Here are a few tips for those of you looking for jobs, some of these apply to brand new job seekers, and others to those who have been out there in the field for a while.
Indeed.com
Skip Monster, Hot Jobs, Career Builder, Craig's List and all the others because Indeed.com pulls all those listings and more. This is the first place to start looking for openings.
Tell everybody
Your network of friends and friends of friends is your biggest asset when it comes to hearing about new openings, but not your only one. Sometimes it's the guy we bumped into at the coffee shop who is in the know about an open position. In today's economy most employers do not want to post an ad for a new position unless they absolutely have to. They don't want to incur the expense or have to slog through a thousand responses to find a good candidate. So call all those old college buddies, hit up your peeps on facebook, or whatever it is you need to do to let your network of contacts know that you are looking for a job.
Be specific
I hate it when people ask me to help them find a job and it turns out they don't even know what they want. We all want more money, we all want a shorter commute, we all want better benefits, we all want a better looking secretary, these things don't describe jobs... they describe perks. "I want to work in publishing" isn't much better. There are janitors who work for publishers... I'm sure I can get you a job cleaning toilets at a publisher! What the hell is it that you actually want to do?
It takes work
Finding a job you enjoy, that pays the bills, and fulfills your creative needs is, well, not easy. It requires work, self promotion, attention to detail, and commitment to see the process through. If you are not willing to drive 30 minutes for an interview, if you aren't willing to put in a few weeks as a non-paid intern, if you can't bring yourself to take out your elbow piercings for work, if you refuse to wear a tie, or work for the man, or what have you, then you are not serious about finding a job.
Cold calls and setting appointments
Yes, you must sell yourself in order to get a job. You will need to call those companies that you believe have the type of job you want. It is very unlikely that they will call you. So first you must do some research to find out who the decision maker(s) are at each company on your list, then you must prepare a short over the phone introduction that includes your name, basic qualifications, and desire to sit down with them to discuss the possibility that you could help their company, finally you must... actually call them!
It should be pointed out here that you don't want to leave the next contact up to them. Obviously this is the easy thing to do. "Well, thanks for your time today... I look forward to hearing from you." is not an acceptable way for you to get off the phone or out of a meeting. You must take control by saying something more like, "Thanks so much for your time today, can we go ahead and set up a day to meet next week or should I call you Monday in order to see how your week is shaping up?"
Don't judge a book by it's cover
Sometimes companies have more to offer than you might think. I once took an interview at a small copy shop, thinking that I could maybe get some leads on larger printers from the owner. Well, it turned out that the owner actually owned a commercial printing company that in turn owned the copy shop. I got a great job working for a great guy because of an interview I almost talked myself out of taking. Sometimes the interview is exactly what you thought and they don't have anything to offer you, but you still get experience and if they offer you the job that's a free ego boost. Simply put go on every interview you can... all you have to lose is a bit of your time and you may stand to gain way more than you think.
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