1) Get the heck off Craigslist and call companies DIRECT. Forget online ads, everybody does that (including us when we market, but not when we contact employers!). Online classifieds are middlemen with no compassion if you get the job or not, plus hundreds of other people are competing for that same spot. Can you out-muscle a black belt former Police Commissioner for NYPD with vet status? Didn’t think so. Make your life easier and go direct.
2) Print your business cards. You do not even need to own a business. Simply put your first name and last name on the first line, your telephone number on the second line and your specialty on the third line. Hand these cards to everyone in management at whatever facility/biz you WANT. Remember, YOU choose where to work, take some control of your life.
3) Dress and smell good. Nobody wants to hire a stink, tacky dresser. Shop at thrift stores for great suits and shirts. Shirts cost $5 at most and blazers cost $15 at most, pants are same and shoes sometimes are free. Get it tailored and maybe read www.tsbmen.com on styling tips. I have rarely met an unemployed stylish person. Managers rather hire someone who looks professional and a bit smaller than a burly mountain man who is unkempt. ESPECIALLY IN SECURITY. Looking tidy is important. Verbal judo is enforced swifter and more direct when performed by a professionally dressed officer, not some super sloppy person with no sense of style or care for appearance. Same with nightclub security, size is not important. Presentation is.
4) Keep your teeth and breath fresh. We do not need to even touch on this.
5) Pay for professional help. This may very well make you upset and want to tweet this article, but it is what it is. We, as professional trainers and job consultants and security specialists, have seen dozens of people get hired from playing the game the right way. IF you do not play the game the right way, you will lose. So why do all the work? You do not change your own tire (most of you) or operate on yourself (this ain’t a movie!). So hire professionals while you work on how to ADVANCE once you get the job.
Remember ladies and gents, getting the job is not the end game–moving up to management and getting a decent salary is the goal! Never ever forget that. Also, pride and success do not mix, in fact they are polar opposites. We all had to bust tables, clean toilets and mop floors in order to pay for schooling and education and training; what you are doing is nothing new. In fact there are some countries where a decent days pay is a single digit ($5) and that is quite enough for a good days ration (food).
We are very fortunate to live in a country where, at anytime, we can decide to become successful and change the course of our lives. Of course we need spiritual guidance as well, but we are made, our DNA, coded with the ability to excel. Realize your potential and unlock it and go after opportunity with a spirit of friendliness and professionalism and you will land a job!