Job searching is a challenging and stressful task that requires good organization and planning. It is essential that you have a clear idea of the job you are seeking. It is equally important that you know about yourself - your requirements, interests and abilities. Writing a good resume, preparing for an interview and making the right impression all contribute to your success in job hunting.

An effective job search is a well-planned and orchestrated campaign that has a single aim - to get you the best available job in the market that suits your needs and skills. To find the right job, direct the job search along the action plan given below. Each level should bring you closer to the right job.

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Are you feeling on top of the world after receiving three or more job offers? After all the hard work you put in while job hunting, you must surely be relieved. But wait! You may soon have to decide which one of these offers to accept. You are now faced with the daunting task of picking one offer that gets you the best deal. How does one find out?

There are a few points that must be kept in mind while analyzing the pay packet. Instead of only looking at who's paying the highest salary, take a close look at the benefits that are being offered in the pay packet. After all, benefits form a major percentage of your total compensation.

Take a hard look at the benefits that are being offered like the pension plan, medical insurance and life and disability insurance. Medical and pension benefits play a major role in the course of life and have to be considered in the final financial analysis.

Apart from the salary and compensation there are a whole lot of other factors that need to be considered too. What's the reputation of the company? How interesting is the work allotted to you? Another major factor to be looked into is the company's policy on offering hikes. After all, you don't want to be stuck in the same place. You need to see how to climb upon the ladder.

Other factors that may seem attractive and may add some extra value to the deal would be paid holidays and vacation time. The corporate culture prevalent in the company and the quality of life in terms of availability of good schools, social life are also worth considering.

Depending on your needs, you must also look into the working hours, how flexible these timings are and the commute from your home to the work place. If employee stock options are available, that's a major advantage too. So take your time before you choose a job offer and give due consideration to all these aspects of your pay packet.

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The telephone revolution is here to stay! And what's more, you can use this effective communication tool to land you great jobs. Wonder how? All you need to do is master the art of telephone marketing techniques in your job search campaign. These skills are easy to learn.

Essential steps for effective telephone skills

Scripting: The first step is to capture the attention of these hard-to-reach people with effective communication. So keep the conversation crisp and accurate. For this, you need to have a script ready. What's a script? It's planning what you want to say. Jot down points to state your point. But don't read out. Make it sound perfectly natural with your script in front of you.

Points to remember while scripting:

The most important step in scripting is to know what the purpose of your call is. Are you seeking information? Are you presenting your qualifications? Start by introducing yourself. Make your point and grab the attention of the person at the other end. State your objective and finally close the call after you get what you want.

Basic principles of telephone communication:

Practice, practice and more practice. Remember Rome was not built in a day! Try practicing with a friend. Learn to deal with voice mails. However boring it may seem to be talking to a machine, it is important that you learn to leave polite messages on answering machines and voice mails. Make sure you call from a quiet place and call only when you are ready with your script and job search notes.

Most importantly, learn to listen. Listen carefully. If there are any objections or answers that can end the call, be a little persuasive. Be persistent and have a scheduled time for the caller to call you back or for you to call him/her back. This way you won't have to wait endlessly for a call that may not come.

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Where is a better starting place for learning about employers for job search purposes than directories such as the Yellow Pages? You can find the contact details, locations, their products and services, by browsing through the relevant categories. Several companies also list at online directories and provide summaries of their main business activities and some also list their websites. Use the contact details and website addresses for learning about employers for job search purposes.

Step 2: Use marketing related information for learning about employers for job search purposes

Don't overlook the usefulness of product and services knowledge. Very few applicants bother with marketing material of the potential employers, which means you will have a definite advantage when you study their catalogues.

Where to get the information

Contact the company's marketing division or visit their website's products and services section to get a list of their main business activities, pricing structure, products and services. This type of information is readily available and the sales people at the company would gladly forward the information. Create the impression that you are not only a possible future employee, but also a customer interested in their main product line. Use brochure and marketing material from the company to learn more about their marketing strategies and client relationship policies.

Step 3: Study annual reports for learning about employers for job search purposes

The company annual report normally provides:

• The names of the CEO, directors, and department heads
• History of the company
• Vision and mission
• Economical outlook
• Short and long term plans
• Clues about the business strategy and focus points
• List of their main shareholders
• Indication of growth
• Employment policy
• Marketing goals
• Current important issues for the company
• Annual financial records
• Major clients
• Main business activities
• Main suppliers
• The company's perspective on their achievements and possible competition

The above information is extremely valuable when you apply for a job or go for an interview. You know something about the company, which they don't expect. Having this knowledge will provide you with an advantage over your competitors since they won't read the annual report.

Where to find the annual report

You will be able to download a copy of the annual report from the company's web address or find the relevant information on the about us or company background page. If the company doesn't provide the information at their website, you can contact the marketing or shareholder division to request an annual report. Most marketing personnel will be to glad to provide more information. You don't have to tell them the purpose other than stating that you are interested in the company.

How to understand the financial statements

Not everyone understands financial statements. The bottom line is to focus on the final figures for every quarter and year. Note the upward or downward trends and any changes in partners, business purchases and income. Use the CEO or MD's letter to the company's major shareholders for interpretation of the financial data.

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Opportunity comes to those who wait if they work while they wait! Those who have lived all their lives having their activities organized for them had better wake up and start working at mastering the skill of organization. Work experience alone will not help you if you can't manage and organize your daily activities for yourself.
Work out a plan for your job hunt and stick to it. It will be very easy to be tempted to give up the search and settle down back into the old rut. Don't allow anything or anyone to distract you from your goal to find a new job.

Time and Job Hunting

Looking for a new job is a fulltime job in itself! The first and biggest hurdle is to overcome the inertia. Once the heels are set into motion, it will be easier to keep them moving. Try and be consistent in this endeavor. It's hardly any use if you start enthusiastically and then your enthusiasm withers out.

If you are jobless, you can and should put in more time and effort into finding a job. If you are busy with your existing job most of the day, you will have to squeeze in some time for job hunting into your schedule.

For the unemployed, starting a job search is like being self-employed to flaunt your skills and convince prospective employers why you could be a prize-catch. For the already employed, a job search is a part-time job.

Advance Scheduling

Make a schedule and stick to it religiously. First decide how many hours a day you can devote towards this occupation. Then decide what you will do in that time slot everyday for each day of the week.

Make Yourself Accountable

Keep everything related to your job search in one place and ear-mark that place only for job search related activities. This will help you save time when you need to find related information at short notice and also tune your brain to get into job hunt mode when you are in that area.
Make a checklist of goals you think you should accomplish in the stipulated time and try to abide by it. If you don't, try and figure out why you couldn't and try harder the next time.
Involving another person in this project or joining a group of people in the same boat could also be a big help.

Keep Accurate Records

The biggest mistake you could make is to assume you will remember details of all those who may be helpful. You won't! Make notes of every name you come across and write down all you know about the name either of companies or of people. File this information in an organized manner where you will find it easily.

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