Job-hunting strategies, from notes I took in a pre-retirement class, October 2010 (see Retirement Tips - 1 and Retirement Tips - 2 for earlier installments):

• network furiously with your friends and acquaintances
• in a small town, ask for information about jobs at the post office, library, etc.
• anticipate spending ~3-4 months on an average job search
• be prepared to answer typical interview questions:
  • "What's your passion?"
  • "What are your skills?"
  • "What are some of your greatest accomplishments in life? What did you do to achieve them? What were the circumstances that made them so rewarding or important? What were the outcomes?"
  • "What do these stories tell you about your strengths and interests?"
• once a potential employer wants you, "Everything is negotiable"
• in the contractor world there's a ~25% annual turnover, so be prepared to look again for a job in a few years
• consider working at a nonprofit association or society
• more than half of all jobs come through referral by a friend or present employee at a company; other, less likely routes, are direct application, contacts via a professional association, transition from part-time to full-time at a company, meeting a recruiter at a job fair, studying help-wanted ads, or via a headhunter (employment agency)
• never pay someone who promises to find a job for you!
• it's best to pick specific jobs to apply for, rather than submitting a general application
• give yourself 10 points for a face-to-face meeting with a potential employer, 3 points for a telephone contact, and 1 point for mailing a résumé, and try to score 100 points per week during your job hunt
• use Internet job search sites such as indeed.com, simplyhired.com, salary.com, glassdoor.com, etc.
• try to defer the conversation about salary until late in the game, after both parties have "fallen in love" — and when the topic comes up, do your homework in advance and instead of answering the question, turn it around: ask "What's the range?" or say "That's negotiable based on what you determine my value can be to your company."
• for social networking, use Facebook, MySpace, etc., and especially LinkedIn as part of your job hunt
• on your résumé, the goal is to "win the interview, not tell your life story"
  • write for the reader
  • take out the fluff
  • tell them what they want to hear
  • make it an advertisement, not an autobiography
  • tell them enough to rule you in, not rule you out
• begin a résumé with your name and contact information, and then:
  • objective/summary — 1-4 lines about jobs you want to do
  • work history — chronological, latest first, listing relevant accomplishments
  • education/training — highest degrees first, no dates needed
  • other information
• the more whitespace on a résumé, the better
• references aren't needed most of the time, but do list professional associations
• make the résumé readable, in 10-12 point font, Ariel or Times New Roman; avoid italics and limit the amount of bold text
• cover letters aren't necessarily expected, but if you send one make it three brief paragraphs:
  • tell how you learned about the job
  • explain how your skills align to the requirements
  • request an opportunity to meet, and provide a telephone number
• during a job interview:
  • be prepared for various styles of job interview, including "Direct", "Indirect", "Stress", and "Behavioral"
  • practice in advance!
  • be attentive
  • maintain eye contact (within reason)
  • move from interrogation toward conversation
  • throw in salient points along the way; don't give one-word answers
  • if given an open-ended question, pause to ask questions back, e.g, "... and can I tell you about ...?"
  • don't become defensive or flustered
  • don't take more than ~2 minutes to answer a question; let the interviewer ask you for more details as needed
  • be honest if you can't answer a question; stop and think as needed
  • have some pre-planned questions to ask of the potential employer, and show interest in the answers; questions might include:
    • is this a new position or a replacement?
    • is this in support of a project? if so, when does that project end? what happens next?
    • what will be my work location? how much travel should I expect?
  • dress "up" for the interview, in appropriate business attire
  • know what to expect: where, when, how long, and if travel is involved who pays for it
  • follow up: ask "What's the next step?" and "Who's my Point of Contact?"
  • email a brief acknowledgement and thanks after the interview
• look at the company web site and read about it before you interview

^z - 2012-05-02