ShmoopTube

00:00

Looking for a job might feel as hopeless is searching for a [man searching for a needle in a haystack]

00:07

needle in a haystack, oh heck, even needle finders have a tough time finding

00:11

work these days however there's more to finding a job than just throwing hay

00:15

everywhere and hoping for the best so what can we do well even though [Boy eating breakfast while Father reads the newspaper]

00:19

newspapers might seem a bit low-tech for this brave new digital world they can

00:24

actually be used for more than just er, paper-mache and low-rent doorstops [Newspaper piled up to make a doorstop]

00:28

believe it or not newspapers can also be a part of your job search and just

00:34

look at the classified section and check out the help-wanted ads but like we

00:38

said this is the brave new digital world and with that comes the internet sure [Man using a smartphone to search for jobs]

00:44

it's not uniformly useful for finding jobs you're unlikely to get hired by

00:48

anyone just for watching dozens of cat videos as a high school student your [Student browsing the internet on a laptop for job adverts]

00:52

best bet is to check out generic sites which provide access to pretty much any job

00:56

posting we're talking craigslist, glassdoor, Indeed, Monster etc. all

01:01

those guys and youth site swhich cater specifically the types of entry-level

01:05

jobs that teenagers and college students are qualified for there are also college [Students sitting an exam paper]

01:10

graduate sites and industry specific sites but until you have a college

01:14

degree or experience in a particular industry you'll only be able to use [Man outside a shop window looking at industry specific job postings]

01:18

those sites as window shopping there are also some job finding resources that are

01:23

a bit less reading intensive there are some people out there whose entire job

01:26

it is to help you find work and you can find some of them into career centers it [Man walking into a career center]

01:32

won't help you pick out your interview outfit but they can do things that are

01:35

even more useful at career centers you can get assistance from career [Workers in the middle of a meeting]

01:39

counselors to search for employment write resumes and brush up on your

01:43

interviewing skills they might even give you tips on how to tie your shoelaces [Career advisor tying his shoe laces]

01:47

more efficiently but we're not making any promises you can also make use of

01:51

staffing agencies, they don't just want to help you with the skills required to get

01:55

a job they actually set you up with gigs well that said most of these jobs tend [Staffing agent arranging a meeting between employee and employer]

02:00

to be temporary and most staffing agencies take a cut of your pay if you want your

02:05

job hunt to have a more festive spirit well why not put on a costume [Children dancing in a festival]

02:09

kidding why not check out a job fair at a job fair a bunch of employers all

02:14

congregate at one location and job seekers are invited to connect with [People looking at job postings at a job fair]

02:18

employers learn more about companies that are hiring fill out applications and

02:23

sometimes even receive an invitation for an interview another method for finding [Two women shaking hands]

02:27

work is by networking and no that doesn't mean setting up high-tech

02:31

communications network though that might help you to get jobs somewhere in IT we [Man covered in wires setting up a communications network]

02:35

mean using your network of social and professional connections contacting

02:40

family members, friends, the parents of our friends, extended relatives, teachers

02:43

coaches, 7-eleven cashiers, guys selling knockoff rolex's under trench coats and [All connections in a persons network]

02:47

anyone else we have a friendly relationship with if they know about an

02:51

available job at their place of work and they refer us well that'd be a lot more

02:54

helpful than just showing up announced as the complete stranger but guess what [Man looking at a resume and shutting the office blinds]

02:59

there's also a strategy the boots on the ground method although it's definitely

03:03

not the most efficient one we can always visit different businesses and if [Man walking into a store]

03:07

there's a Help Wanted sign in the store window well that's a good indication

03:10

that there's an opportunity for employment there alright well these [Two men shaking hands]

03:13

methods might not help you find any needles in haystacks but very few

03:16

needles offer competitive salaries and cover dental work so well we think you [Man in a haystack with a needle and sparkling white teeth]

03:21

have a better skill set

Full Transcript