All You Need to Know to Find the Perfect Job

With the actual financial problems in our country, and apparently getting worse, the panorama isn't encouraging to anyone who is unemployed or looking for better working conditions. Already we see that the baby boomers believe that “if you work for the Government, then you had a safe and stable work” and that does not exist anymore.  At present, a position in any public agency is similar to any position in a private company.  In both cases, if revenues are not generated or new products or services are not created in order to produce money, then you are fired and that door is forever closed.

It is said that “in CRI$I$, we must reinvent ourselves”.  That being said, to live by our grandparents’ thoughts, we will not achieve the expected results. For this reason, we must find other ways and alternatives to generate revenue or to find work, using a more strategic and effective technique. Here are some suggestions and recommendations:​

---

• If you are looking for a job, you should start by having a good cover letter.  There is no better choice than a good resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV). Keep several printed copies in a folder in your car, so you can always have it accessible. In the same way, have it in the cloud ("www.dropbox.com", "www.box.com", "google drive"), or send a copy to your own e-mail.
• Create an electronic profile on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com).
• Create a professional e-mail account.  Do not use a funny, sexual, tacky, or rude username. Your image is everything. "The suit does not make the monk, but sets him apart."
• Create profiles and automatic job search engines in:

1. http://www.careerbuilder.com
2. http://www.indeed.com
3. http://www.monster.com
4. https://www.usajobs.gov
5. http://www.dice.com/



• Keep in touch with old and new friends on social networks. You never know who can help you in the future.
• Search in your town or village for job fairs and events.
• Check for opportunities in the official Labor Department of your country (directly in the office or online - PR = http://www.trabajo.pr.gov or USA = https://www.usajobs.gov).
• Search in the printed press (newspapers or rotary) for job offers and opportunities.
• Almost all big companies have in their portals/websites a “Careers” or “Jobs” link.  Similarly, they have a Human Resources Department where you can submit your resume or cover letter.
• Attend events sponsored by companies and/or organizations that are prospective employers, and where you can make "networking", and meet key people.
• If you have the opportunity, time, and money, I suggest you to develop other skills or that you certify in other technologies, methodologies, and specialties.  This will give you more expansion and horizontal elasticity to show potential employers that you are a multidisciplinary and adaptive person.
• Learn new skills for free at www.youtube.com.
• Learn a new language. This will open doors and give you greater opportunities. You can use applications such as Duolingo (https://es.duolingo.com) and Busuu (https://www.busuu.com/es/start), or websites such as http://livemocha.com and http://www.tolearnenglish.com.
• And don’t forget “the one with all the answers”: www.google.com.  There is also www.bing.com.

I hope these suggestions and references to be useful for you.  Remember, Thomas Alba Edison tried 1,000 times, before getting to invent the light bulb.  As he himself said: "they were not thousand unsuccessful attempts, it was an invention of a thousand steps."  So do not despair and keep trying.  You will see that sooner, rather than later, your efforts will yield results. \


Author: Gilberto Crespo, MSCE, CDIA+, CIP
Computer Engineer, Executive and Life Coach