To find a job you enjoy, and at which you'll be successful, you need to begin by thoroughly assessing your current knowledge and abilities, as well as your long-term ambitions, preferred lifestyle, values and needs:
Are you most fulfilled by helping others? Depending on your other preferences and aptitudes, a career in education or medicine might be a great fit for you.
Do you struggle to sit still for long periods of time? A "desk job" in a traditional office setting may not be ideal.
You should also consider whether your work and school history, and any military service, hobbies, and volunteer activities may make you especially well-suited for specific kinds of employment over others.
Given that you will spend the majority of your waking hours at work, any time you take making these sorts of assessments will be a solid investment in a more self-fulfilling future.
Once you determine your strengths and what matters to you, you can set appropriate job-hunting goals and begin job-hunting and career-planning more systematically.
If you find this self-assessment difficult, contact Clovis Community College's Career Resource Center! They will be happy to work with you one-on-one to help you determine the best strategies for you.
There are many ways to look for jobs and some strategies may be more appropriate or effective for one industry than another. Here are a few of the various strategies you can use find work opportunities in your area of study or expertise.:
Contact Professional Organizations in Your Field (and Join Them!)
If you work in a professional career field, it is likely that there are several state or national associations related to that career that provide career information and services to members.
If there's a professional organization in your field, join it and participate in its meetings and other events so you can get to know people in your area of interest. In some cases, you may discover alumni from your school who might be able and willing to lend you a hand in your job search.
Browse Company and Organization Web Sites
Many companies and organizations post their job openings directly on their websites, most commonly under an "Employment" or "Career Opportunities" link (often at the bottom of the page).
Network
You can often track down helpful personal contacts or learn about job openings that may not be widely advertised or advertised at all, simply by talking to people! Start with your own family, friends and acquaintances. Let them know you're looking for a job, and give them an idea of what type of job you want. You might be surprised to learn about the opportunities available to you.
Participate in Job Fairs
Many cities, particularly large ones, host job fairs at various locations throughout the year. Most colleges and universities hold their own job fairs as well, where employers come to you and you frequently have a chance to interview with those employers on the spot.
Intern or "Temp" at a Company
By interning or "temping" at a company, you can sometimes position yourself to be hired for a full-time, permanent position with the same company later on. Even if that doesn't happen, an internship or temporary position can help you make useful connections in your field of interest and gain invaluable work experience in the field that you can cite in your resume or CV (curriculum vitae).
(Please note: Although some internships pay a stipend or salary, many do not, so you may need to take that into account before quitting any job or jobs you already have!)
The more methods you use, the more opportunities you'll uncover.
The campus Career Resource Center can work with you one-on-one to help you determine job-hunting strategies that may work best for your situation.
You may also wish to check out Snagajob's YouTube channel for job search inspiration.