The best thing you can do to acquire a good job is to complete high school. Most employers require a high school diploma to even be considered for a job with their company. Actually, the more education you receive, the better. A higher education from a trade school or college will increase your chance of winning that interview, and also can increase your earnings. During your education you would benefit greatly by developing basic computer skills. Many jobs incorporate the use of a computer on the job.

Set your goals, plan your career, and research the career you decide on. Take into consideration your personal attributes, interests, and abilities. Don’t let a competitive market dissuade you from going after the career you want.

Develop a good resume and conduct a good job search. There are many avenues to take in searching for a job. Research and learn the many different employment sites and utilize them. Consider volunteer work, part-time positions, and internships to gain needed experience.

When applying for a job, be brave. Get out there and apply in person when applicable, possibly meet your prospective employer. Be prepared when you go and take along a resume and cover letter, even if you’ve already submitted one with the company. Always be polite, and dress appropriately. Make eye contact, shake hands, and use proper language. Remember, your first impression is what will stand out.

Being persistent can pay off; follow-up with the company after a week if you have not heard back from them. Apply again if needed, most companies keep an application for roughly six months, but submitting another can’t hurt. Be creative when searching for a job. If you’d like to work in a hospital consider some of the ‘behind the scene’ positions also.

Networking is a critical part of the search. This is especially true in the current job market. Beginning a job search requires serious planning. Would you decide to take a vacation without research, plans and reservations?

There are five steps to a successful job search by networking:

1) Develop a plan for your job search. Give some thought to your skills, interests and experience. Start a list with this information. Determine how much time you will devote to this search. If you are unemployed, you need to dedicate the same number of hours you previously worked. Job searching is now your new job.

2) Develop a current resume. If you have skills, experience or education applicable to more than one industry, you need a resume for each industry. If you need some guidance with the resume preparation, there are books and software programs available to assist you.

When you have finished the groundwork by developing a plan and preparing a resume, you are ready to begin the networking process.

3) Set up a system to organize your networking endeavor. This step is extremely important to your networking success. Without organization, this process will not succeed. You can set up a spreadsheet on the computer or use the old-fashioned spiral notebook. Who should be included in your network? Include friends, family, co-workers or previous co-workers as a starting point. Write down names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses and a date column to track communications. You also need space to write comments and notes after each contact. Now, add to your network names of church members, your hairdresser and neighbors. You may have a conversation in a doctor’s waiting room that leads to a job possibility. Add former employers and former classmates because anyone may be a source of information that results in a job. Once the initial network has been set up, go online and visit job boards.

4) You now have your plan, your current resume and your initial network has been set up. Begin contacting the network by phone, email or mail. Let everyone know that you are looking for a job. You may be asked for a copy of your resume; be sure to send it right away.

5) Stay in contact with your network by following up at least once a week. Keep them informed of your progress and be sure to thank each one.

Do not underestimate the power of your network. It has been reported that at least 60% of all jobs are found by networking. Some career experts report that networking accounts for far more than 60% of jobs found. Once you have your new job, contact everyone in the network and share the good news. Send everyone a thank you note for their time and effort on your behalf.