Brad's recent articles on how to earn more money reminded me of an article I've long wanted to write. After more than 20 years in the workplace, I am sick and tired of hearing people lament that there are no jobs available when my experiences and those of others have proven otherwise.
The truth is, there are ways to make yourself valuable even in a tight job market, and while this doesn't mean you'll be working for $50,000 a year, it does mean you'll be working. My rules should apply to anyone, because in my personal experience and belief, there is no reason for anyone over the age of 25 without a criminal history or serious mental illness to be making minimum wage.
Rule #1 is, show up. If you follow nothing other than rule #1, you'll be heads and shoulders above many of your coworkers in the job market. This rule sounds obvious, and it is, but you'd be surprised at how many people "don't get it". And while showing up every day, on time, is not in itself good enough to land you a higher paying job, it helps to create the solid work history that will reinforce your skills when and if you are ready to move beyond entry level work.
Rule #2, leave your attitude and baggage at the door. The vast majority of people I know who stay stuck in the rut of lower paying jobs are there because of reasons such as this. Either, they bring their attitudes to work, or their family life interferes too much with their work obligations. Sure, you can talk about your family with your coworkers, but family issues should be left behind when you leave the front door of your house.
Rule #3, Keep your eyes on your own work. You won't get ahead by complaining about what your coworkers don't do; you'll more likely be labelled a whiner or a troublemaker, and probably if you spend most of your time focusing on others, you aren't doing a very good job yourself. Focus on what you're doing, and how you can do your job better unless your job specifically entails monitoring someone else. Sure, you want to pass on the news if someone's stealing from the company, but other than illegal/unethical actions, you shouldn't take on the task of being company reporter. Incompetence has a way of eventually outing itself, and if you concentrate on your work, you should be fine.
Rule #4, something is ALWAYS better than nothing. Granted, an extended period of drawing unemployment may net you more pay than the available jobs, but a lengthy gap in your work history will leave prospective employers asking questions. Try to get the best "bang for your buck" pay wise, but never refuse work if you are out of it because of the pay. Which leads us to...
Rule #5, no job is beneath you. One of the best ways to endear yourself to prospective employers is to be willing to take on the jobs noone else will take. On three occasions, I have worked my way up in restaurants by taking on a job as a dishwasher; twice I was eventually promoted to waitstaff, once I was promoted to prep cook, both better paying and more prestigious positions.
Rule #6, discover the joy of outsourcing. In an article sometime back, LW mentioned the advantages of hiring a professional resume preparer, and I second her endorsement. Sure, you might be able to do as good a job yourself, but if the time involved is going to take away from time you could spend searching, it's not necessarily productive. Also, resume preparers do this for a living; they know what "buzzwords" potential employers want to see, and while you could post the same things on your resume, sometimes it is the terminology that hooks a potential employer. Also, they will probably come up with a cleaner end product than you will have.
There are, I'm sure, many other good ways to make yourself valuable in the workplace. But if you follow these rules, it's a pretty fair bet you won't find yourself out of employment for long, if at all.