Part 1 of 4: Building Your Qualifications
1. Revise your resume. Before you start job hunting, make sure that your resume is as complete and up-to-date as possible. Your resume is an important distillation of who you are, where you come from, and what you can offer.

Here are a few tips to consider:

• Never make up information on a resume; it can come back to haunt you later. Look at a variety of recent, relevant job descriptions. Use similar language to describe your skills and accomplishments on your own resume.
• Use active verbs. When describing what you did at your last job, make the sentence as tight and active as possible.
• Proofread. Review your resume several times for grammatical or spelling errors.
• Keep the formatting simple, easy to read and to the point.
• Ensure your name and contact information are clearly and prominently displayed.

2. Prepare for the job interview: Develop your personal "elevator pitch". Many structured interviews, particularly those at large companies, start with a question like "Tell me about yourself." The interviewer wants to understand your background, your accomplishments, why you want to work at this company and what your future goals are.

• Keep it brief — between 30 seconds and two minutes — and have the basics of it memorized so that you don't stammer when you're asked to describe yourself. Practice your elevator pitch out loud on someone who can give you feedback.

3. Make a list of work-related skills you'd like to learn. Your employer will be interested in hearing about how you intend to become a better employee. Think about which skills will make you more competent in the position you're applying for. Here is a list of some of the most important job skills, wanted by employers, that a job-seeker must have to be sure of landing a good job and just as importantly, keeping it.

• Logical thinking and information handling: Most businesses regard the ability to handle and organize information to produce effective solutions as one of the top skills they want. They value the ability to make sensible solutions regarding a spending proposal or an internal activity.
• Technological ability: Most job openings will require people who are IT or computer literate or know how to operate different machines and office equipment, whether it's a PC or multi-function copier and scanner. This doesn't mean that employers need people who are technology graduates — knowing the basic principles of using current technology is sufficient.
• Communicating effectively: Employers tend to value and hire people who are able to express their thoughts efficiently through verbal and written communication. People who land a good job easily are usually those who are adept in speaking and writing.
• Strong interpersonal skills: Because the working environment consists of various kinds of personalities and people with different backgrounds, it is essential to possess the skill of communicating and working with people from different walks of life.
  

Part 2 : Doing Your Homework
1. Prepare for a behavioral interview. You might be asked to describe problems you've encountered in the past and how you handled them, or you'll be given a hypothetical situation and asked what you would do. You might also be asked questions looking for negative information. They'll basically want to know how you'll perform when faced with obstacles in the position you're interviewing for. Be able to give honest, detailed examples from your past, even if the question is hypothetical.

Some questions you might be asked are:

• "Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn't like."
• "Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you had made, even though it made you unpopular."
• "Give us an example of something particularly innovative that you have done that made a difference in the workplace."
• "How would you handle an employee who's consistently late?"

2. Research the company. Don't just do an Internet search, memorize their mission, and be done with it. Remember that you're competing with lots of other candidates for a few or single position. You may not be able to change your natural intelligence, or the skills that you bring to the job, but you can always change your work ethic. Work harder than everyone else by researching the company or companies you wish to work for as if your life depended on it.

Part 3 : Pounding the Pavement
1. Do informational interviews. An informational interview is when you invite a contact or a professional out to lunch or coffee, and ask them questions without the expectation of getting a job. Informational interviews are a great way to network, expand your list of contacts, and find out tips and tricks from professionals who are on the ground.

2. Network. The best companies to work for tend to rely heavily on employee referrals. Make a list of all of your friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Contact them one by one and ask them if they know of any openings for which they could recommend you. Don't be too humble or apologetic. Tell them what you're looking for, but let them know you're flexible and open to suggestions. Don't be picky about jobs at this stage; a connection can get your foot in the door, and you can negotiate pay or switch positions once you've gained experience and established your reputation.

3. Volunteer. If you aren't already, start volunteering for an organization that focuses on something you're passionate about. You may start out doing boring or easy work, but as you stick around and demonstrate your commitment, you'll be given more responsibilities. Not only will you be helping others, but you'll also be gaining references. Emphasize your volunteer experience on your resume, as companies that treat their employees well tend to favor candidates who help the community somehow.

Believe it or not, volunteer positions and internships can lead to jobs. In today's economy, many companies are turning to internships as a cost-effective way to vet potential future employees. This is because many companies simply don't have the money or resources to take a stab in the dark and offer a job to someone who isn't tested. If you put in hard work, demonstrate your ability to solve problems, and keep your chin up, your value to the company might be too big for them to pass up on.

Part 4 : Adjusting Your Mentality
1. Change your attitude. Demonstrate your desire and ability to help. Everything that you write and say should be preceded silently by the statement "This is how I can help your business succeed."

2. Settle down. If you've moved around a lot, be prepared to offer a good reason for it. Otherwise, you'll need to make a good case for why you want to stick around in the area where the job is located. A company doesn't want to hire someone with wanderlust who still wants to relocate.

3. Fit the job to the skills rather than the other way around. Many people search for jobs, then try to see how they can tweak the way they present their own skills and experiences to fit the job description. Instead, try something different. Instead of this top-down approach, start from the bottom up.

• Make a list of all of your skills, determine which kinds of businesses and industries need them most (ask around for advice if you need to) and find businesses that will benefit from having you and your skills around.
• It's important the nature of the job fits your personality and salary requirements, otherwise you'll have spent a significant amount of time to find a day job you dread getting up for every morning. So be realistic about what you expect, but be open to what you explore.
• Don't panic, and don't count yourself out just because you don't have 100% of the things in the job description. The job description may describe an idealized candidate, which may be a different set of qualifications than you have. While you should certainly choose job descriptions that best match your qualifications, sometimes the best you can do is to sell the qualifications you do have, and plan to learn and grow into the rest.