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Find a
Big City Job Using Small Town Methods
by Laurie Yocom |
In small towns, many jobs
are never advertised. If you are currently looking for a job and relying solely on
want ads, some of the best jobs are being taken from under your nose. Even if you live in
New York City, you can still profit from small town methods of job seeking.
Word of Mouth
In small towns, word of mouth reigns supreme. Often, it's not what you know, but who
you know that clinches the job. Let your friends know that you're looking for a job, but
think "small town". Let your church congregation know, your PTA group, your
Junior League, your PEO group, your bridge club, your country club, your babysitter. Think
of it as putting "feelers" out. Along the same lines, many national sororities
have networking programs where you can ask for a certain city, area, or state, as well as
a specific job or a general area and they'll send you a list of alumnae who will help you
(as long as you are a member).
As in small towns, there are going to be jobs that you are over-qualified for, not
qualified for in the least, and jobs that just won't do at all. But there are also the
jobs that you are HALFway qualified for. Go for them!
Change in Attitude
There's a study out there somewhere that analyzed how men and women applied for jobs.
Going through want ads, most men would apply for jobs that interested them, even if they
didn't have all of the printed qualifications. Women, on the other hand, were more apt to
think that since they didn't have ALL of the qualifications, they couldn't apply. Don't
fall into that trap! If the job interests you and you think that you can do it (or
at least want to find out more information), apply! No one is going to zap you if you
don't fit the criteria, but no one's going to hire you if you don't apply!
What Works for You
Update your resume and tailor it to a specific job. Or, tailor it around you. If you're a
teacher and are looking to leave the educational realm, make your resume reflect what you
know how to do instead of listing a job history. Have a section on team building,
technical skills, organizational skills, et cetera,and bullet things you have
accomplished. Show an employer that you're flexible, willing to learn, a risk-taker, or
whatever. There are lots of resume books at the library. Check some out.
The thing to remember is that there is no one "right" form. Find what works for
you. Then again, find several.
Jump on the net. Do some research about the job or the company. As I said earlier,
in small towns, word of mouth reigns supreme. If you want to find out something, you
go to the one who knows. You ask questions. You get answers. You find out ahead of time if
you would be happy working in that company or for that person or for their typical salary.
Be prepared. The more you know about the other person (or company), the more confident
you'll be in an interview situation.
Laurie Yocom
is a freelance writer based in Lincoln, NE.
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