Imagine I’m a division head or a company owner, and I need to hire someone. I ask around the company if anyone knows anyone that could fill the position. If there are no good suggestions, I then go to the next step which is listing an ad or contacting a head hunter. (Depends on the position and what I’m willing to pay to fill it.)

You see my ad, and you send in your resume. You are now competing against everyone else that sends in the resume. What am I looking for on the resume? Somebody who is best qualified to do the job that I can hire for the least amount of money possible. Or whatever my budget will allow.

Your resume better be more than just a laundry list of crappy jobs you had for the summer. It should be tuned to what I’m looking for. If you’re applying for a job that writes software for car repair, you should not just say on your resume, “Programmed financial software for an insurance company.” And turn that around to say, “Wrote lead software for automobile insurance.” So that it looks like you have more experience than you do, or at the very least you are playing up your related strengths. Don’t hope that the interviewer finds your strengths. Put those strengths out there.”

If your degree isn’t spectacular, simple add on another educational level above it, like, “Masters in Programming” and put it as something you are “Currently” attending. Even if you aren’t doing it. You can always enroll later in night school if they want to see you get the degree in it. But that way you’ll have an extra bit on your resume that required no real investment of time.

The resume is smoke and mirrors anyway to get you into the interview chair. At which point, you need to be eager to work. They are offering you a job, and you should be all about taking on whatever they offer and if you don’t know it, suggest you will learn it, and relate anything you can to things you have already done. Build on it.

Often, the best course of action is to take a crap job in a large company and transfer from within. You won’t land something great (Usually) right out of school. So you should start by sweeping the floors and move your way up the ladder.

You can go back to school to ride out the current unemployment wave, but you do need to have an air of confidence about you. If you want to work, and you desire to get a check and kick-ass at what you do. Then people will hire you. Employers want people who will produce for them and make them money. If you prove to them that you’re that person, they’ll hire you. If you look like you’re just going to be there to pay off school loans and do the bare minimum, they’ll do elsewhere.

Think about what the employer wants and become that for them. If that doesn’t interest you, then you chose the wrong field of study. I love my job, and I love what I do. And anyone who hires me gets someone who is hard working, dedicated, and stays up-to-date. Believe me, most employees are not that way. And that’s why people lose their jobs. Be great at what you do, and employers will hire you.

Unless you took a major in something really stupid. Then you should go back to school and get into a field that is sensible.

Here’s the simple solution… Stop being fucking lazy.