There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are out of work and trying to find a job and your job search is going no where. Don’t feel bad, you are not alone and there is a good reason why searching for a new job can be so difficult. There is no doubt the job market has changed. 30 years ago when I applied for my first job I remember answering an ad in the paper, calling and speaking to a real person, going in for the interview, filling out a application, had the interview and was offered the $3.75 and hour shipping job. Things are not that simple today. Back then there was no voice mail, no email, you mailed in a typed resume, who had a fax at home? You called and talked to a real person. You may of filled out a application but not the dozen forms you need to today. And you never had to prove you were legally allowed to work in the United States.

Today if you are looking for a job how to you stand out in the impersonal hiring environment that exists in most companies. If you apply online you are competing against dozens if not hundreds of others. Competition is stiff for a most jobs and a human may never even see your resume. Are there steps you can follow that will improve your chances? After being unemployed for several months after 3 years of self employment and becoming more depressed and frustrated in not finding a job, I took my job search to a new level which finally paid off in a new job.

I had been self employed for 3 years but after a divorce and starting life over, my self employment was no longer working. I had to bite the bullet and start looking for a job. The first mistake I realized was my resume was not working. I had updated it to reflect my self employment which was not related to my previous career. I was trying to find a position similar to my previous career in the graphics and computer support industry. By starting my work history with my self employment it made it look like I had been out of the industry even longer and my skills even more outdated. I was just shooting myself in the foot. I changed my self employment to reflect my computer skills so while I had been out of the industry for awhile I wasn’t out of touch. Some employers have doubts about people who have been self employed. They think they are going to go back to their own business or worse they only want a job so they can use company resources for their own gain. In my case I was able to explain that I had an opportunity to work at home and spend time with my preschool son, it had been for family reasons. Most employers respect that.

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3. Sale lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategies

It’s tough out there. Ask anyone looking for a job in nearly any field, and they’ll be able to recite a long list of challenges that job-seekers face on a daily basis. Companies are closing or suspending hiring for the foreseeable future, competition for open positions has never been fiercer and the outlook for the nation’s economy hasn’t been this bleak in generations. Now more than ever, job hunters need to be resourceful in their efforts to secure gainful employment and few websites offer more of these resources than LinkedIn. Why should you add LinkedIn to your job-seeking toolbox? Here are some very good reasons:

• Resources – LinkedIn lets you create a profile that potential employers can see and offers a wealth of practical articles on precisely the topics that job hunters need, such as How to Craft a Persuasive Cover Letter, How to Make Your Résumé Stand Out and much more. There are also a wide range of blogs to browse as well as user groups in different categories which registered users can join and with which you can interact, providing an invaluable perspective when you need it the most.

• Connections – The importance of making connections when searching for a job cannot be overstated. Many times it is the most unlikely and roundabout connections that help you land an interview. Over 25 million professionals use LinkedIn to share information, ideas and opportunities. Whether you’re looking for an old classmate or another professional in your field, registering on the site opens up all these connections for you, along with the business opportunities that presents.

• Exclusive job listings – The use of newspaper classifieds in a job search is definitely waning. More jobs than ever are being posted online. LinkedIn’s exclusive job listings and advanced job search features make it very easy to browse positions across the country in a wide range of different fields. Users can customize their search by location, company, title, newest listings and other parameters so that they may view only the most relevant positions.

When most people start looking for a new job, they tend to consider the activity as one complete process. Successful job applicants, however, will see it as three distinct phases:

Job searches

Resume (curriculum vitae) preparation

Interviews

The aspect that the casual applicant will spend the least time and effort on is job searches – yet logic dictates that this should be the area that gets most attention. For every job offer there are typically a higher number of interviews. And not every application receives an offer of an interview.

So it is amazing how many people treat finding jobs so casually. Typically they will have two or three places that they focus 90% of their effort on and the remainder of their time is spent browsing a few more sources once every few weeks.

It is no surprise that these people tend to have the least success in finding a new role. Good job hunting requires effort and nowhere is this more important than finding the vacancies in the first place.

Most job hunters tend to only focus on advertised vacancies – and then they only look for a small percentage of these. Typically they have a favourite paper or magazine and a few internet jobs boards. They will also register with a few agencies and wait to be called if any openings arise.

With the job market being so huge these days, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a customer service job. When I say customer service job, I am addressing all sorts of work. Whether it be the guy at the drive-through McDonald’s window, the lady in the clothing store, or the credit card salesman on the phone, these are all customer service positions. Most of us have probably worked a job or two from this category at some point in our lives. Many high school and college students take advantage of these jobs every day.

Thinking back, I have worked a number of customer service jobs. In fact, I actually spent eight years in a variety of positions, which would all be considered customer service. Websites such as http://Careerbuilder.com and http://Monster.com offer a spectrum of job positions involving customer service. This is a great place to begin your search. It is more than easy to punch in the customer service job of your choice and search the desired area. You can also type in the phrase, customer service job, which will overwhelm you with choices. The high point of working in customer service is the accessibility of work. Take a walk down town or in a shopping center. Chances are you will locate a customer service job. Telemarketers and credit card companies are also always looking for new, charismatic employees.

While customer service jobs can be easy to find, they certainly have a few drawbacks. A possible disadvantage to working in customer service is just what it states, you serve the customers. Now, in a perfect world this would be fine, but in our world of emotions and lack of patience, it can be testing. Coming from a customer service background I can tell you that it’s not always a picnic. You can and will encounter customers, whether on the phone or in person, that will push your buttons and dump their bad day all over you, but that goes with the territory. With any job, there are highs and lows. On a brighter side, when you work in customer service you have the ability to make a number of new friends, and meet a variety of people. The good customers definitely outweigh the bad. If you have never had a customer service job, it is a worthwhile experience. It allows you to get a clear taste of the world and interact with people. If you have trouble finding a position in your area, don’t forget to take advantage of the Internet. This will allow you a much wider variety of positions close to you.