5 job-hunting strategies from someone who’s been there, still doing that

I’ve been looking for full-time work for what seems like an eternity. Recently, I began to look at my job search differently, trying to find ways to stand out among the crowd. Thus far, these methods have been showing positive results.

Redesign your résumé

The first thing I did was to ask a friend to overhaul my uninteresting résumé. It gave prospective employers basic facts, but it told them nothing about who I am or why they should hire me.

My new résumé highlights the real reasons a potential employer would want to sit down and talk to me. Your résumé is that crucial first step in the hiring process. If you don’t have a great résumé, yours is going to go on the bottom of a very large pile. Don’t let that happen. Get help if necessary.

Cast a wider net

Next, I combed through my experience. I wanted to make sure I was looking at all the jobs for which I am qualified, not just a small segment.

Doing so revealed the possibility of working in capacities I hadn’t considered. The job market right now is the worst it has been in a long time. I made a mistake by limiting myself to my current skill set. Cast a wide net in this job market. It really can’t hurt.