Job hunting
Encyclopedia
Job hunting, job seeking, or job searching is the act of looking for employment
, due to unemployment
or discontent with a current position. The immediate goal of job seeking is usually to obtain a job interview
with an employer which may lead to getting hired
. The job hunter or seeker typically first looks for job vacancies or employment opportunities.
As of 2010, less than 10% of U.S. jobs are filled through online ads.
Job recruiters and decision makers are increasingly using online social networking sites to gather information about job applicants, according to a mid-2011 JobVite survey of 800 employers in the USA.
Job seekers need to begin to pay more attention to what employers and recruiters find when they do their pre-interview information gathering about applicants, according to this 2010 study by Microsoft
, "Online Reputation in a Connected World".
s or Curriculum Vitae
to prospective employers. Another recommended method of job hunting is cold calling
or email
ing companies that one desires to work for and inquire to whether there are any job vacancies.
After finding a desirable job, they would then apply for the job by responding to the advertisement. This may mean applying through a website, emailing or mailing in a hard copy of your résumé to a prospective employer. It is generally recommended that résumés be brief, organized, concise, and targeted to the position being sought. With certain occupations, such as graphic design
or writing
, portfolios of a job seeker's previous work are essential and are evaluated as much, if not more than the person's résumé. In most other occupations, the résumé should focus on past accomplishments, expressed in terms as concretely as possible (e.g. number of people managed, amount of increased sales or improved customer satisfaction).
into new organizations even before their first contact with potential employers. While the best employers will invest in accommodating, assimilating and accelerating new employees, those joining firms that don't should take charge of their own onboarding, doing their best to get a head start before their start, manage their messages, and help others deliver results after they start.
' to mean unemployment resulting from the time and effort that must be expended before an appropriate job is found. Search theory
is the economic theory that studies the optimal decision of how much time and effort to spend searching, and which offers to accept or reject (in the context of a job hunt, or likewise in other contexts like searching for a low price).
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
, due to unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
or discontent with a current position. The immediate goal of job seeking is usually to obtain a job interview
Job interview
A job interview is a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an employer for prospective employment in their company, organization, or firm. During this process, the employer hopes to determine whether or not the applicant is suitable for the job.-Role:A job interview typically...
with an employer which may lead to getting hired
Recruitment
Recruitment refers to the process of attracting, screening, and selecting qualified people for a job. For some components of the recruitment process, mid- and large-size organizations often retain professional recruiters or outsource some of the process to recruitment agencies.The recruitment...
. The job hunter or seeker typically first looks for job vacancies or employment opportunities.
Locating jobs
Common methods of job hunting are:- Finding a job through a friend or an extended business networkBusiness networkingBusiness networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of like-minded businesspeople recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities. A business network is a type of social network whose reason for existing is business activity...
, personal networkPersonal NetworkA Personal Network is a set of human contacts known to an individual, with whom that individual would expect to interact at intervals to support a given set of activities....
, or online social network serviceSocial network serviceA social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social... - Using an employment websiteEmployment websiteAn employment website is a web site dealing specifically with employment or careers. Many employment websites are designed to allow employers to post job requirements for a position to be filled and are commonly known as job boards. Other employment sites offer employer reviews, career and...
- Looking through the classifiedsClassified advertisingClassified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge...
in newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s - Using a private or public employment agencyEmployment agencyAn employment agency is an organization which matches employers to employees. In all developed countries there is a publicly funded employment agency and multiple private businesses which also act as employment agencies.-Public employment agencies:...
or recruiterRecruiterA recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, or the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within a corporation, nonprofit organization, sports team, the military, etc. Recruiters may work within an organization's human resources department or on an outsourced basis... - Looking on a company's web site for open jobs, typically in its applicant tracking systemApplicant tracking systemAn applicant tracking system is a software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. An ATS can be implemented on an enterprise or small business level, depending on the needs of the company...
- Going to a job fairJob fairA job fair is also referred commonly as a career fair or career expo. It is a fair or exposition for employers, recruiters and schools to meet with prospective job seekers. Expos usually include company or organization tables or booths where resumes can be collected and business cards can be...
- Using professional guidance such as outplacementOutplacementOutplacement is a term used to describe efforts made by a downsizing company to help former employees through the transition to new jobs and help them re-orientate to the job market...
services that give training in writing a résumé, applying for jobs and how to be successful at interview.
As of 2010, less than 10% of U.S. jobs are filled through online ads.
Researching the employers
Many job seekers research the employers to which they are applying, and some employers see evidence of this as a positive sign of enthusiasm for the position or the company, or as a mark of thoroughness. Information collected might include open positions, full name, locations, web site, business description, year established, revenues, number of employees, stock price if public, name of chief executive officer, major products or services, major competitors, and strengths and weaknesses.Networking
Contacting as many people as possible is a highly effective way to find a job. It is estimated that 50% or higher of all jobs are found through networking.Job recruiters and decision makers are increasingly using online social networking sites to gather information about job applicants, according to a mid-2011 JobVite survey of 800 employers in the USA.
Job seekers need to begin to pay more attention to what employers and recruiters find when they do their pre-interview information gathering about applicants, according to this 2010 study by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, "Online Reputation in a Connected World".
Applying
One can also go and hand out résuméRésumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
s or Curriculum Vitae
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
to prospective employers. Another recommended method of job hunting is cold calling
Cold calling
Cold calling is the marketing process of approaching prospective customers or clients, typically via telephone, who were not expecting such an interaction...
or email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
ing companies that one desires to work for and inquire to whether there are any job vacancies.
After finding a desirable job, they would then apply for the job by responding to the advertisement. This may mean applying through a website, emailing or mailing in a hard copy of your résumé to a prospective employer. It is generally recommended that résumés be brief, organized, concise, and targeted to the position being sought. With certain occupations, such as graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
or writing
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, portfolios of a job seeker's previous work are essential and are evaluated as much, if not more than the person's résumé. In most other occupations, the résumé should focus on past accomplishments, expressed in terms as concretely as possible (e.g. number of people managed, amount of increased sales or improved customer satisfaction).
Interviewing
Once an employer has received your résumé, they will make a list of potential employees to be interviewed based on the résumé and any other information contributed. During the interview process, interviewers generally look for persons who they believe will be best for the job and work environment. The interview may occur in several rounds until the interviewer is satisfied and offers the job to the applicant.Onboarding
New employees begin their onboardingOnboarding
Onboarding, also known as organizational socialization, refers to the mechanism through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders...
into new organizations even before their first contact with potential employers. While the best employers will invest in accommodating, assimilating and accelerating new employees, those joining firms that don't should take charge of their own onboarding, doing their best to get a head start before their start, manage their messages, and help others deliver results after they start.
Job hunting in economic theory
Economists use the term 'frictional unemploymentFrictional unemployment
Frictional unemployment is the time period between jobs when a worker is searching for, or transitioning from one job to another. It is sometimes called search unemployment and can be voluntary based on the circumstances of the unemployed individual....
' to mean unemployment resulting from the time and effort that must be expended before an appropriate job is found. Search theory
Search theory
In microeconomics, search theory studies buyers or sellers who cannot instantly find a trading partner, and must therefore search for a partner prior to transacting....
is the economic theory that studies the optimal decision of how much time and effort to spend searching, and which offers to accept or reject (in the context of a job hunt, or likewise in other contexts like searching for a low price).
See also
- Employment counsellorEmployment counsellorAn employment counsellor, also known as a career development professional, advises, coaches, provides information to, and supports people who are planning, seeking and managing their life/work direction.-Duties:...
- Job-seeking expense tax deductionsJob-seeking expense tax deductionsGenerally, expenses related to the carrying-on of a business or trade are deductible from a U.S. taxpayer's adjusted gross income. For many taxpayers, this means that expenses related to seeking new employment, including some relevant expenses incurred for the taxpayer's education, can be...
- Precarious workPrecarious workPrecarious work is a term used to describe non-standard employment which is poorly paid, insecure, unprotected, and cannot support a household. In recent decades there has been a dramatic increase in precarious work due to such factors as: globalization, the shift from the manufacturing sector to...
- Search theorySearch theoryIn microeconomics, search theory studies buyers or sellers who cannot instantly find a trading partner, and must therefore search for a partner prior to transacting....