Companies want to catch them young. So they go to schools. They give school students who barely know what they are getting themselves into, special training to make them employable by their organization. These students guided by bright-eyed teachers or parents wanting to chart the course of their children’s careers even before they have completed schooling. In case some slip from their grip these corporates then rush to colleges. Conduct campus interviews and filter what they believe to be the crème de la crème. With seemingly best and highest paying jobs taken what do the rest of us do. The competition of course is stiff. So we should join the race well prepared. Here are a few pointers to help.

Create and write a job clincher of resume/bio-date/curriculum vitae, the choice is yours. There are professional writers who for a few dollars could help with the task. Many online templates are also available for you to choose from. When that is done don’t get lazy. Making minor adjustments and tweaking it a little here and a little there apply for each job with a customized resume. Remember to always attach a cover letter with your resume.

A cover letter tells the future employer very briefly what you have detailed in your resume and gently requests for an interview.

Search the nets for what it has to offer. The internet is soon becoming an easy tool for job search. There are umpteen job portals and job consultants with web sites. Contact these sites and apply for the jobs advertised. However, don’t sit back after that. The number of people who actually get jobs this way is sadly still on the lower side. So follow up your application with either a call to the consultant or a personal visit to the company. Remember a face to face conversation with a person in the organization helps you gain experience that could help during an actual interview. You could also use the opportunity to find out more about the company. Chatting up employees over a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop can also help. Don’t let it back fire though! You can also get help from career guidance counselors and department of labor offices or most easiest of all your friendly neighborhood newspaper.

Do the required homework. Read up as much material as you can about the post you are applying for and the company that catches your interest. Don’t get caught twiddling your thumbs when asked about for example, the company’s products or their turnover and the like. Try to find out what your area of contribution would be in the company. Based on this, work out a saleable improvement plan or a spiel about how you think you can help better the working of the company. Have a suggestion about helping with the market sales or about the better functioning of the MIS systems in place? Prepare a detailed presentation to hand over with your application.

Identify your unique selling proposition (USP). This could be your skill set or a personal characteristic. Sell yourself using your USP. Include all your educational and practical experience. Don’t be modest about your accomplishment. Make yourself salable. Remember its okay to exaggerate but never lie. Like the joke goes, if you recognize the word ‘sayanora’ as being Japanese then you’re not lying when you say in your resume that you know the language, it’s an exaggeration!

Increase your network of contacts. Use friends from school, college, the net or even from social gatherings. Let them all know that you are available to take on a job. Don’t ask them for a job right out. Hint at how good you are with your skill and guide them into thinking how nice it would be to have you working for or with them.

Don’t create a negative impression about the kind of job you are willing to do. This is not to say, take any job that is open. For instance, a case where you are trying to apply for the role of an editor. Don’t be finicky about a particular media. Be open to all media. When you pose conditions people assume other non-existent limitations thus hindering your prospects.