How To Get A Job In A Recession

Todays economic climate is very scary and finding a job can be an extremely tough and stressful task so I am writing this hub to help people find work to see them through the recession. It is not aimed at people trying to find their dream job, it is not aimed at people who are looking for a promotion (although it could benefit you) it is aimed at those people who are out of work and need to find work quickly to bring money in.

This step by step guide is a very simple and easy to do that when done correctly will bring results. Ther reason I believe that this will work for you is because I have friends and colleagues who use this same system and it brings results - every time. You will get rejections like any job application but perseverance will bring results.

On a personal note I am writing this so if I am ever unfortunate enough to lose my job then I have this 'hard copy' of my plan of action that I can put into place to bring money in ASAP for my family.

Temp work is short for Temporary Work. See here for a wikipedia summary of temporary work if you need more information.

Temp work is generally overlooked by a lot of people, they rarely put much effort into seeking or achieving temporary work because they are obviously after work on a permanent basis - but I think these people have missed a trick by overlooking temporary work. I think the majority of your effort should go in to achieving temporary work because you stand a better chance of getting a permanent job.

Have you ever felt that you apply for 100's of jobs but either never get a call back or you don't get very far with the interview process? A big reason for this is that many companies already have this position filled before advertising it.

I know that here in England (I am not sure of American law so I can't fairly comment) that companies legally have to advertise a job both externally and internally to be fair. But this role may already be filled.

Let me give you an example:

A company my friend currently works for needed a receptionist, so instead of advertising for this position they contacted a recruitment agency and asked for a receptionist the next day.

The next day someone turned up and worked for the next 3 weeks, she was happy with this as she needed the job. Unfortunately she didn't work out - she didn't impress. The following week they asked for another receptionist, she worked for a week, but she too didn't work out. The company then asked for another receptionist, this receptionist was brilliant, the company loved her and asked if she would like the job on a full time basis - she accepted.

The company then advertised this position in the local paper, unfortnately every person that applied for this role was wasting their time.

This highlights the importance and many benefits of temp work. Understand these points:

• The company were able to get a receptionist at their earliest convenience and monitor her to see if she was suitable for the role for the long term. If she wasn't (in the case of the first two people) they can ask the agency for another temp worker at no cost.
• If she impresses and is up for the role on a permanent basis, they will offer her the job.
• The temp workers get to start work straight away and earn money quickly without having to be interviewed, called back, re-interviewed etc.
• This method of recruiting guarantees more applicants get working interviews. You can rest assured that the best person for the job will get it!

Obviously this does highlight another issue. The advert in the local newspaper for this position was almost fictitious. Every person that saw that advert, applied for the job (even interviewed in some cases), prepared themselves for a potential interview were wasting their time.

Unfortunately so many people overlook the option of temp work, but this can be where the real job lays. Think of it from a recruiters point of view: Why would they interview a large number of people, then employ someone who has not yet worked for them when they can eliminate all of these dangers by going straight to a recruitment agency.

This brings the question: What is the best method a getting temp work and how do I do it?

Creating a suitable cv/resume is vital. A resume is your calling card to recruiters and in this case - a recruitment agency. Another benefit of using a recruitment agency is that they will view your cv first and advise you of any amendments that need to be made.

How To Create A Great CV is a great hub that is written by MikeJames here on Hub Pages. I STRONGLY advise reading this because it gives you a better and more thorough understanding on creating a resume. Although I could go into more detail in this section I think linking to other hubs will benefit you more as this hub is more focused on the steps of employment. There is also the option to view the RESUME section within Hub Pages. This covers all resume related hubs that have been written here on hub pages so if the above choice isn't for you - then look here.

• Know the job role that you are aiming for and target your resume around this. If you are looking to work in catering then tailor your resume around catering, highlight any previous experience you have in this field and completely sell yourself - don't hold back. This resume will go to catering based recruitment agencies and then catering companies.
• If you also have experience in another industry - the office environment for example, then create another resume targetting your experience/qualifications in this sector - and sell yourself on it again! This cv will eventually go to office based recruitment agencies.

To sum up: Don't be afraid to write more than one resume for different employment sectors. Spend a lot of time on your resume and make it the best you can. Include the great and leave out the poor. Don't be afraid to boast on your resume.

Creating your resume - or even editing it can sometimes appear daunting. You can use software such as Microsoft Office Word. Word has a great resume template that you can use where you just fill in the blanks that are relevant to you. CLICK HERE for more information on this.

Another piece of software that is brilliant and COMPLETELY FREE is Open Office. This has a word processor that is nearly identical to Microsoft Ofiice Work. A link to this software can be found at www.openoffice.org, it is a simple download to your pc with an easy setup wizard.

Alternatively this article gives a good overview on creating a good resume. I have also provided various videos to help with your resume creation.

Once your feel you are confident that your cv is complete and you are happy with it then move onto Step 2.

This step is my favourite - I don't know why, I just love it!! It is also VERY important.

The object of this step is to find 20 recruitment agencies. The reason you need 20 is that it improves your chances of getting work. Recruitment agencies look for work for you, so by having 20 you will probably have twice as many people searching for jobs for you than the average job hunter - this puts you ahead of the rest. How to find these recruitment agencies:

1. Go to your business search directory. In the UK our biggest is the Yellow Pages which can be found at www.yell.com. If you re in the states use your equivilant, maybe something like www.business.com or even www.craigslist.com and search for recruitment agencies, employment agencies, job search and any other search terms that spring to mind.
2. Now take a pen and paper and write down as many of these as you can. You MUST write down the: Company Name, Company Address, Company Phone Number and email address.
3. Now go to www.google.com and search for recruitment agencies in your local area such as 'recruitment agencies London' for example. Thesse will bring up results like www.monster.co.uk and www.jobsite.co.uk, (many of these also have cv builders for free). Write these contact details down in the same way as step 2 until you have at least recruitment agencies contact details.
4. Your notebook should now be brimming with contacts (both online and offline) and your cv ready to go. Phone up each of these agencies (or register online if they are online agencies), explain to them you would like to register your cv and the area of work you would like to work in. MAKE SURE YOU GET A CONTACT NAME OF SOMEONE AT THE OFFICE. This point is vital!!! Follow their instructions whether they would like you to visit their office or email your cv.
5. Document this next to their contact details in your notebook. Do they have your cv? Are you registered? Do you have a contact name? What type of work do they specialise in? How soon can you expect to get a job?

By all means feel free to repeat these steps and even get 40 recruitment agencies - the more you have the better chance you have of getting work.

By this stage you should have your resume built and have registered with at least 20 different recruitment agencies. Wih each of these recruitment agencies you must have a contact name them, an address, a phone number and some information on the type of work they recruit for and some general details about them. All this must be stored in your notebook!

Now you are going to get into a regular habit of asking them for work, this process is easy to do and is a great way of being recruited.

• Every Monday spend the morning ringing round each one of these agencies. When phoning ensure that you ask for the contact name of the person that you have written down. This adds a more personal touch and shows them that you are extremely keen to work, you are up early, motivated and organised. If every single one of these agencies fails to give you any work, do not worry, it is expected at first - do not give up.
• At least once more that week phone the same companies and repeat the step above. Ask for the same contact, ask whether they have any work, do they have any sugggestion on how you can get some work? Again, do not worry if this attempt is unsuccessful. It is imperative that you are always polite. Even strike up a bit of friendly conversation with the contact.
• Repeating these steps every week is going to show the recruiter how eager you are to work, that you are determined, that you are polite, that you are organized. By repeating these steps you are going to be the first name on the recruiters lips when some work does come in. The first name on 20 recruiters lips!!!! Whats more, they are probably going to be sick of you ringing up twice a week that they can't wait to get you some work!
• This last point highlights why it is vital that you are always polite and strike up a friendly relationship with every person. You want the recruiter to want to get you work. You want them to like you, you don't want to be another name on their books.

By following these easy steps you are doing more than 95% of the people on a recruitment agencies books so you are far more likely to get work. If the recruitment agencies like you, they will remember you and ring you.

You can deploy this method to real life situations too, let me give you an example:

During the afternoons that you may not be looking for work, target an area where there could be potential employment. Near where I live there is an industrial estate with approximately 25 factories. If I were out of work I would walk down there with my resume from Step 1 and ask to speak to someone in Human Resources (or whoever is responsible for emplyment). Taking that persons name and contact number I would ask whether there is any chance of work (temporary or permanent) and give them my resume. The following week I would call them back and ask the same question. I would repeat this step for every factory on the estate - do the same in your area.

It is worth noting here that your aggresive strategy of phoning them twice a week isn't advisable because these are your potential employers. Phoning them once every two weeks is more advisable.

Remember - What have you got to lose by asking for work? Abosultely nothing, but plenty to gain.