View Feedback | Send this Article | Published 4/11/03

Graphic By: Rachel Pastirik

• Send out resumes to every job that you want, every job you think you want, and quite a few that you really don't care about. The economy sucks right now and being overzealous is probably the only way to find employment.
• Use every means available to look for jobs. The internet, newspapers, friends, relatives, even people you are interviewing with can give you ideas of places to look for jobs.
• Own a good suit and keep it handy. I found out that the one suitable outfit I had got a lot of wear, as did my car, as I drove all over town going to interviews and chasing down job leads.
• Take a day off every now and then to relax. Looking for a job all day every day wears you out and you can easily get burnt out and frustrated.
• Sell, sell, sell. Finding a job is like selling yourself. You've got to convince people that you're the one for the job and no one else can do it better. There are dozens of little things about yourself that you probably don't find to be assets that employers love. (Mine turned out to be experience dealing with older people in the work place).
• Don't be afraid to take a job youäre not sure you want to keep.
• Once you've got employment, you don't have to stress about finding the right job right now and you can wait around for a good opportunity and eat at the same time.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions about a company. Asking questions can avoid those jobs that make you want to pull your hair out and keep you from getting suckered into something that's not what you want.

I was hired from an interview that I felt was less than my best. The job I accepted was my first offer and I took it without hesitation. While it's not in journalism, it's a good stepping stone for me to stand on while the economy continues to rise and fall and the country fights its war. So, until something better comes along, you can find me sitting at my computer in my office munching on jelly beans and enjoying being in the real world.