How To Find And Get A Job Quickly

In this horrible time of economic downturn, a lot of people want to know how to get a job quickly! They need money and are desperate to feed their families, fill the tank with gas, and pay their rent or mortgage. As someone who has been through times of unemployment and foreclosure proceedings, I can relate.

This article is intended to help you secure a job interview and secure employment quickly so that you can get back on your feet. This is not an article on how to get your dream job, but an article on how to make some money to put food on the table and pay your utilities and house payment. You can work on finding your dream job later, once you have food in your stomach, lights and water on, and you have a roof over your head.

Too many people are holding out for management positions after losing their good-paying jobs, instead of taking what they can get now and being grateful. Put aside your pride and do whatever it takes to save your home and feed your family, even if you have a degree.

My husband has a bachelor's degree and was out of work for 10 months before he got a thankless customer service job, getting yelled at by customers. At that point, we were grateful for the job and he thought he would advance quickly to supervisor, as he was promised during the job interview. What a laugh. Exactly one year to the date the call center opened, they closed and over 850 people were once again jobless. I kept telling him to continue to look for something better while he was employed, but he refused to do so, thinking that this would turn out to be a great job.

We have had many setbacks and lessons in how to get jobs across the country. My husband graduated with a bachelor's degree in Biblical studies and we entered what we thought was the ministry with a certain denomination. What we really entered was being placed in small communities in tiny churches that did not want to grow and that wanted to control the pastor and his wife. Over and over, we experienced being put in a church where we were not wanted by a superintendent, getting paid the vast amount of anywhere from $85 to $150 a week. Try paying your bills, student loans, and buying food for a family of five on that. We would be moved every 9 to 18 months.

During those times, we had to find ways to make money, which upset the people. In most places, we were able to obtain extra money quickly.

Finally we got off the roller coaster of ministry and settled down in San Antonio, Texas without jobs. So we had to find more. Since living here, between the two of us, my husband and I have had 19 jobs in the past 12 years. The job market is unstable, with companies laying off and closing a lot. The economy is not the way it was when my parents and grandparents worked. Back then, you got a good job with a decent company and you kept it until retirement, where you were given a gold watch and a pension to supplement social security until you died. Those days are long gone. Now just as you approach retirement, if you were lucky enough to keep your job until then, you are let go so that you do not get a pension. The gold watch was tossed away long ago.

So forget about long term employment. For the most part, that is over, unless you belong to a powerful union or you are a politician in Washington, D.C.

Let's talk about eating and keeping the lights on and a roof over your head.

Let's talk about the job hunt. The days of looking in the want ads of the newspapers are over. Most say to look online now for jobs, but that, too, is gone. Today's job hunt is best accomplished through contacts, people you know from work, church, family, friends, neighbors, and other acquaintances.

I have gone the newspaper want ad route and I got an interview and the job twice in the past 12 years so it can be done, but more and more local newspapers are folding as less people subscribe to them. This means that less companies are buying help wanted ads and more are going to the internet where they can post free ads.

Sometimes you get lucky and find an opening on Monster or Yahoo Hot Jobs and if you email your resume right away, you may get a call. This has happened to me several times and I got the job twice.

Another way to make contact is through job fairs. Almost every week here in San Antonio, someone is holding a job fair. You go dressed for an interview in good, clean clothes, with a ton of resumes, and stand in a long line to meet the representatives from each company at the job fair. Yes, you really can get job interviews and jobs this way. I have done it and I have been hired. So has my husband.

Most of the time, someone you know has heard of an opening and will give you the information, if you will just drop your pride and let everyone know that you are out of work and need employment. Tell your family, your neighbors and friends, your former co-workers, your Sunday school class, your Bible study group, the friends in your church. Tell the convenience store clerk, the gas attendant, the checker at the grocery store. Someone, somewhere, knows something. Tell them you are willing to work at any position. Remember, this is not a permanent life sentence; it is survival until you are back on your feet again. Do not wait until your unemployment runs out. Do it now.

First, clear your mind of all preconceived notions of being too good for any type of work. This is harder than it sounds, but you have to bring some money in now!

Consider mowing lawns in your neighborhood or in one not very far away. Both of my sons and my husband have done this. You can make $20 to $50, depending on where you live and the size of the yard in question. Lots of people don't want to get out in the heat to mow their own lawn and some may not have a lawn mower. Take advantage of this and print out small fliers to let people know that you are available for mowing lawns. Have a dependable mower and a phone where you can be reached. Show up on time and do the very best job you can do. Some folks not only pay the agreed-upon amount; they will also tip you for a job well done!

Do something with pets. Walk them, pick up after them (poo), babysit them, stop by their house and feed them while their owners are out of town. My sons have done this in our neighborhood. Do your best. Pet owners tip well if they are pleased.

My financial counselor, Dave Ramsey is big on delivering pizzas for some quick cash plus tips. If you have reliable transportation, deliver pizza in good neighborhoods. Hungry people who make a good living tip very well. Get there on time, with a smile on your face. Be polite and you will earn cash.

Don't think 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Think 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Do not put on your application that you cannot work on Sundays because you have to go to church, unless you are a preaching pastor. Hungry Christians work on Sundays if they have to. I have done it. My pastor husband has done it. All three of our children have done it and we are not going to hell. We showed up with a smile on our faces, as representatives of Christ, and did our best, showing Christ to others, right where we were placed. All three of my kids still work on Sundays when they have to. I was fortunate enough now to have a job where my I no longer have to work on weekends. On weekends, I work on my websites and assist my husband with his work-from-home garden supply business.

As soon as you hear of a job tip, immediately go to that place, give them a call, or apply online, whatever you are told is the best way to apply. Use your contact's name on the application, with their permission, and mark your availability for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Remember your goal is to get cash coming in to buy food, pay utilities, and stay in your house or apartment. This is temporary....Don't be fussy. Be grateful and be willing to do whatever it takes.

Start with an updated, perfect resume that is short (one to two pages), gives your abilities in short, concise lines, with no spelling errors. Make sure your email address and phone number are correct. If you use a cell phone, make sure your phone is always turned on and that you take every call. Some potential employers may call just one time. If you use an answering machine, forget the cutesy message and give it a business-sounding message. If you have a silly or cute email address, get a new one with your name such as johnjones@hotmail.com or jonesjohn@yahoo.com. Save the cute email for family and friends. Employers want a serious candidate.

If you are going to the company, dress for a job interview, even if you are just dropping off the application. Always shower, wash your hair, brush your teeth, use deodorant, wear nice clothes. Do not wear jeans, sandals, or sneakers. Cover tattoos. Take off all piercing rings from your body, unless you are a woman. If so, wear one earring per lobe and make sure they are small and conservative, such as a pearl or diamond stud. Do not go with funky colored hair, like blue or pink. Females, do not show your cleavage. Males, wear a dress shirt and tie. I know I sound like an old fuddy duddy, but do you want the job? If so, please listen. It will help.

Prepare ahead of time for what you will say during the interview. Give the interviewer a firm handshake, a friendly smile, and a warm, "Nice to meet you." Do not say anything bad about any former company or former boss. Don't worry about being fired or laid off. These days, almost everyone has been. It is just a fact of the economic downturn. Don't lie. Don't give specific details, either. Just state the facts, short and simple. Don't ramble. Don't tell personal stories.

When the interviewer says, "tell me about yourself," do not tell him/her about yourself. Tell the interviewer what you can do for the company and how you are the person he or she is looking for. The interviewer does not care if you are married or how many kids you have. He or she is not looking for your political beliefs or whether or not you are going to heaven so don't bring these things up. Keep it business. Do not look around the room or look at your watch. Look into the interviewer's face, keeping eye contact as much as possible. Pretend you are stress-free. Do not say you need a job. Do not act or sound desperate.

If you are sick or pregnant, keep it to yourself as much as you can. Don't say anything during the interview about needing time off for a personal matter such as a wedding or a divorce hearing. Deal with that once you have been hired.

Keep everything positive and happy--all rainbows and sunshine during the interview. Do not ask about compensation or benefits. When the interviewer asks if you have questions, ask something specific about the company you are hoping to work for. Make it an intelligent question. Do a little online research prior to the interview and have a question in mind. They always ask this question and most idiots ask about compensation, benefits, and vacation time, all of which are to be avoided until a position has been offered. Don't be an idiot.

Here is how to get a job quickly in a nutshell:  Be prepared, clean and well-dressed, well-rested, relaxed, and stress-free, at least on the outside. No one will hire someone who appears desperate and poor.

Be intelligent, act like you know something about the company and that you care and want to be a part of it. If you can do this, you will have a successful job interview where you will get a call to come back for another interview or you will get the call to offer you the position.

Once you have obtained employment, show up on time each day. During your time off, continue your job search for something better. Always be looking and don't be afraid of hard work. Tackle everything you are given with a positive attitude and you will earn money.