8 Ways of Contacting Employers when applying for a Job

Armed with the necessary knowledge of yourself, secured from your written analysis, you are now ready for the next step. The applicant must prepare a list of prospective employment upon whom he will call and must decide how he can best get in touch with them, so you must decide how you can get in touch with them, so
you must decide how you can get in touch with prospective employers.
There are many ways to secure interviews with employers. The ones that are likely to be most useful to
you are described below:

1. Get in Touch with Employers Before You Are Graduated. Sometimes you can pave the way for a future job before you are graduated. Get acquainted with as many employers as possible while you are still in school.
This you may do in many ways. You may meet an employer who is a visitor in your home or in the home of a
friend; you may have an opportunity to welcome an employer who is a speaker in your school; you can get acquainted with the merchants of your town when you buv at their stores; you may call on employers to -get information for a class project In which you are engaged. These are just a few of the many opportunities to meet employers that you may have. The important thing is to make a favorable impression upon an employer when you meet him. More than. one business executive has been so impressed with the intelligence and earnestness shown by a student who called upon him for information in connection with a class project that he has readily employed that student when he finished school.

2. Notify Your Friends and Acquaintances. A recent survey shows that many people get jobs simply by let-
ting their friends know that they are looking for a job—and, of course, the Kind of job they hope to get. The more "feelers" you put out, the better are your chances of making contacts with employers. Among the people you know, there may be several who can give you a suggestion as. to where to go or on whom to call.

3. Ask Your Friends to Recommend You. If you have a friend who is already employed by a company for
which you desire to work, it is a good plan to have him recommend you to his employer. Some companies urge their employees to suggest other employees to them.

4. Apply Direct to Employers. One of the best methods of procedure is to apply direct to the firm for which
you would like to work. You are undoubtedly more interested in one kind of business, such as oil refining, aviation, publishing, advertising, department store retailing, or chain store retailing, than in others; and your probably prefer to work for & particular company engaged in that business. You should, therefore, attempt to secure employment with the firm in which you are interested.

If the firm has an employment department, call in person at the employment office. If it has no employment department, attempt to secure an interview with the manager or with the official, such as the sales manager
or chief accountant, who is in charge of the department in which you desire  to work. If the firm has merely a
branch office,branch factory, or branch store in your community, call on the local manager and ask his advice about securing employment with the company. He may be able to give you the name and address of the official to whom you should apply. Persistence is just as important in applying for a job. If you are not able
to see the employer the first time you call, call again; in fact, call several times if necessary. If you find that
you have called on the wrong official, try to see the right one. Above everything, do not get discouraged.

You may decide after your interview that 'there is no opportunity for you with that company. If so, you should try your luck with other companies in the same line of business. If you have no choice as to kind of business, you should call on the employment managers of various companies in your locality. It is better to apply to companies near your home, for they can inquire about you more easily; they can get in touch with'you more readily if they want you in a hurry; and if you get a position, your expenses will be less than if you work at some distance from your home.

5. Answer "Want" advertisements in Your Daily Papers. If you follow this plan, you should use great care in
selecting the advertisements to answer, since many of the jobs advertised this way may be undesirable. This is especially true of those requiring house to-house canvassing. Many help-wanted advertisements are blind, that is, the name of the advertiser is not given. Instead, the number of a post office box or of a box in the newspaper office is given; applicants do not know the name of the concern to which they are applying. Only those applicants who write unusually good letters are then asked to call.

6. Insert "Want" Advertisements in Your Paper. Another possibility is to advertise your desire for work. This
may be done by placing "want" advertisements in newspapers or magazines. This is often a good method for experienced people, but seldom for a beginner. Those who use this method should employ high-class newspapers since sensational papers are seldom read by desirable employers. If your advertisement is to get results, it should mention your outstanding qualifications. Merely stating that you want work will never get you a job.

7. Register with Your School Placement Bureau. Many schools and colleges now have placement or personnel officers who recommend, graduates to employers. It should be noted, however, that high-class schools and colleges do not guarantee positions for graduates, for they cannot control employment conditions.  They cannot create jobs if few exist in times of business depression; they cannot givea student a personality that appeals to employers if he lacks such a personality; and they cannot give a student who has neglected his school work a school record that will cause and employer to become interested in him. The point is, however, that employers are turning to placement officers in increasing numbers. You should register with your placement officer so that he can recommend, you for any position for which you are fitted and that may be called to his attention.

8. Get Ready for - Promotion. Many firms fill their more important vacancies from within their own organizations. Frequently file clerks who have had stenographic training are given stenographic positions, and stenographers are made private secretaries. Retail stores, especially department stores, often promote to sales positions employees known as junior employees. Among department store junior employees who are definitely inline for selling positions are messengers, stock boys and stock girls, markers, inspectors, wrappers, cashiers, and buyers' clerical assistants. The important thing, regardless of the job you hold, is to be ready for promotion when the opportunity presents itself. Indeed, you should constantly sell the idea to your employer, through your good work and your interest in the  business, that you deserve promotion.