Prepare Yourself To Get The Most Out Of Job Search Help

Prepare Yourself To Get The Most Out Of Job Search Help From An Employment Agency

A little preparation goes a long way when you're getting ready to work with an employment agency to find a new job. Once you've spoken to a recruiter, things can happen fast, so it's a smart idea to have some critical bases covered before you begin, so you're not caught up short by a last minute interview requests, or if you're asked to revise your resume for a specific position.

• Personal Grooming - Now's the time to get a haircut, trim up the beard and moustache if that applies to you, and make sure your fingernails are clean, trimmed, and filed. If you wear nail polish, make sure its fresh, neatly applied, and in a color appropriate for an interview. Keep your hands moisturized, so you don't give a prospective employer a handful of alligator leather when you shake.

• Interview Attire - Make sure your interview clothes are clean, pressed, properly fitted, and in good repair. If you wear ties, be sure they're clean and pressed, too. Get your shoes clean and polished. If you carry a handbag, be sure that's also clean and polished, and neat and organized inside, as well; you might need to open it to pull a pen out during your interview. If you wear pantyhose, be sure you've got plenty on hand, because there's nothing like pre-interview nerves to make sure you wreck at least one pair while you get ready.

• Flexible Resume - Obviously, you're going to update your resume before you start looking for a new job, but be aware that your recruiter may ask you to revise it one or more times, to present you in a specific way that will appeal to their client companies. Writing resumes is nerve-wracking enough to begin with, so here's a way to make it easier. When you revise your resume, make a separate document with "extra" bullet points detailing projects you've worked on, older jobs you had, but are not currently included in your resume, and additional skills that are too specific to include on your general resume, but might be useful in applying for certain positions. When you need to revise your resume, you can copy/paste the bullets you need from the "extra" list, and pull out less relevant ones from your more general version.

• Writing And Speech - Pay close attention to your speech and writing, and work on refining any bad habits you may notice. Both written and spoken communications are included in what employers call "employability skills," and in many cases, they're using those as indicators of a candidate's suitability…or unsuitability. Most of us speak and write more casually on a daily basis than these employers might consider appropriate for a professional. Practice when you're calm, at home, with friends and family, and you'll be more likely to make a good showing when you're nervous at an interview.

This subsequent article Prepare Yourself To Get The Most Out Of Job Search Help was available on http://lawlergroup.com/