Ask for Help

It’s no wonder that so many job hunters are becoming increasingly frustrated with the search. According to this New York Times article, only 3-5 percent of jobs are found online. When I read that, my heart sank. That’s primarily how I have been looking! I know a lot of my peers have been searching this way also. So what are we to do now?

First of all, do not stress and do not give up. If you continue to read the article, you will discover that while it is extremely difficult to find jobs online, it is not impossible. You are going to have to do some serious work. For example, if you see this on a company Web site, “For employment opportunities please contact careers@thiscompany.com,” don’t just settle for that. I learned this by asking for help from my internship supervisor, Heather Huhman.

Heather confirmed my questions about going out of your way to contact an actual person at the company. This goes back to the idea of “doing your homework” and researching. I really cannot stress the importance of this, as it will make you stand out from the rest of your peers inquiring about a job with the same company.

The point of this post is to really emphasize the point of asking for help during the job search. Just as I asked Heather for help on how to contact prospective employers, I have also turned to my peers, co-workers and professors for help, too. In regards to my resume, I asked all of the previously mentioned people for their opinion. Lucky for me, I work as the student publicity assistant for Career & Academic Planning on campus, so I have experts on resumes around me when I am working. Visit your on campus career and academic advising office, they can be an excellent resource for help with resumes.

Another thing to ask for help with is networking. You might not think you know anyone in your chosen career field, but it just might happen that your mother’s friend has a cousin that works for a company you would love to work for. Ask people you know to introduce you to people they know that can help you. Sometimes weak ties can land you in that interview room quicker than someone you have known for a long time.

How have you asked for help in your job search? Do you have any advice on asking for assistance when you need it?