In 2002, this author submitted an essay in the annual literary contest sponsored by the official student publication of his university. The essay, written in Filipino, was awarded an Honorable Mention (Karangalang Banggit) and was even included in the compilation of winning entries in the said literary contest. The essay, titled Bentesingko, speaks about a young college graduate who always sees a 25-centavo coin on his path during the entire period of his unemployment.
In an interview, the author admitted that the essay was not entirely about his personal experiences but was based on the story of his friend, who happened to experience such “bizarre” phenomenon over and over again. Since the essay was not partly based on his experience, the author did not realize how prophetic his essay will become on his personal life.
Until yesterday.
After following up one of my job applications, I came to realize how difficult it is to be hired and to get employed. I actually thought that once a student earns his degree and becomes qualified for a job, he can automatically be hired. Oh, how stupid can I get? I failed to understand that there are actually other persons who are similarly qualified (or even highly qualified).
It is thus not surprising that job fairs are always jam-packed with job seekers and classified ads are the most-read sections in the dailies today.
I now come to share with the thousands (or should I say, millions?) of unemployed individuals in this country their agony, pain, frustration, desperation, and everything else that comes along our journey as we try to find our place in the labor sector. To all of you guys, my hats are off for you.
As a form of tribute to my unemployed (as of the moment, I hope) colleagues, and as my way of sharing a piece of my mind, I would like to share with you certain tips on job hunting:
Take Job Hunting Very Seriously
We job seekers should consider ourselves as soldiers that are being deployed into an unknown territory. Thus, one must have his complete arsenal ready when venturing into war–that is, war against unemployment.
It pays to keep our resumés ready. Updating them and checking them for typographical or factual errors every once in a while will ensure that we will not get rejected simply because we called the “Vice-President” as a mere “Manager” or we called a “Ms.” a “Mrs.”
Also, an impressive design for a resumé would sometimes spell the difference between our applications being hired or getting rejected. It helps to layout the contents of the resumé according to their significance in the job one wants to be hired. Even the paper for the resumé needs to be considered. One may choose the kind of paper which would stand out when placed in a pile of office documents, since our goal is to get our applications noticed.
Aside from the resumé, one should have his latest pictures ready. Having the original copies of our Transcript of Records and Diplomas in hand while applying for a job will also be helpful especially when employers demand photocopies to be compared with the original ones.
Time Is Of The Essence
The key word here is “promptness.”
It is advisable that once a graduate gets hold of his Transcript of Records, he should already consider sending out his applications. While it would be impressive to include your Diploma in your resumé, our Transcript of Records would suffice to prove that we graduated.
Also, we must make it a habit to come to our job interviews earlier than the assigned time. Arriving a few minutes before the interview actually gives us an opportunity to look around the place and familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, thus relieving our anxiety.
Use Your Connections
One may consider calling his or her friends, previous friends, or the friends of his or her friends to find out if they know any job vacancies or they themselves need some employees. They may also be helpful in getting recommendations and character references.
Amplify Your Selling Points
In making resumés, one may consider it as a written advertisement of one’s self. Thus, it is advisable to design it in a way that one’s qualifications are highlighted.
Keep Your Head Low
Although there is nothing wrong with amplifying one’s qualifications in his or her resumé, one must still remember that we are still at the mercy of the employers. We are not in the position to choose the work we will be assigned to perform. Remember the Beatitudes: “Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised (Matthew 5:5).
During the Waiting Period, Try Improving Your Skills
There is always a room for improvement, and the best opportunity for one to do so is when he has nothing to do. Thus, while waiting for our job applications to be considered, one may try harnessing one’s talents and skills. I, for one, find blogging as one way of improving my language and writing skills. One may also try learning other skills to add to their qualifications.
Pray
This is the most important tip I am willing to share to all of you guys. One must remember that no matter how difficult one’s situation is, God is still here to help us. And in times of desperation (perhaps just like the many of us who are currently unemployed), let His will be done and let us all believe that everything that happens to us has a purpose.
(Photo courtesy of http://www.mysudbury.ca/)
