Job Hunting Is Like Fishing
(You'll never catch anything without the right bait...and if you quit too soon!)
By Randolf Santos

Randolf Santos is a news reporter at China Business – Philippines, a monthly magazine available at leading newsstands nationwide and online via http://ChinaBusinessPhilippines.com. He was hired through JobsDB in July last year and will be regularized in a few days.

When I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcast Journalism last year, the first thing I asked myself was how I could get a job related to what I studied. Competition was fierce, especially since companies were starting to lay off employees. Before I clinched my present post as reporter, I had to pass through several obstacles. Let me share my job search experiences with you.

For starters, I started to look for a job through print advertisements. But it seems everything now is done online. It was then I realized I had to meticulously search for openings over the Internet.

Signing up for online job portals will greatly help your chances of landing a job. But it doesn't end there. Until the moment your interviewer shakes your hand and tells you, “You're hired,” your quest for a job remains. I learned this the hard way, thinking that an online job search account is enough to solve my troubles. Patience is still key and it will eventually pay those who continue to persevere.

Now, suppose you already have a job search account and you receive an e-mail containing details of a job interview. The thing to do is to answer quickly. Employers don't have all the time in the world to process a single applicant. Make your response short but enthusiastic.

If you can't make your interview date for some unavoidable reason, contact the company preferably within two days prior to the interview schedule. Take note, however, that you must only reschedule once.
Hygiene and proper attire during the interview are givens. Researching a company's dress code will jump start your interview.

Being confident is different from being overeager. Talk when given the chance. When asked about something personal, don't hesitate to answer. Employers have the right to know everything about someone they're hiring; although the possibility of being probed about overly personal things is rare. And, of course, be truthful.
These tips can help, but it is perseverance that will pay out in the end. If you fail the first time, simply do it all over again. The ones who succeed in life aren't those who merely try, but those who keep their eyes on the prize and persevere to reach it.