Working in a pleasant atmosphere, occupying the right post--in short, finding the right job--is an important part, perhaps the most important, of every man's life. Job-hunting is the hardest of all types of work, and it can be the most interesting. An orderly, planned approach is essential.

Ask yourself: What is the Most Suitable Type of Job for You? 你适合做什么工作？

The first thing to do in seeking a position is to determine exactly what you want to do -- not in terms of some vague, ethereal objective, such as "I want to become a member of the management group," but with a definite and immediate¹ goal. Through everyone's experience there must run a thread of consistency², a pattern of what the individual has enjoyed doing and hence has done well. Though actual jobs may have been held in different fields of endeavor, each one of us should be able to pick out the type of work he can do best. One method of determining your strong points is to value past performance honestly and to draw a balance sheet of your assets and liabilities. A judgment³ of this sort might profitably be discussed with a friend to obtain a fresh, objective viewpoint on what one should try to do.

Finding the Target 寻找目标

Draw a circle around the locality desired, or pick all the companies in the type of industry you wish to join--in fact, use every means at your disposal to find the target at which you are going to shoot. Once those companies are selected, let them know of your availability. This should be done, where possible, through a personal contact or by letter to the head of the firm or department where you think you are most likely to fit. You can enclose a resume, but at this stage of the game a provocative⁴ letter alone may be better, since resumes can be tailored for the particular opening.

Preparing the Resume 准备简历

The resume is extremely important for a job seeker. It is nearly always an essential in securing a position. Interviews, however long, are necessarily limited by the interviewer's time. Management likes to have the facts on paper to read at leisure. Resumes are generally either foundational or chronological⁵. Functional⁶ resumes, after giving personal data (age education, marital⁷ status),relate what duties have been performed in what fields and do not usually dwell on employer's names and dates. Such resumes can be helpful in adding to a chronological resume. The chronological resume is more common. It should be concise⁸, again giving personal data, and should list in reverse chronological order the names of past employers and dates of employment, together with a short summary of the responsibilities involved. It is often worthwhile to prepare several different resumes stressing different aspects of your background or aptitudes⁹. Be honest. Confine your resume to two typewritten pages or less. Be assured. Don't dress up your resume to look as if it belonged in a rare-book resume to lord as if it belonged in a rare-book collection, nor make it so "different" that it automatically labels you an odd person. List references but ask that they not be contacted without your permission.