Picture this: you’re in the grocery store, stuck in line behind a gentleman paying for $100 worth of groceries in all pennies. You strike up a conversation with the woman behind you, find out she’s the hiring manager at the company of your dreams, & guess what: she wants to bring you in for an interview. But of course you’re caught red-handed without your business cards, & by the time you get home, you’ve lost the crinkled receipt you wrote her number on the back of.Sound at all familiar? It seems like whenever you’re on the job hunt, opportunities spring when you least expect it. Next time, don’t be caught unprepared. Create a job survival kit you can take with you anywhere and everywhere so you’ll always have the materials you need to help move your job search forward.The survival kit I keep in my car is perfect for any kind of highway emergency: flashlight, jumper cables, tire jack, work gloves, & Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Your job search survival kit should be similar: it should contain every item you’d need for a variety of spontaneous networking situations. These basics are a great place to start:
Once you update your resume, print out hard copies to hand out to recruiters, fellow alumni, future employers-anyone you meet who can help in your job search. One word of advice: don’t use copy paper. Good letterhead costs a little extra, but its texture & weight will help your resume stand out from those printed on the office laser printer. Also, if you don’t have one already, purchase a plastic file folder or notebook to keep your resumes in. There’s nothing more disheartening than a resume with wrinkly corners.Always have business on hand. Even if you’ve been out of work for awhile, make some personal cards that contain your contact info, website, Twitter handle, etc. You can get a box of cards printed up fairly cheaply at Kinko’s or one of your neighborhood printers, & Microsoft Word offers a variety easy-to-follow business card templates.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5366436
