My current occupation is quite eccentric, to say the least.
I am the head personal assistant for my boss, who is the head of his own marketing agency.
The job itself isn't the eccentric part, however the fact that I landed such an internship with such little experience is the unconventional part.
I heard about this position through Craigslist.
Having never dealt with Craigslist before I was a little bit hesitant to meet up for the interview.
However, I had been searching for a business industry job for quite some time, so I wasn't going to let a little apprehension get in my way.
When I arrived at our place of meeting, all of my nerves went out the window.
The hiring manager was completely relaxed, and put me at ease.
We talked of my past work experience, and he assured me that I would be a great fit into their small company.
I was so excited to get a job right on the spot.
When searching for a job it's extremely important to be patient.
Being patient will allow for you to carry on your job search with an open mind, and open heart.
In addition to being patient, it's also important to look places you wouldn't typically look.
Jobs aren't going to come to you, you have to find them.
In doing that, you need to check every available resource that you have.
If I had to break the essentials of job searching down into three main components they would be to have an open mind, maintain confidence, and don't lose hope.
Having an open mind is something that I found to be extremely helpful when I was on the hunt for a job.
In my normal, day to day life, I would have never met up with someone on Craigslist to have an interview.
However, luckily for me, I was feeling especially spontaneous that day.
When you are on the hunt it's important that you explore new things, and get yourself out of the comfort zone that you are used to basking in.
In addition to having an open mind, maintaining confidence is just as important.
Confidence needs to be had throughout the entire job searching process.
If you are lacking confidence there are probably going to be times that you pass up interviews, or opportunities, because you don't think you are qualified.
Let your employers make that decision.
You also need to have confidence during the interview.
If you go into that interview feeling already defeated, the interviewer is going to sense that.
I can't tell you the amount of interviews that I have gone into so nervous that I made a fool out of myself.
I went in extremely shaky, and when the interviewer didn't call me back it wasn't a huge shock.
No one wants to bring someone into their company that doesn't believe in themselves.
Finally, make sure that you never lose hope along the way.
The job searching process can be both long and short.
Some people apply for a job, get an interview, and get the job.
Others have to wait months before they hear back from anyone.
I applied to 10 places before I heard back from one.
Had I applied to this Craigslist ad in the beginning, I would have gotten my dream job within a week! Being patient is what kept me going when I was applying and nothing was coming back.
If I were to go through the job searching process again, I would definitely follow my own advice.
Those three things are the top aspects of what got me the job that I have today.
The hardest rule to follow is by far the confidence.
I know that when I started applying to many places, and no one called back, I lost a lot of my confidence.
I found myself going into interviews already knowing that I would never hear from such interviewer again.
That is a horrible mindset to have when you are going into an interview.
The main thing you need to remember is that you are going up against some very stiff competition.
There are few jobs, and many workers out there in the world.
You need to make sure that you stand up against the people you are applying against.
Good grades and a nice resume are not always going to do it for you.
Make sure you have the charisma to be remembered.
The last interview I had, I made sure that I was remembered.
I went into that interview with high energy and a great attitude, and I ended up getting the job.
Employers are always looking for people who have a great attitude, they want employees who will create a positive working atmosphere.
A final note on discouragement: don't let a 'no' question your ability to perform.
You know your strengths, and you know your weaknesses.
Take some of their constructive criticism, and help yourself to be the best you can be.
Something that I found was a great personal motivator was to go to competitors.
I know it seems childish, but if you are rejected in an interview, there is no shame in applying at one of their competitor's headquarters.
It's an empowering thought that you can get a job and be a great asset to the competitor of one of the companies who didn't find you a fit for their company.
This is an article about the three main aspects of job searching.
There are many things to remember when you are on the hunt for a new job.