Please help me pound the pavement as effectively as possible

April 12, 2010 3:54 PM

I would like to find a new job, but I think my first step should be to brush up on my job search skills. What recommendations do you have for how to do that?

I loathe looking for work (which is why I've been with my current company for lo these many long, tedious years) and am not even sure I know how to write a resumé in the current style. And I know that in this economy and especially given that I'm in a tight field anyway (I'm an editor), I'm facing a challenge and had better both polish and sharpen my rusty job search tools.

I suppose what I'm looking for here is resources for learning how to finesse a job search: the best job search books to read, the best websites to visit, tried and true tips from your own experiences, and so on. Thanks in advance!

posted by orange swan to work & money (4 answers total)

What I liked best about What Color Is Your Parachute? is that it bases its advice on what actually gets people jobs, based on research on the effectiveness rate of various job-hunting methods.
posted by Jacqueline at 4:42 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Ditto on What Color Is Your Parachute? When I was doing my job search, I started to feel pretty down since my skills were too general and nothing made sense for my situation. It had good advice me that gave me a positive outlook and a bit of confidence - that was huge to my eventual success!

Also, unless you're in the tech sector, I would definitely fork out for some professional help with your resume. (if you went to Uni, their career center could help for free/cheap; even long distance) It needs to be well-written. It won't get you a job, but a well-written resume could get you into contention.
posted by chickencoop at 7:24 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I am also in the process of finding a job and i love to read Ask a Manager. She tells about the hole process from a managers perspective (she is a NGO manager) and gives lots of tip about what she is looking for when she is hiring.
posted by furisto at 6:06 AM on April 13, 2010

Knock em Dead : The Ultimate Job Search Guide
posted by MechEng at 9:13 AM on April 13, 2010