Looking For Work?

Why can’t I find work?

The first question to ask yourself is, “where am I looking?” If the newspaper is your only source, you are cheating yourself of some great opportunities. If you are searching on the internet, you are also short-changing yourself. Many companies do not use either of these methods for hiring; they use networking techniques. You have heard people say, “It’s who you know,” and this is true.

Think about it for a minute. Which would you choose, a complete stranger or a person referred by one of your employees or friends? If you had a choice between placing a job ad that costs $100 - $200 or paying an employee a bonus of $50 for a referral, which would you choose? It makes economic sense for employers to use networking, and it makes good sense for you to do it too.

How do you network? To start off you make a list of everyone that you know, even slightly – your barber/hairdresser, the bank teller, the cashier at the grocery store, your next-door neighbour. Keep writing until you can’t think of anyone else. Then look at your list again and try to figure out where each person works and what kind of information they could provide you with. These are probably not the people who will be hiring you, but they may be the link to the person who will.

Have you let everyone know that you are looking for work and the type of work you are looking for? Or do you just say you are looking for “anything.” People need to know more facts than that. Will you really do “anything” or are there some limits on what you are willing to do. Take some time to write down a short summary of your skills and experience and what you are looking for. Use this when contacting employers.

Is your resume up to date? Does it have all your skills and experience on it? Is it targeted for the specific work area you are looking for, or is it so general that people have to try to guess what it is you are applying for? Do you have extra copies that you can give to the people in your network? Or are you waiting until that perfect job appears before you write it up? You should always have a current resume ready as you never know when that perfect opportunity will arise.

to your job search success

Fran
P.S. Are you videotaping your interview practice? It's a good idea to see how you look to an employer. Click here to learn more

Action Plan

WHAT IS ACTION PLANNING?

Action planning is a process which will help you to focus your ideas and to decide what steps you need to take to achieve particular goals that you may have. It is a statement on paper of what you want to achieve over a given period of time. Preparing an action plan is a good way to help you to reach your objectives in life.

An effective action plan should give you a concrete timetable and set of clearly defined steps to help you to reach your objective, rather than aimlessly wondering what to do next. It helps you to focus your ideas and provides you with an answer to the question ‘‘What do I do to achieve my objective?’’.

It’s OK to have several objectives, but you will need to make a separate action plan for each, otherwise things get confused.

Although here we are applying the techniques to careers, an action plan can be used effectively to help you to reach your goals in many aspects of your life, for example: to pass your driving test.

The following are all valid goals for an action plan:
 To get more involved in a student society to get to know more people.

 Deciding what skills I need to improve and deciding how I will improve them.

 To investigate the different tools available to help me to choose a career, such as computer-aided careers guidance.

When action planning in a careers sense there are likely to be three main areas in which you want to develop action plans. These are:

* Choosing the career you wish to enter.

* Working out a strategy to help you enter this career e.g. application and interviews.

* Developing skills that you need to acquire to allow you to enter the career of your choice and to be successful in it.

It's time to take action for your career. If you need help, click here

To your job search success

Fran

P.S. If you need someone to help you through the job process, click here

Interviews

Common Job Interview Questions

By rehearsing interview questions, you'll become more familiar with your own qualifications and will be well prepared to demonstrate how you can benefit an employer. Some examples:

"Tell me about yourself."
Make a short, organized statement of your education and professional achievements and professional goals. Then, briefly describe your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the organization.

"Why do you want to work here?" or "What about our company interests you?"
Few questions are more important than these, so it is important to answer them clearly and with enthusiasm. Show the interviewer your interest in the company. Share what you learned about the job, the company and the industry through your own research. Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company. Unless you work in sales, your answer should never be simply: "money." The interviewer will wonder if you really care about the job.

"Why did you leave your last job?"
The interviewer may want to know if you had any problems on your last job. If you did not have any problems, simply give a reason, such as: relocated away from job; company went out of business; laid off; temporary job; no possibility of advancement; wanted a job better suited to your skills. If you did have problems, be honest. Show that you can accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes. You should explain any problems you had (or still have) with an employer, but don't describe that employer in negative terms. Demonstrate that it was a learning experience that will not affect your future work.

"What are your best skills?"
If you have sufficiently researched the organization, you should be able to imagine what skills the company values. List them, then give examples where you have demonstrated these skills.

"What is your major weakness?"
Be positive; turn a weakness into a strength. For example, you might say: "I often worry too much over my work. Sometimes I work late to make sure the job is done well."

"Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?"
The ideal answer is one of flexibility. However, be honest. Give examples describing how you have worked in both situations.

"What are your career goals?" or "What are your future plans?"
The interviewer wants to know if your plans and the company's goals are compatible. Let him know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead. Talk about your desire to learn more and improve your performance, and be specific as possible about how you will meet the goals you have set for yourself.

"What are your hobbies?" and "Do you play any sports?"
The interviewer may be looking for evidence of your job skills outside of your professional experience. For example, hobbies such as chess or bridge demonstrate analytical skills. Reading, music, and painting are creative hobbies. Individual sports show determination and stamina, while group sport activities may indicate you are comfortable working as part of a team. Also, the interviewer might simply be curious as to whether you have a life outside of work. Employees who have creative or athletic outlets for their stress are often healthier, happier and more productive.

"What salary are you expecting?"
You probably don't want to answer this one directly. Instead, deflect the question back to the interviewer by saying something like: "I don't know. What are you planning on paying the best candidate?" Let the employer make the first offer. However, it is still important to know what the current salary range is for the profession. Find salary surveys at the library or on the Internet, and check the classifieds to see what comparable jobs in your area are paying. This information can help you negotiate compensation once the employer makes an offer.

"What have I forgotten to ask?"
Use this as a chance to summarize your good characteristics and attributes and how they may be used to benefit the organization. Convince the interviewer that you understand the job requirements and that you can succeed.

Good luck in your job hunt

Fran

P.S. For more information or assistance, click here

Transferable Skills

Identifying your skills and getting that job

When applying for a job, it is important that you identify your strengths and weaknesses and get prepared to address them. By knowing your advantages, the chances of getting the job that you want will become easier. But you should not get too confident since this is one of the common mistakes that plague job applicants. Appearing too confident or as somewhat of a "know-it-all" will only get you labeled by your interviewer as unfit for the job.

Identifying your skills

First thing's first. You should identify your skills. You should be able to articulate your abilities and expertise. Many people have a hard time telling their skills and abilities as this may seem to be bragging, or "blowing your own horn". But you should not be shy or afraid to discuss your skills. In fact, it is important that you are able to convey to your potential employer exactly what your talents are. You need to be able to sell your abilities to an employer. That is how you will get the job that you want.

It is important that you don't appear arrogant or condescending but you should also avoid selling yourself short. If the interviewer asks you about your strengths or what separates you from the other applicants, you should be able to readily give a good answer. But before you even get to the interview part, your resume should highlight your skills and talents for your prospective employer to see.

Type of skills

There are two main types of skills, hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are tangible in the sense that these are things that you do such as: knowing how to operate different kinds of machinery, knowledge of a specialized computer program, ability to type quickly, skills on using many types of tools, credentials regarding special crafts, etc. Soft skills are skills that are rather abstract in nature like personal qualities. This may include: communication or interpersonal skills, being a good team player, having the ability to work on your own, being enthusiastic or organized and decisive.

The steps to follow

1. Begin by making a list of your previous jobs and experience acquired

Make a list of all the companies that you worked for and the things that you learned from these jobs. There will be a lot of things to list and you should be careful enough not to forget even the smallest things or activities that you were part of or organized. Often we forget skills because they are so muh a part of us that we do them without thinking. Take some time to itemize all the things you do in a day or a week. It is also a good idea to list the volunteer activities that you participated in.

2. Include a list of your hobbies

Although it might sound trivial at first, it is also very helpful to list some of your hobbies. There are a lot of abilities that your prospective employer may get from your hobby list and it will also give them an idea of your personality.

For example, if you were part of the school's debating team, then your employer may deduce that you have good analytical skills. If you were a champion chess player, then your employer will have the impression that you are good at making critical decisions. Think of your daily routine and the things that you do and often take for granted. Are you an organized person who always keeps your things in proper order? Are you an extrovert that can easily make friends in a matter of minutes? These may seem ordinary to normal things to you, but your future boss might think otherwise.

3. Deciding what career you want

After listing all your skills and all the things that you do well, you may now decide what field or career you want to take a crack at. Select the skills contained from your list and partner it with the employment you are seeking. Always take time to consider if your skills are relevant to the job that you are aspiring for. Don't worry if you have to cut out some of the skills from your list. It is important to focus on skills that the prospective employer will probably value.

4. Stand by what you write

You should be realistic about your skills and the level of expertise that you have with it. For example, if you indicate that you are a very organized person, then you should be able to show this to the interviewer by being able to organize your thoughts and effectively use the time that was given for your interview.

If you have someone prepare your resume for you, it is important that you be comfortable with what it says. Don't be pressured into putting skills on your resume that you are not confident about. The employer will be able to "read" your unease from your body language. Make sure that you have a "story" or example for each item of strength you list in your highlights.

It is important to know your skills every time you are job hunting. Always put your best foot forward and good luck!

Fran Watson

P.S. If you would like some help with your resume or job search, contact me

Job Applications

Should You Apply for Non-Advertised Jobs?

Are you in search of a new job? If you are and if you are like most job seekers, there is a good chance that you would turn to the internet, namely job posting websites, or to your local newspaper, namely the employment section. While these are the best ways to go about finding information on available jobs, there are many job seekers who choose to submit resumes or job applications to those who are not hiring. Before you start taking this approach, you will want to examine the pros and cons of doing so.

Before examining the pros and cons of submitting a job application or your resume to a company that is not hiring, you may be curious as to how you can go about doing so. Many job seekers use two different options. In today’s society, many businesses have online websites. These online websites may give the mailing address for the company in question. There are many job seekers who will submit their resumes to that address in hopes of seeing success. Others will simply mail in or drop off their resumes or job applications to local companies that they know the address to.

As for the pros and cons of applying for non-advertised jobs, you will find that there are a number of pros or plus sides to doing so. One of the pros or plus sides to submitting your resume or a job application to a company that does not advertise or state that they have any current job openings is the jumpstart that you can give yourself. Many companies will choose to take out job advertisements when they have open positions, but others will just go through their current pile of resumes and job applications. If you play your cards right, one of those resumes or job applications may be yours.

Another one of the many pros to applying for non-advertised jobs is the impression that you may create of yourself. Many employers view the submission of job applications and resume as showing initiative. This is the type of impression that you want to create for yourself. You want a prospective employer to be pleased with your wants and your need to have a job, namely with their company.

Although there are a number of pros and plus sides to applying to non-advertised jobs, there are also a number of cons or downsides to doing so as well. One of those downsides is the impression that you can make. As previously stated, some employers may view the submitting of a resume or a job application as showing initiative, but you may be surprised how others feel about the same action. You may end up creating a bad name for yourself without meaning to do so. It is possible that some companies would view your submission of an unsolicited resume or job application as spam.

Another one of the cons or downsides to applying for non-advertised jobs is the response time. As previously stated, many companies choose to go through their pile of job applications and resumes. One of these job applications and resumes can be yours, but you never know when you may end up getting a call for a job interview. You could receive a phone call in a few weeks, a few months, or even a year later. This may not help you if you are looking to find a new job now. With that in mind, you may have nothing to lose by submitting your resume or job application anyways. You may be surprised with a quick response time.

As outlined above, there are a number of pros and cons to submitting your job application or resume for a non-advertised position or company. Since the decision is yours to make, you will want to proceed with caution, as your intentions can swing both ways. That is why you should take the above mentioned factors into consideration when making your decision.

To your job search success

Fran Watson

P.S. If you would like some help with your job search and resume development Click here