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10 Ways to Keep Your Job Search on Track Job hunting is easier if you make a plan and put all the pieces in place. Here is a check list of ten things you can do to get your job search off to a good start. Resume: Make sure your resume looks good and is easy to read. Tell your story quickly. Ask yourself: when it arrives on the desk of a busy person will he or she take a moment to read it? Networking: Some jobs are advertised in the classified ads, but many are filled by word-of-mouth. So tell everyone you know, such as friends, family and the corner grocer, that you are looking for a job. Phone Calls: After you have made a list of people you want to talk with, practice what you are going to say. Try it out on a friend. Learn to tell your story briefly and in an interesting way. Cover Letter: Develop a letter to mail out with your resume. Tell employers what type of job you are looking for and something about your training and skills. Put in Time: Take job hunting seriously. Treat it like a job. Plan to spend several hours each day making calls, writing letters, and researching jobs. Before an Interview, Get Information: Find out something about the company or organization that has the job opening. If you know someone who works there, call them directly. If not you can go to the library for information or go to the company and ask for a brochure. Practice Interviewing: Think of four or five reasons why you should be hired, based on your skills, education and personal qualities. Get a list of questions frequently asked at job interviews; practice answering them with a counselor or a friend. Expand Your Horizons: Sometimes it's possible to get a job near home, but there may be more money and more opportunity if you are willing to travel. Make sure to look into opportunities outside your neighborhood. Dress for the Part: Always look businesslike for a job interview. For women: Wear a suit, a tailored dress or blouse and skirt in subdued colors, with not too much jewelry or make-up. For men: You should wear a suit or jacket and a tie. When in doubt, be conservative. Be Positive: Job hunting is an uncertain business, but it's important to be as upbeat as possible. Ask friends and family for support. Keep in touch with a friend who is also job hunting, to exchange ideas and help keep up your spirits. Remember: If you don't get a job it doesn't mean you have been rejected as a candidate. There are often many qualified people applying for the same job.	DYCD Youth Connect is a free and confidential information service that connects youth to jobs, afterschool programs and training opportunities. In NYC 1-800-246-4646 Outside NYC 212-227-4005     SIGN UP FOR OUR E-BLAST and get monthly updates on programs and events, including afterschool programs, training programs and jobs in your neighborhood! Do you have a MySpace, Facebook or Twitter account? Add DYCD as a friend, become a fan or follow our tweets!       DYCD updates the Youth Connect database on a regular basis in order to provide callers with the most up-to-date information available. We invite your organization to help us build New York City’s most comprehensive resource for young people seeking direct services. All you need to do is complete this form and send it to us by email, fax or postal mail.     Fax: 212.442.5894 Mailing address: DYCD Youth Connect Department of Youth and Community Development 156 William Street, 7th Floor New York, New York 10038     Before Going to an Interview Key Points   Keep your answers brief and concise Include concrete, quantifiable data Repeat your key strengths three times Prepare five or more success stories Put yourself on their team Image is often important as content Ask Questions Maintain a conversational flow Research the company product lines and competitors Keep an interview journal

Before Going to An Interview

Before stepping into an interview, be sure to practice. A job seeker going to a job interview without preparing is like an actor performing an opening night without rehearsing.

1. Keep your answers brief and concise
   Unless asked to give more detail, limit your answers to two to three minutes per question. Tape yourself and see how long it takes you to answer a question.

2. Include concrete, quantifiable data
   Interviewers tend to talk in generalities. Unfortunately, generalities often fail to convince interviewers that the applicant has assets. Include measurable information and provide details about specific accomplishments when discussing your strengths.

3. Repeat your key strengths three times
   It's essential that you comfortably and confidently articulate your strengths. Explain how the strengths relate to the company's or department goals and, how they might benefit the potential employer. If you repeat your strengths then they will be remembered and-if supported with quantifiable accomplishments, they will more likely be believed.

4. Prepare five or more success stories.
   In preparing for interviews, make a list of your skills and key assets. Reflect on past jobs and pick out one or two instances when you used those skills successfully.

5. Put yourself on their team
   Apply yourself with the prospective employer by using the employer's name and products or services. Show that you are thinking like a member of the team and will fit in with the existing environment. Be careful though not to say and do anything that would offend or be taken negatively. Your research will help you in this area.

6. Image is often important as content
   What you look like and how you say something are just as important as what you say. Studies have shown that 65 percent of the conveyed message is nonverbal; gestures, physical appearance, and attire and highly influential during job interviews.

7.  Ask Questions
   The types of questions you ask and the way you ask them can make a tremendous impression on the interviewer. Good questions require advance preparation. Just as you plan how you would answer an interviewer's questions, write out specific questions you want to ask. Then take opportunities to ask them during the interview. Don't ask about benefits or salary. The interview process is a two-way street whereby you and the interviewer assess each other to determine if there is an appropriate match.

8. Maintain a conversational flow
   By consciously maintaining a conversational flow dialogue instead of a monologue, you will be perceived more positively. Use feedback questions at the end of your answers and use body language and voice intonation to create a conversational interchange between you and the interviewer.

9. Research the company product lines and competitors
   Research will provide information to help you decide whether you're interested in the company and important data to refer to during the interview.

10. Keep an interview journal
    As soon as possible, write a brief summary of what happened. Note any follow-up action you should take and put in your calendar. Review your presentation. Keep a journal of your attitude and the way you answered the questions. Did you ask questions to get the information you needed? What might you do differently the next time? Prepare and send a brief, concise thank you letter. Restate your skills and stress what you can do for the company.

In Summary
Because of its importance, interviewing requires advance preparation. Only you will be able to positively affect the outcome. You must be able to compete successfully with the competition for the job you want. In order to do that; be certain you have considered the kind of job you want, why you want it, and how you qualify for it. You also must face reality: Is the job attainable? In addition, recognize what employers want in their candidates. They want "can do" and "will do" employees. Recognize and use the following factors to your benefit as you develop your sales presentation. In evaluating candidates, employers consider the following factors:

• Ability
• Loyalty
• Personality
• Acceptance
• Recommendations
• Outside activities while in school
• Impressions made during the interview Character
• Initiative
• Communication skills
• Work record
  

Tips for Your Job Search in This Tight Job Market

1. Keep in mind that you are dealing with a very tight job market. Therefore, be prepared for the possibility that the job-search process could take longer than usual.
   
2. Have a job-search plan and keep good records of your contacts and resources.
   
3. Your resume is your marketing tool. Revise your resume and make sure that you target your resume to the position you are applying for. Avoid using a resume that is too general.
   
4. Don't mail your resume without a cover letter. Your cover letter should be well written and should briefly and effectively highlight the strengths that are critical for the position you are applying for.
   
5. Don't limit yourself to one single job-search approach. Use different methods such as: direct employer contact, resources such as directories, newspapers, online postings, etc. Also remember, networking is an effective job-search technique. Use your support systems, such as: family contacts, friends, past and present internships and employment contacts, etc.
   
6. Thoroughly research the organization before you go for the interview.
   
7. In the interview, always stress your skills, accomplishments and strengths as they relate to the job you are interviewing for.
   
8. Be flexible and have reasonable expectations of both position and salary. If you see a future job potential, sometimes it may be helpful to consider a temporary or part-time position.
   
9. Learn how to deal with rejection in your search. If you get rejected for a job, use the experience to prepare yourself better next time. Avoid feeling sorry for yourself or blaming others. You should always ask yourself: what did I do wrong and how can I improve on that next time?