Five Tips for New Job Seekers

by Janice Rapier, Seattle Goodwill

October 19, 2012

While you’re looking for work, get a volunteer job. This will add to your resume and give you references. Also, look for internships that will pay you minimum wage while you gain the experience needed to look for work.
Build a resumé that speaks to your experience in college or high school. Make a list of where you went to school, dates of attendance and educational accomplishments (GPA if it’s 3.0 or higher). If you participated in sports or other after-school activities, list them as well. Make sure to include any work you have done, organizations you belong to (like the Girl Scouts or 4H) and any volunteer organizations you have helped.
Build a personal network that will generate job leads. Use informational interviewing to start networking with people in the occupations that you are interested in. Informational interviews are meetings set up to learn about a certain career or industry, rather than to look for employment. Colleges, like the University of Washington, have alumni networks that you can use to make contacts and set up informational interviews.
Seasonal or part-time jobs are a good way to get your foot in the door. Look for entry-level positions by making visits to small businesses. Be persistent; get to know the manager. It will be a lot of leg work, but it’s a great place to start.
Look for part-time jobs with descriptions that emphasize personality traits, not experience and hard job skills.

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