Your Resume Is Your Sales Brochure in the Job Market

Some people go about their job hunting without any idea of who they are competing against. If not handled properly rejection can induce resentment which will inevitably play against you at an interview.

Gone are the days where you would stand in the town square waiting for someone to hire you for the day.

Applying for jobs is a blind endeavour for candidates who have no clue about the number and calibre of other applicants. For employers it can be a daunting task which explains why so many recruitment agencies have sprung up everywhere.

Are you looking at doing more of the same of what you have done in the past or are you trying to switch careers? Do you have any idea how you come across when you respond to a job post? Is there any way to spare yourself the hassle of being treated like a commodity and get in early on a new opening?

The answer to all these questions depend on how you treat you job hunting activities. If it is a casual past time you will get average results. If you treat it like a full time work you will get the outcome your commitment deserves hopefully.

We are all tainted by our past experience and it is so easy to assume that what worked in the past will continue to work for us - it's just a matter of trying harder...

The way you see yourself is not necessary the way others see you - especially on the employment scene. Employers are lazy and greedy. If they can get it done in India they will. If they can find a clever monkey they will pay peanuts.

So go for the jobs where an Indian accent or a primate approach is not good for the corporate image. Talk to as many people as you can. Check out blogs and forums. Don't waste what money you have left in dubious courses and certifications. Instead train yourself in passing the relevant aptitude tests. See what jobs are in demand even if it means eating some humble pie for a while. If you have lots of time on your hands offer your services as a volunteer and get some credentials that way.

If migration has eroded some opportunities in your area you might have to re-locate but do it only as a measure of last resort. It is very expensive to set new roots if a family depends on you. Some people work in another city and only come home for the weekend.