Positivity rules! How to stay optimistic when hunting for a new job.

Whether you’ve been laid off from your old job or you’re simply looking for something new, there are many key factors in finding work. And during these particularly challenging economic times, the quality of employment hunting skills becomes even more important. So what’s the key to unlocking the door to employment?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. But you can definitely start by keeping positive. In the words of one Cross Canada Dialogues (CCD) survey respondent “Stay optimistic. Even if you have to do thousands of interviews or applications before you find work, you're still gaining important skills that will benefit you in the long run.” –Miles of Smiles

Come on, haven’t any of you seen that movie The Secret? And even if being optimistic doesn’t land you a new job immediately, you’ll (at the very least) be more likely to keep your old friends than if you had chosen to go down the road of gloom. Alright, so positivity may not be the only solution to finding a job (although it certainly helps!). Here’s a list of 7 tips to help in your (hopefully) not-so-eternal quest for employment:

1. Perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice, thanks to one of the respondents from the CCD survey was “Never give up. It may be discouraging if you have an interview and aren't successful in getting the job. However, those experiences help you grow and better prepare you for other potential jobs and job interviews.” –Living & Learning. Another one of you guys also expressed in the survey the importance to “Try, try and try again! You could even offer to work for free for a day to prove to an employer that you are a hard worker and that you are worth hiring.” –Ticket to Success

2. Revamp your résumé by emphasizing your strengths and accomplishments. Each résumé sent out should be personalized to the position that you are applying for. Here’s a great tip from one of you guys from our survey: “For other youth looking for work I would recommend going to an employment centre to get help looking for jobs and writing résumés.” – Making Progress. In the CCD survey, so far almost 500 of you (or 70%) noted that you’ve talked to an employment counsellor when looking for work.

3. If you’re applying for jobs from online or newspaper postings, make sure to read the ads closely and think about the key words used. The text you use in your own résumé to describe your skills, training, education and experience should correspond with the original posting. (Many organizations filter résumés with software for key words – so, no matter how well-suited you are to a job, your résumé might never be read by the hiring manager or HR without those crucial words.) In the words of one CCD survey respondent “It’s important to target your résumé and cover letter to what the employer is looking for.” –Word Whiz

4. One respondent from our survey wrote that “It’s important to put your mind into the job hunt and not slack off. It’s easy for friends or entertainment to distract you, but you have to set a time period everyday to do only job hunting. After all, I’ve heard that job hunting is a full time job.” –Feeling Focused. If you’re in the market for a 30-40 hour per week position, than you should aim to spend that amount of time dedicated to searching for one.

5. Don’t rely on only internet job postings! Their appeal can be deceptive, since the majority of positions are never published. Networking is key to making new contacts in your area of interest. For example, you could attend a workshop, convention or meetup in your community that relates to the type of job you want. Not only will you make new connections, you’ll also gain knowledge and experience in the area. Let all of your contacts know that you’re looking for work. Don’t forget to thank those who have lent a helping hand during your search! In the CCD survey, many of you guys agreed that networking is an important tool when job hunting and so far 565 (or 79%) of you have actually approached people you know about finding a job. Don’t just ask for favours when you’re looking for work though – keep in touch with contacts from your past (whether that means teachers, peers or parents’ friends). Consider this investing money in the bank!

6. Use an online social networking tool like facebook or LinkedIn.com to get in touch with friends of your contacts who could potentially connect you with a job. Don’t forget to ask to be introduced! Then you might consider requesting an informational interview to learn more about current opportunities. Remember that the purpose of an informational interview is to learn about a particular career, not to simply ask for a job. This connection could potentially help you, if not immediately than perhaps sometime in the future.

7. Market yourself. It’s important to use your resources to their fullest potential. From volunteering within the community to creating your own website to blogging, the sky is the limit for promoting your skills and what makes you unique! So far in our survey, over half of you guys said that you’ve considered doing volunteer work to get work experience. “Volunteering is key to networking, which in the long-run will probably help you find meaningful employment.” –Looking Ahead

What other advice do you have for youth looking for a job? What has and hasn’t worked well for you in the past?

[This blog reflects opinions of Canadian youth expressed in the Cross Canada Dialogues survey and is funded by the Counselling Foundation of Canada. For more information on Johnny MacDonald, you can see his profile here.]