On the Job Search Part 5: You Never Know

New lesson on the job search: even if an interview doesn't seem exactly right for you, do it anyway. This weekend I had a job interview with a major retail chain. I have very little retail experience, but I did have some client relations on a previous job, so I figured I'd play that up. The interviewer was the store manager for the franchise. I was up and positive and he said he liked my energy. He didn't think I was the right fit for an in-store position, but he thought there might be something for me in marketing which would employ my writing skills. I also commented that I had some event planning on my resume. He responded there was community outreach and event planning involved  I had gone into the interview prepared to take on a job in which I had little experience, but it turned out there was a possibility for a position employing my skills.Even if nothing comes of it, I'll have made a connection.

So it only shows to go you (as they sang in that song from Movie Movie), take an opportunity for an interview if it comes up.

After this interview I had a life coaching session at a community center. While they were playing Hitchcock's The Birds in the large gathering room next door as part of the afternoon movie program, the coach dispensed some useful information:

Build your connections on LinkedIn and find people who work for the firms you want to apply to. Then ask if they have a employee referral bonus program.

Because of rapidly changing technology, people will have to change their careers--not just their jobs, but careers--three to five times in their working life. As old skills becomes obsolete, new ones are created. A few years ago, who even heard of SEO. (That's Search Engine Optimization, grandma.) Now it's a requirement for any media-related job.

On information interviews, ask What do you like about your job, what do you NOT like, What do you recommend to someone who wants to get into your field?

Take a look at any previous jobs you enjoyed and break them down into the elements you liked doing. The find positions which contain the most number of elements that made you happy. We call it "work" rather than "fun" or "play." But that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy it as much of it as possible.