The Art of Job Hunting

Out in the North American forests, a hunter sips their coffee in a tree stand at 5 a.m. and waits for the perfect prey to stumble into the cross-hairs of their rifle. They waits four hours or maybe even more when they spot it. There, right in front of their sight, is a large eight-point White-Tailed buck gnawing on some grass.

The hunter is stealthy as they grab their rifle, line up the shot, and take it. The buck tries to bound away, but he falls a few yards later, dead as a door nail. The hunter drags the deer from the forest and takes it to a meat processor, and has the choice to get the deer stuffed as a trophy.

You're more than likely wondering what the point of that story was. You see, the deer trophy to that hunter is a work of art. It's something they can mount on the wall or stuff the whole thing and display it, something that they can be proud of and say, "Yes, I shot that. This was my doing." Hunting in general can be seen as an art medium. In that respect, so can job hunting.

I know. It's a strange analogy, but work with me here.

Before a hunter gets a license, they need to determine what kind of prey they want to go after. For all intents and purposes, let's go with deer. A hunter chooses deer. You are the hunter. The deer is a real world job.

After you pick your prey, you have to go through the procedures of obtaining a hunting license and gathering hunting equipment. The hunting equipment symbolizes your workforce skills. The license is any experience or any degree you obtain.

You have your prey, your equipment, and your license. All that's left is the actual act of hunting itself, right? You have to start early, but not too early as you might miss something in the darkness, or a better opportunity down the road. You skulk trough the woods, and you notice a lot of tree stands or hunters muddling around. Remember, you are not the only hunter out there. There could only be one deer that travels through your selected patch of woods. You could all be vying for that one deer. It's best to put yourself out there ahead of time and get your equipment set up, so if that deer comes into your sights you can snag it quickly.

That brings up another point, though. You should make sure your equipment fits you and the prey you're going after. You wouldn't bring a rifle to harpoon a whale, or a harpoon to shoot a deer. Make sure your equipment matches the prey you want, and hone that equipment so you're better qualified to shoot your prey.

You are now that hunter sipping coffee at 5 a.m. while you sit in your tree stand and wait for the perfect job to cross your path. Your eyes scroll the landscape of online job postings, and you polish your resume so you can start shooting at jobs. 

Not every shot is a hit. Sometimes, successful hits aren't rewarded with instant gratification like a job offer (or the death of the deer, if you're keeping up with the analogy).

Sometimes, you have to follow the injury trail and keep after the prey before finally having it in your grasp.

It may take several hours, several days, or in some cases several weeks before you finally have your prey in your grasp. When you get it, though, you'll be just like the hunter who gets their deer mounted: proud, beaming, because for the time being, you have mastered the art of job hunting.

How I Look for a Job: The Prologue

For those who don't know, I am a senior journalism student at Pitt who will be graduating in April. From there, I'm looking to move on to a career in journalism or public relations, hopefully in Las Vegas. Now, I know it's a tough job market out there, especially when students have gone to specialized schools and programs for journalism and public relations that surpass my own education, but I'm not giving up. I've applied for six or seven jobs already, and I've heard back from one: The Wynn. I received a no for a position as a special events coordinator, but they said that I should look at other opportunities available through their brand, which as I type this I am doing.

Either way, I wanted to write a blog post about how I determine what jobs to apply for and which ones not to apply for. It's actually a really easy process for me.

1. I look at the title of the job. I'm a journalism/PR student. I'm not going to apply for a job as a data analyst or a financial consultant. I stick to keywords like "writer," "marketing," "social media," and "relations." Those are usually key indicators of a job my degree will be tailored for.

2. I look at the requirements. If a job needs 3-5 years of experience, I automatically say no (unless it's customer service, because I've been in that industry for five years). 1-2 years I apply, because I have 1-2 years of journalism experience or work in PR.

3. I finally read all of the job duties. Some job posts are tricky. They oversell their open position, or they throw in additional responsibilities/licenses that you shouldn't need. I applied for a special events coordinator job, and I was asked if I'd be willing to get a valid Nevada Gaming License if I got the job. Why? I would be a special events coordinator. I wouldn't be operating any machinery. As it turns out, licensing is a way to weed out the bad eggs in Las Vegas, because it was a mob/mafia hot spot before. It keeps things clean and fair for everyone, so I can't just give special benefits to family and friends. I also was looking for a PR job, and I got a post to be a sales consultant for a gift shop at a casino. They were overselling working at the shop by giving certain activities flair, like selling merchandise. If something doesn't fit or seem right, I'm skeptical and usually just bookmark the job for a later date.

What are your own specifications you go by when searching for a job? Let me know what you do in the comments below. I could always use more strategies!