Landing your first job can be a confusing, stressful and seemingly impossible task. In a workforce dominated by established companies and highly successful business professionals, it can be difficult for a rookie to gain initial exposure. However, there are a few tips and tricks you can keep in mind to set yourself apart from the rest of the new job seekers and draw some of the attention away from the experienced professionals.
Dress the Part
There’s an old adage that states, “you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” In other words, make sure to dress the part. If you’re specifically looking for a position on the manufacturing floor, khakis or jeans and a casual dress shirt should work well for both men and women. If you are looking for a clerical or office position, you might want to consider dressing a little more formally.
Update Your Social Media
You’ll also want to update any profiles you may have on the popular social media sites of today. While most established professionals will already have a profile that is employer-friendly, those who are just graduating high school or college may not be aware of how much emphasis on placed on social media profiles in today’s workforce. In fact, professional recruitment efforts on social media channels have increased by 54 percent over the course of the past five years.
As you can see, employers rely on social media more than ever before. Not only are they actively using these sites to recruit new staff members, but they are using personal profiles to screen candidates based on their past words or actions. With that in mind, it’s important to view your social media profile as an extension of your resume or professional portfolio.
Maintain Professionalism At All Times
Regardless of your career experience, the act of maintaining professionalism and optimism can be difficult during the job hunt. This challenge is only increased when you have little or not as much experience as the modern workforce. Nonetheless, it’s still crucial that you can demonstrate a professional demeanor.
Simple courtesy can go a long way in showing off your professionalism, especially when you lack prior career experience. Remember to begin and end all communications with the appropriate salutations and closings, including both verbal and written communications. This seemingly small act can go a long way to impressing a potential employer, which could be enough to get your foot in the door.
Come Prepared for any Interviews or Meetings
Finally, make sure you are fully prepared when attending any meetings with a potential employer. While this may be an obvious consideration when attending an actual interview, some job seekers tend to forego this point when attending initial orientations, job fairs, and preparatory meetings. However, this small mistake could cause you to miss out on the opportunity altogether.
Persistence Pays Off
Whatever you do, it’s important that you don’t give up on the job-hunting process. Although your odds may seem insurmountable at first, just remember that we all had to start somewhere. It may take a while, but a little bit of persistence, dedication, and diligence will truly pay off in the long run.
Contact Automation Personnel Services
Contact Automation Personnel Services, Inc., one of the largest staffing agencies in the U.S., to get started with your job search today! With 33 branches located throughout the U.S., Automation Personnel Services, Inc. helps job seekers find the best jobs for their skills and schedule.
