Hunting for a job is hard. Real hard. I should know. I've had plenty of experience. And I've learned a lot along the way. Here are some of the things I have learned over the years.

Before Starting Your Job Search

If you're looking for a job, the first thing you need to do is figure out where your skills, talents, experience and interests lie. Above all, ask yourself this question: "What kind of job will give me the most satisfaction?"

Okay, the whole self-awareness bit isn't exactly a novel idea. But it's rock solid truth. Excitement and interest can't be faked. It comes across in every letter you write and every job you interview for. Even if you are "lucky" enough to land a job that you don't care much about, your lack of passion will make it hard to do the job well.

The Best & Worst Job Hunting Tactics

Best: Do some research before starting your job search. Find out as much as you can about the work and the companies that provide it. Don't just go online. Talk to actual people who do the work and come from the companies you're targeting.

Worst: Going to an interview hoping for the best without doing any research or taking time to think through whether the position matches your skills, talents and experience.

Worst: Answering an ad for a position whose greatest appeal to you is that it's an available job. If you get the job and end up deriving satisfaction from it, it will be the product of sheer luck.

Best: Experts say and I agree, that the most effective job-hunting tactic is networking. I learned this lesson the first time when I was a new grad looking for an entry-level position. I've re-learned it in every subsequent job hunt in which I've ever engaged.

Worst: Sending out an endless stream of "cold" letters and e-mails with résumés attached to people you don't know. Trust me, most of these letters and notes get tossed out without ever being opened. Or, worse. My old boss at Ford Aerospace used to read résumés to the Department and make jokes about what they said they could do and the amusing line items people put in their résumés. Then he would either file in File 13 or put them on the bottom of the five-inch stack of résumés already amassed.

Best: Taking advantage of all the resources at your disposal. Use the placement office of the college or university from which you graduated. Look at the college alumni association directory to network with other alumni. I can't emphasize enough how big an advantage this can be not just in finding opportunities but in cashing them in. For example, at Texas A&M University, which has one of the strongest alumni associations in the country, there's a saying: "Aggies hire Aggies." And believe me, this mind-set is hardly unique to Texas A&M.

Best: Another great resource is the technical and professional society. If you're a safety professional and don't belong to one or more of these organizations, shame on you. How do you expect to demonstrate commitment to your profession unless you're part of such an organization? And how do you expect to network without having access to the resources membership to these organizations offers?

Conclusion

I'm just getting started. Next week, I'll give you 10 hints for conducting a successful job search.

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