ASHLAND — Quality, well-paying employment is always a massive concern. If you are in the job hunt, looking for an upgrade or just want to test the waters, here’s a local guide to help you land your dream position.
Resume
The hiring process usually starts with your resume. No need to frustrate yourself with design and layout — there are numerous free templates you can download and use. Check out these items offered by Microsoft.
Get someone to glance over your resume or CV once it’s completed — having another set of eyes can help ensure there aren’t any simple mistakes you may have overlooked.
Try to vary vocabulary as well, so your job descriptions don’t blend together.
If you don’t have a lot of work experience or industry-related attributes, focus on the skills you do have. A lot of time the resume or application is a formality to get the interview, anyway.
If you are filing out an application on-site, have a cheat sheet with you covering the timeline of your employment, business addresses, manager’s name, phone, etc. That way you can speed through the process and not have to leave any sections blank.
Jobs right now
If you are looking for general employment, there are currently over 2,000 jobs within 25 miles of Ashland listed on Indeed.com. You can filter search results based on salary, keywords, job type, company, experience level and location.
It’s the same for ziprecruiter.com and glassdoor.com, to name a just a few digital job boards.
Glassdoor has the added benefit of seeing what past employees have said about the company. That will give you a good idea of the work environment, management and what to expect. You can also post your own reviews on past employers and companies.
The State of Ohio has been doing a big marketing push for employment with their site, ohiomeansjobs.com.
As of Jan. 29, there were 136,471 available jobs listed on that website. The web layout also offers online training, career pathways, in-demand careers and you can also set up a career profile.
Big entities like Ashland University (745 employees) and Samaritan (750 employees), for example, are always looking for new workers. Check out the largest employers list on the Ashland Area Economic Development website.
Ashland County has over 85 manufacturers, so you can look to see what careers they offer or search individual companies by name.
The best time to apply
That’s the old adage. The best time to apply is when you already have a job. Believe me, that used to sound like insane talk. Most people can barely get through their daily grind with work and family responsibilities, let alone have time to job hunt and apply.
But, one, employers like candidates that are already working — shows no lapse in employment and that you are striving for improvement.
Two, you can carry a lot of confidence into the interview. It’s not a make-or- break situation, allowing you to negotiate and make sure it really is the right fit for you.
Get to the head of the line
If you submit your resume to a job site, you get thrown into a pool with all the other applicants. They don’t see your face, personality — just another list of skills and experiences.
Once you know the name of the company, call (preferably) or email the hiring manager and introduce yourself. Don’t oversell; just simply state that you’ve applied and are excited about the opportunity to show what value you can bring to the company.
Or go directly into the office/storefront/restaurant and ask to speak to the manager. Then introduce yourself and hand them your resume; that’s it.
Remember. it never hurts to apply. While it may be hard to find a job you truly love, you shouldn’t be working every day doing something you hate.
