Chapter 2 Part 1 – 2.1. Job Ads, Internet Job Site, Headhunters, Career Fairs, Write-Ins

Posted by admin on Feb 16, 2010 in 1. Finding The Right Job, Chapter 2 Pre-Interview, |Read The Book for FREE | 9 comments

Some people say that the first step is the biggest step. In job hunting, the first step is just as important as any of the other steps. This is the beginning of a journey. Here are the common ways you can kick-off your job-hunt.

 Job Ads
The most frequent and well-accepted method is to scan through the major dailies like The Star and New Straits Times for job ads. Always buy newspapers on Saturday as most companies especially large ones advertise on Saturday. My personal favorite is always The Star.

How do you “Get it Right!”? In Malaysia, On Saturday’s The Star there are two sections advertising jobs. One is the normal “Star Jobs” and the other one in Saturday Metro section. Many people seem to overlook the Saturday Metro job ads. Yes it is true that usually only small companies advertise in this section, but sometimes there are also reputable, large companies who make use of these cheaper ad slots. So give it a glimpse.

Also remember that when a company advertises, they are revealing valuable info on their business and company. You will get some preliminary info such as HR email address, business direction and recruitment policy. This could be useful when you want to write-in to these companies when there are no advertisements in the future.

 Internet Job Site
This is fast catching up as the primary method for finding a job amongst entry level candidates. In Malaysia, JobStreet.com remains the top Malaysian Internet job site. Some other sites are JenJobs.com, JobsDB.com, Monster.com.my and ChiliJobs.com. It is easier than ever to apply jobs with these sites. It takes only few clicks.

JobStreet.com

JenJobs.com

Monster.com.my

While it does make your life easier, it is also bad news for you. Now many can apply the same job that you want. I remember applying for a management trainee position (12 openings) together with 1,321 other candidates. Imagine how tough that was. This is only made possible through the Internet.

How do you “Get it Right!”? When you see job ads on the net with 1,000 + applicants, try to write-in to their mailing address instead of just applying online. This works if you have a strong CV that cannot be highlighted on internet sites like JobStreet.com. When you write-in to the company on normal mail or by hand-delivered, you can attach your certificates (works well if you have strong certificates) and this will show your effort and huge interest towards getting this job. Everyone can click “Apply Job” but not everyone can write to the company with a strong cover letter, CV and backup attachments.

Also remember to surf company’s website as large companies like Air Asia do publicize vacancies through their own corporate website. Spend some time going through websites of companies that you want to apply to and check out their “Career” or “Job Vacancies” section.

 Headhunters
Corporate recruiters or better known as headhunters, are out there making money by finding candidates to fill in available jobs. Although headhunters usually approach candidates for jobs that require past working experience, there are some who approach fresh graduates for entry-level jobs.

I am not a fan of headhunters as they tend to match me with jobs that I do not like but if you are looking for jobs that you can get in a short time, give headhunters a try. Just do not be too choosy. Whatever it is, never use headhunter that requires you to pay a certain fee, you are better of on your own.

 Career Fair / Campus Recruitment
Career fairs are pretty common nowadays. This is where companies set up booths mainly to collect CVs, share information about the company and conduct on-the-spot interview.

How common is it for people to be recruited in these fairs? Again it depends on the type of job. My observation is that for high-turnaround jobs and jobs that require many staff such as call center agent or front desk executive or even Management Trainee, the chances of getting hired in these fairs are high. If you are looking for more specific or technical job, career fair may not be for you. However all is not lost, this is the platform for you to ask the recruiters on their recruitment policy, mailing addresses and contact info that might be useful in the future.

 Write-in
You have a dream job but it seems that there is never an opening for it? As much as it is a long shot and low possibility of success, it is never a bad idea to write-in to companies asking for possible openings. How do you do this? What you need to do is to write a cover letter stating your interest towards the company and asking them to consider you when there is possible opening in the future. Browse through the net for templates and samples of these letters. Just be brief, accurate and do not get your hopes too high.