Job hunting can be stressful trawling through the papers, browsing the internet, worrying about the state of your CV – but with just a little thought and planning, you could find yourself closer to your next job.

1. Get some advice

If youre buying a house, you get advice; if youre starting a business, you get advice; if youre changing jobs, you just go ahead and do it. Once youve decided that you want a new job, why not take the time to get some advice? Find out which companies are growing, what sort of salaries are being offered for the sort of work you do and what prospects are available for someone with your skills or qualifications. Get impartial advice on your strengths and weaknesses and identify areas where some additional training or experience may be useful. By getting some advice before you look for a job, you will be better prepared to select the right job for you.

2. Sort out your CV now!

Theres no shortage of CV advice and guidance on the internet, but a lot of people must be ignoring it because agencies and employers are still receiving lots of poorly written and planned CVs. Your CV is the first contact your future employer has with you, so its vital you make a good impression. If youre not confident about producing your own CV, then invest in professional advice its worth it if it helps you to get a better job in the long run.

3. Research

Once youve been called in for an interview, theres no excuse for not being properly prepared. The more you know about the company, the more confident you will be at interview. Nearly every company has a website, and most will send you product and corporate information if you ask for it. This research will also allow you to ask informed questions at interview.

Follow these three basic steps and you should find yourself in a much better position when it comes to selecting and applying for your next job.

If you are seriously searching for a local job, but you have no idea where to look, you may be just one of the thousands of unemployed people in the country. However, finding a job is easy when you know where to search.

Where can you find employers? How can you find your desired local job?

Before anything else, you should determine your skills and abilities, update your resume and be ready to face the employment process. There are several options on where to find employment.

1) Job Center: Job centers provide numerous vacancies for different kinds of work. Majority of job centers update their employment board frequently.

Originally, these career centers cater to young jobseekers up to 21 years old. They arrange for appropriate job interviews, which they believe, would match your skills and abilities. Some job centers also process training vacancies and apprenticeships to young people. Today, these centers also cater adults need of employment.

2) Newspapers: Local and national newspapers, non-profit papers and job hunting newspapers provide advertisements on current job vacancies. You could find all the existing newspapers in libraries and check all the recent job postings.

Majority of newspapers today have their content available online. You could browse through them one by one and list all the jobs you prefer.

3) Journals and magazines: Every industry has their own periodicals, magazines or journals. Most employers go to these publications for employing professionals. Some could be bought in magazine stands and others come by subscription. Therefore, if you are hoping to establish your career based on your finished field of study, you could subscribe to a professional magazine and increase your local job prospects.

4) Agencies: Employment agencies handle most of vacant local work. Covering all kinds of work for various industries, these agencies are listed in local directories and Yellow pages.

5) Employer grounds: Many companies have job vacancies on their premises. Since these companies such as food retailers make use of internal notice boards, they do not advertise in newspapers and agencies. You could walk into these companies and ask the front desk for employment vacancies.

6) Internet: The most cost-effective way in finding local jobs is through the internet. Majority of employment agencies, newspapers, top companies, magazines and job centers have their own website. You could save time by searching through them one by one and apply for the job you prefer the most.

Making use of all these options could save you a lot of time searching for your desired local job. You could use all of these methods simultaneously to increase your chances of employment.

When the Job Search is Over, be Sure to Say Thanks

Using a job acceptance letter when offered a position shows true professionalism. It is a way of saying thank you to the person who hired you, and giving them assurance that they made the right decision. You have presented yourself to them as a professional with your resume, cover letter, reference sheet, salary history, letters of recommendation, follow up note, and any other personal marketing materials youve used while job hunting. You went out of your way to make sure that the interview went well, and probably did your homework on the company before going in for that first interview. Now using a job acceptance letter will be a capstone on all your work, and perfect the positive professional image youve tried to convey throughout the job search and hiring process.

Of course, if youve never written one before you may have questions as to what it should contain and how it should look. Here are the basics: it should be on the same paper your resume and cover letter were on, preferably a light gray or ivory linen, laid, or parchment paper or one of the new sandstone papers. It should have a letterhead that matches the other personal marketing materials youve used. It should be personally addressed to the decision maker who hired you. The job acceptance letter should also be placed in either a matching business sized envelope, or a large white envelope to avoid folding, and should be personally addressed. If your own handwriting isnt very legible, print the address, or have a friend with great handwriting address it for you.

It should also be short. Show that you respect the hiring managers time by being direct, while still polite. You can say everything you need to say in two or three paragraphs which are quick to read. When writing the job acceptance letter be straightforward and professional. Let the hiring manager know that you are looking forward to being a part of the team at your new company. Let him or her know that you appreciate the opportunity and will do your best. Let the decision maker know that you are aware of any special conditions of the job offer, and will adhere to them. That will avoid any misunderstandings down the road. Also make sure that the job acceptance letter states that you understand the starting date of your employment with this new organization, and assure the hiring manager that you will be there on the specified date, and time, ready to get busy. Sign it using blue ink in your pen so that they know it is not a photo copy, and hand deliver it to the decision makers administrative assistance. In this manner you will show yourself to be a true professional, and someone they will want to work with in the future.

I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic to write about. In fact, my knowledge of how one finds work as a private flight attendant is based chiefly on what others have shared with me. You can find some useful tips within the many threads written on the Corporate Flight Attendant Community forum, but to save you from culling through hundreds of threads I will highlight various standout points and include others that have been shared with me over the past several years by industry insiders:

Cold calling. Time honored and time tested this is an important method for finding work and it is also one of the hardest for the majority of people to do. If you do not have the skills to contact strangers you will find an important avenue for securing work omitted. Even the unskilled can accomplish much by attempting this step…practice, practice, practice and you will get the hang of it. You many never feel comfortable doing it, but you accomplish much by trying. Always keep this in mind: every person that you meet is a potential contact for helping you find work; conversely, you may also be able to help someone out too.

Attend conferencesmeetings. Attending NBAA related conferences and events will get your name and face out there. Preferably, you would also attend events where a lot of pilots hang out, especially pilots of cabin class jets which include the Global Express, G-V and Falcon Jet 2000. The NBAA’s annual conference is a very important venue for networking as well as are their one-day regional conferences.

If you are an NBAA member you get a copy of their directory which lists many companies that fly these very same jets. In addition, membership will give you access to their message boards and other important information on events that they host.

How about attending the annual NBAA Flight Attendant Conference? Yes, it can be an important place to learn more about the industry, attend seminars, and network. Many of the newer folks find it helps them gain a better understanding of private flying, while some veterans will tell you to save your money for the big conferences. Your call: conference fees, hotel and transportation charges can add up significantly. Not many people have the luxury of attending every event.

Local airport events. Is your airport hosting a seminar? Is an important industry leader speaking? Well, why not attend? Sure, aircraft de-icinganti-icing may not be the most exciting topic, but it is to pilots. Guess what? Some of the same people you want to fly with will be attending. Guess what? There is usually a social time afterwards. After the recent crashes involving corporate jets you certainly do want to be knowledgeable about industry best practices involving ice. Oh, by the way, have several copies of your rsum with you and copies of your business card to hand out. Yes, get business cards made up and be prepared to share them liberally.

Consider joining your local airport’s advisory board, helping out with special community outreach programs, organizing an airport wide event, etc. Anything that you like to do and that helps get your face and name out there is a plus. In this business your name is golden. Promote it and protect it for all that it is worth! Become an expert self marketerpromoter.

The internet. Do Google searches and start reading and bookmarking every page that interests you pertaining to business aviation. The internet has more information then any library and it is updated frequently.

The Corporate Flight Attendant Community [please click the link in the resource box below to be taken there]. This website was created by me to be a resource center for private flight attendants, for those who aspire to become one, and their supporters. I draw upon industry leaders as well as the private flight attendants themselves to communicate what is going on in the industry, particularly from the cabin crewmember’s point of view. Helpful articles, relevant links, catering information, rsum posting, and message boards are some of the more important features of the community. This is truly a niche community one that has gained the attention and respect of many in the industry.

Of particular importance for learninggrowingnetworking are the message boards. Mostly everyone who participates is already working in the field as a crewmember either full time or on a contract basis. Others are working on the skills they need to enter the industry, while still others offer important help or guidance to the industry. Let me say this: your screen name is your business and I do not reveal who you are if I happen to make the connection between your screen name and true identity. Many business relationships and friendships have been made between our members because of the message boards. By participating in our Open Chat time or via p.m. [private message] contact you can “meet” our members.

Job sites. There are many sites on the internet listing aviation related jobs. They include: Skyjobs, Plane Jobs, AviaNation, Climb to 350, AEPS, and the Aviation Employment Board. This last community, the Aviation Employment Board [please click on the appropriate link featured in the resource box below] is run by me and is a companion to the Corporate Flight Attendant Community. Naturally, it is my preferred method but some of the other sites are helpful too. Unlike the Aviation Employment Board, most will charge you a monthly fee to register. A big hint: if you do sign up check out the jobs listed on the “pay sites” with the free sites. See if you notice any difference in jobs listed. If you are a corporate flight attendant, do not expect many jobs to be listed publicly in any case. There just aren’t all that many available at any given time and most companies do not want to publicly advertise their openings.

Agencies. AirCareCrews; Integrity Flight Crews, LLC; Jet Professionals, Inc.; J.S. Firm; Turner Services are all some of the names out there associated with providing hiring services. Expect to pay a fee in most cases; do not expect many opportunities. Your call.

As one of our message board members has advised: build your own sources. You may find that something works better for you than another person. Much depends on your own initiative; I find that those individuals who do the most exploring have an easier time finding work. If flying corporate is something that you want, be persistent. Another good trait: be flexible. This includes having a willingness to relocate and being available to work 247365.