make sure you call these employers every week until you receive an application. Most of the time, after a call or two, you can show up in person and they’ll be happy to give you an application.
The app is a great start. Once you have filled it out and returned it to the employer, it is important to remember that the pursuit is not over. We strongly recommend that you call the employer weekly to check on the status of your application. If you do this, your chances of being accepted are very good. At this point, they will know your name when you call. They will feel like they know you. If you do this with multiple employers, you will be accepted. Make the job search your job until you get it. Do you understand what I mean? Consider yourself an employee. You work for yourself and your job is to find a job. Just like a job agent, but you act as your own agent.
It’s not a bad idea to start at a very entry level. By that I mean taking a job at any fast food or retail company that will hire you. This gives you the opportunity to gain some work experience to use in your applications. These jobs are so easy to get by visiting the location and asking to speak with the manager or whoever is hiring. Explain to them that you are interested in working for them and have no work experience. These people are usually willing to hire you because they deal with entry-level employees all the time. They understand that you need a job, but they have no experience.
Tips for developing pre-job experience:
If you don’t have any work experience but want something to put on your application that will help you get your foot in the door, maybe you should consider volunteering at a non-profit group. I’ve known people who did that and got great jobs because of it. Simply volunteer at your local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, charity mission and get some work experience that you can use in your applications. Make sure you tell everyone you talk to during your volunteer service that you are looking for a job. You never know when someone might know someone who is hiring. The people who volunteer at these places really care about each other. They are good people who try to help people. You can’t go wrong there.
I have a blog called How 2 Find A Job. Its content is dedicated to helping individuals find work in this tough economy. I have more information on this topic that I would like to share with you. Please check out my blog for more information on how to find your first job and beyond. See More