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New Job Seekers Starting Guide

If you haven’t already, go to the Getting Started page to apply for unemployment benefits and take the first few steps in your new job search.

You will need to do the following to improve your chances of successfully landing a great new job.

Career Assessment

If you are not sure what you want to do next, conduct a career assessment. You can do this with our Career Assessment forum or through resources in the Career & Salary are of our Resources library.

Even if you know what you want to do next, we suggest you attend the Career Assessment forum to address Corporate Culture and its impact on your career. You’ll be better off avoiding jobs in an uncomfortable environment, and you can often identify those environments before you apply. After completing the assessments, we will use Looping Method exercises to identify the questions you need to ask and answer to take your next steps.

Build Marketing Materials

Your portfolio of marketing materials are meant to sell you to potential employers and anyone else who can help you reach the decision makers with the authority to make you an offer.

  • Start with a Marketing Plan – Job Search Strategies
  • Write a Resume to match
    • Start with the Workforce Solutions Resume Writing Workshop
    • Do one-on-one reviews at Workforce Solutions, the Round Rock Library, or HIREDTexas
  • Build your LinkedIn Profile – Hands-on LinkedIn
  • Get a professional head shot for your LinkedIn Profile
  • Obtain Business Cards
  • Create your 60-90 second Tell Me About Yourself (TMAY) introduction
  • Create your 30 second Elevator Speech/Pitch

Our Practice Makes Perfect interviewing forum periodically works on the TMAY and Elevator Speech.

Consider Joining a Career Action Team

The Career Action Team format is not for everyone. It requires a commitment to yourself, your accountability partners, and your team. Substantial work on a personal career assessment, marketing plan, and other marketing materials may be necessary to ensure you are applying for the right jobs, but they are not necessary to start working with the team.

If you think this is for you, and you think you’re ready, review the requirements and arrange with the team facilitators to visit and observe the teams you think may be appropriate for you.

Network! Anywhere, Anytime, with Anyone!

Include family members, former work associates and community contacts in your networking efforts. Be specific about your unemployment situation. Make new contacts! Networking provides the most effective job search technique. Don’t rely solely on the internet for your job search.

Our Networking Resources page has information on other job clubs, networking groups, and where to get business cards.

Use All Resources Available to You

Hiredtexas has an extensive, non exhaustive, list of Central Texas resources to draw upon during your transition.

This includes:

Other Important Items to Consider

Your period of unemployment will affect you and everyone around you to some extent.

  • Review personal/family financial status; implement budget as needed.
  • Consider registering with area temporary staffing agencies.
  • Volunteer your talents to maintain your skills during this career transition.