Job Searching? What do you know about the industry you are looking into?

What do I know already?

Have you ever had a part–time job, volunteered to help an organization or been a member of a club or society inside or outside of university? If so then you will have a useful starting point from which you can reflect on your experience(s) so far.

Think of an organization/company/club/society you have been involved with in a paid or voluntary capacity and ask yourself the following questions.

·         What products or services does this organization provide?

·         Who are these products/services targeted at?

·         How does this range of products, or level of service, compare with that provided by other similar organisations?

·         How is this organization structured?

·         How does this organisation see itself? What is its ethos/culture? (eg industry leader; work hard/ play hard approach; democratic style, family friendly policies.)

·         What are they key issues facing this organisation and other organizations in this sector?

·         How is this organisation affected by external factors (eg the state of the economy and the current political context?)

·         What have you discovered about the career opportunities offered by this organisation?

If you can answer these questions, you already have some business awareness. Finding answers to questions like these helps you to develop your business awareness.

 Assessing your general level of business awareness

Below are some questions to think about which will help you to decide if you need to develop your general business awareness:

·    What is a business?

·    What is the difference between a sole trader, partnership, private limited company, franchise & public limited company?

·    What factors impact on business cash flow? And how can you define profit?

·    What are the main differences between public and private sector organisations?

·    How does a business attract and keep customers?

·    How can a business differentiate itself from its competitors and gain a competitive advantage?

·    How can a business build and maintain its reputation?

·    How can good relationships be maintained with customers, employees and suppliers?

·    How has business responded to globalisation?

·    Why are businesses concerned about their social responsibility image?

·    What impact is the state of the economy likely to have on business decisions?

·    What impact might the political environment have on businesses?

 

These are just some of the questions to consider when developing a fuller awareness of business. For some there are no definitive answers, but an awareness of the concepts and ideas highlighted by them will be useful to think about.

Consider checking out various company websites to see what the similarities and differences are.

To your job search success.

Fran Watson

P.S.  If you would like help with your resume, cover letter or interview tips, contact me.

P.P.S.  Check out this article from Careerrealism

How Well Do You Communicate?

According to Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., Every employer is looking for a specific set of skills from job-seekers that match the skills necessary to perform a particular job.

But beyond these job-specific technical skills, certain skills are nearly universally sought by employers. The good news is that most job-seekers possess these skills to some extent. The better news is that job-seekers with weaknesses in these areas can improve their skills through training, professional development, or obtaining coaching/mentoring from someone who understands these skills.

 So, what are some of these critical employability skills that employers demand of job-seekers?

Communications Skills (listening, verbal, written). By far, the one skill mentioned most often by employers is the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively. Successful communication is critical in business.

Analytical/Research Skills. Deals with your ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information if necessary, and identify key issues that need to be addressed.

Interpersonal Abilities. The ability to relate to your co-workers, inspire others to participate, and mitigate conflict with co-workers is essential given the amount of time spent at work each day.

Leadership/Management Skills. While there is some debate about whether leadership is something people are born with, these skills deal with your ability to take charge and manage your co-workers.

Teamwork. Because so many jobs involve working in one or more work-groups, you must have the ability to work with others in a professional manner while attempting to achieve a common goal.

Many of these skills can be developed through participation in a group or club such as Toastmasters.  Find out more by going to www.toastmasters.org to find a club near you, then drop in for a visit.  You may be surprised by what you find. 

 

Many people have an unrealistic idea of what Toastmasters is all about.  It is not about giving speeches, it is about developing your communication skills - listening, sharing, evaluating and more.  Check it out.  You may find it very helpful in your working life.

To your success in communicating your ideas and strengths to others.

 

Fran Watson

 

Above excerpted from https://www.quintcareers.com/job-skills-values/

Developing A Strategy for your Job Search

Developing a Strategy

To keep moving forward you need to have a strategy. You don't  need to have made any  final decisions – you may still be working on several possibilities. You should:

·         Identify and prioritise the strands – be as specific as possible

·         Identify any gaps or discrepancies in your knowledge and experiences

·         Explore what you can do about these

·         Identify a range of possible routes to your goals

·         Investigate ‘stepping stones’ for each route

 

Your Action Plan

Whatever your goals, whatever stage you are at in the decision making process, you are most likely to make progress if you break down the tasks you have to do into small steps and then identify the actions you need to take for each step. Many action plans fail because the tasks appear too difficult. You may have several goals – but you need to break each down into a list of tasks. Set a timescale for each action – but be realistic – do not expect the impossible.

Firstly identify clear and specific goals – these could vary from ‘find a job as an editor in Publishing’ to ‘explore the training courses for secondary teaching in Scotland’ or even ‘revisit my responses in Prospects Planner to narrow down my options’.

For each goal determine:

·         What actions you will take

·         How you will take action

·         Who or what will help you

·         Why you might not take action

·         When you will take action

 

To your successful job search

 

Fran Watson

 

What Is Your Perfect Job?

Research and reflect 

Do your characteristics (skills, interests, motivations, temperament etc) fit with the requirements / characteristics of certain jobs? 

Are there some jobs you should avoid? 

The more you learn about jobs from reading, talking to people or hands-on work experience, the more discerning you become in identifying positive connections and negative mis-matches.

Completing the exercise below will help you to focus on job areas which are most likely to interest you. Don't expect to find a perfect match. for most there isn't just one type of work which is suitable  - there may well be several

Themes 

·         Rather than trying to pinpoint the perfect job, look for themes. 

·         For a few weeks, browse through job advertisements in the press, put a circle round those which appeal to you and mark a cross against those which don't. 

·         Review this regularly to see if any broad patterns emerge. For example, do you automatically favour jobs which involve problem-solving or dealing with people and instantly discard those which require persuasive skills or working in the money markets? 

Discuss                                                             

·         Talk over your ideas with people who are both objective and supportive….family, friends, your careers adviser. This "sounding board" approach may help clarify your career ideas.

Once you have clarified your ideas and looked at your options, it’s time to starting putting some plans in place. Whatever you’ve chosen to do, making it happen takes time. Having a clear plan keeps you on track, allows you to see how much progress you’ve made and avoids wasting unnecessary time.

By helping you break down the possible routes and identify the networking opportunities available , this section enables you to create a personal action plan that will help you achieve your goals. 

Once you have identified your career goals, you need to consider how to achieve them. Often there are a number of routes to your desired goal e.g. via further study, training programmes or "working your way up". If direct entry is not possible you may need to adopt a "stepping stones" approach. 

For example, sales experience could lead to marketing, voluntary work may increase chances of getting onto a post graduate course in social work, secretarial jobs might get you into the publishing field.

Now that you have identified some of the routes into the careers you are interested in, think about which route you would prefer to take. What action does that require? What stepping stones might you use as a back up plan?

To your job search success

 

Fran Watson

Getting Nowhere in Your Job Search?

Getting Nowhere?

So, you have been working hard at making it happen but it has not yet fallen into place. Don’t worry, it will.

But you may have to stand back and, with the help of a career adviser, take a look at what you have been doing so far to see what changes need to be made.

Reflect

Strategy
Are you spreading yourself too thinly?
Are you targeting too few opportunities?
Have you identified vacancies that are appropriate to you in terms of skills, experience and qualifications?
Are you placing too many constraints on yourself as regards salary or location or, indeed, your chosen career?

Presentation
Are your presentation skills letting you down?
Is your CV failing to get you to the interview?
Have you done yourself justice in your interviews? 
Do you underestimate what you have to offer?

Competition
Is it a highly competitive field with many chasing few vacancies?
Are there back door routes you need to investigate?
Do you need to add to your profile or just polish up your act?

Becoming business aware
Business awareness is one of the key skills regularly flagged up by employers as being a skill they need, but which they feel too many graduates lack. Are you business aware?

Whatever the reason that you have been unsuccessful so far, there is certainly something you can do about it. Your career adviser  can help you identify any factors that may be preventing you achieving success and can help you focus on a way forward.

 

To your job search success

 

Fran Watson

Building a Brand

Just like large corporations, it is important for individuals to develop their brand.

In the last three years, the term “personal branding” has gone from buzzword to must-have career requirement. We’re now expected to be able to convey our uniqueness in a powerful way that validates how we save and/or make companies money. Personal branding is about being memorable for the value we can bring to an organization. Easier said than done, right?

Here are some articles from Careerealism that can help you develop your brand.

Step by Step Guide

3 Steps to An Outstanding Branding

The Perfect Recipe for a Great Personal Brand


To your powerful branding

Fran Watson


P.S.  You can also find out who is looking at your Linked-In profile here

Job Search and The Older Worker

"You need to believe that you're going to get the job," Kanchier says of older people on the job hunt. "If you think you're too old and you won't get it, then you won't get it."
"You have to be excited about what you're doing and really want to do it," she says. "And then you have to communicate that excitement. ... If you don't have a plan, you fake it until you make it. You don't go out there looking like a victim."

It is important that you believe that you have the skills for the job you area applying for and that you believe you would be a valuable asset.  Don't think of your age, think of your ability!    A mature worker can be an employer's greatest asset.

Click here for resume help

 

TOP REASONS

TO HIRE A MATURE WORKER

 

MATURE WORKERS HAVE:      MATURE WORKERS ARE:

 

§  The ability to problem solve                          ▪  A resource

§  A seasoned point of view                              ▪  Mature

§  Good judgment                                             ▪  Well rounded

§  A wealth of skills and transferable skills       ▪  Patient, wise and dedicated

§  Experienced change                                       ▪  Consistent and practical

§  Raised their families                                      ▪  Understanding of other age groups

§  Life long learning experiences                       ▪  Aware of their strengths and weaknesses

§  Perspective, the ability to see the big            ▪  Loyal, dedicated and focused   

§  picture                                                            ▪  Secure and self-directed

§  A work history and a work ethic                   ▪  Open to suggestions

§  The ability to train and mentor others           ▪  Street wise in the working world

§  Been exposed to a wide knowledge base      ▪  Survivors

§  Leadership skills                                            ▪  Self-sufficient and self-confident

§  An understanding of what is expected         ▪  Resilient, versatile and flexible

§  A sense of humour (easy going)                    ▪  Willing to learn new things

§  The ability to navigate work politics             ▪  Empathetic

§  More references and networking contacts     ▪  Realistic

To your job search success

Fran Watson

                                                                       

Interview Tips

Got a job interview?

Worried about  how it will go?

Concerned about whether or not you have the right skills?

"Getting an interview is a huge hurdle to clear, and a wonderful sign that you’re on the right track with your job search efforts. Now it’s time to shift your focus to becoming a rock star candidate."

Check out what Careerealism has to say on the subject:  Click here

It is a good idea to practice sample questions before the interview.  Get a friend to help you out, and if you can, videotape the interview so you can assess yourself when you are done.

To your job search success

Fran

P.S.  If you aren't at the interview stage yet, perhaps your resume needs a little work

P.P.S  Here is a questionnaire that might help with the basics  Click here

Communication and Your Job Search

In today's highly informational and technological environment it has become increasingly important to have good communication skills - Z. Hereford

How was your last interview?  Did you answer the questions well?  Did you understand what was being asked?  Did your body language communicate the message you wanted it to?  In other words, how were your communication skills?

Communication is the process by which we exchange information between individuals or groups of people. It is a process where we try as clearly and accurately as we can, to convey our thoughts, intentions and objectives.

Good communication skills are key to success in life, work and relationships. Without effective communication, a message can turn into error, misunderstanding, frustration, or even disaster by being misinterpreted or poorly delivered. Communication is successful only when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information.

The inability to communicate effectively will hold you back not only in your career, but in social and personal relationships as well.

Concise, clearer and more efficient communication reduces misunderstandings. The more clear the communicators in our workplace, the fewer mistakes we make, the fewer customers we upset. When we are clear, phrases like “I thought you meant” or “oh, now I understand” are rarely heard. 

Most conflict is the result of misunderstood communication. When you become an effective communicator, you can resolve conflict and create harmony by bridging the communication gaps that create conflict.   When we practice good communication skills, our relationships with other people will improve.

To be successful, a person requires an integrated set of communication skills. These skills are: writing skills, speaking skills, listening skills, and non verbal skills. If you need some help with your communication skills, check out a Toastmasters Club in your area.  Attending Toastmasters can help you develop your communication skills.

To your job search success,
Fran Watson

New Year, New Beginnings

If you have been job searching for a while, perhaps it is time to re-evaluate your job search techniques, to review your resume to see if it is up to what the employers are looking for.

Does your resume include a "Highlights" section which relates to the job for which you are applying?

Do you list your job history in reverse chronological order?

Are you using keywords from the job ad to demonstrate your skills?

Get more tips here:  https://www.facebook.com/banabu.ca/

Fran Watson

Dress For Success

Tailored

JOB                Image

Promotes

Success

 

You have probably heard the phrase, “Dress for Success.”  This is very important in your job search.  First impressions can make or break an interview, so presenting a Tailored Image is a good first step to Promoting Success in your job search.

Employers can tell horror stories about people who show up on their doorstep looking for work with:  torn jeans, t-shirts with offensive sayings, dirty fingernails, uncombed hair, curlers in their hair, and poor attitudes.  While you have the right to dress the way you want on your own time, it is important that you dress the way an employer wants if you expect to be considered for a job.  (This may also mean removing studs or getting a hair cut.)

When you are dropping off resumes, dress as if you were going to be interviewed, because you might happen to be in the right place at the right time and have the opportunity to speak to the employer or manager right away. 

Many businesses have now adopted a more casual dress code, but it’s a good idea to take some time before your interview to check out how the other employees are dressed.  A good rule of thumb is to dress a little better for the interview than you would expect to dress on a daily basis.  Dress above the position you want when to make a good first impression. 

It is not necessary to have a big budget to present a tailored image.  All it takes is time, careful shopping and a little ingenuity.

 

To your job search success

 

Fran Watson

Resumes - Where is your focus?

Are You Too Focused on Job Duties ?

Your resume should not be a boring listing of job duties and responsibilities. You need to show what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. When developing your achievements, ask yourself:

• How did you perform the job better than others?
• What were the problems or challenges faced? How did you overcome them? What were the results? How did the company benefit from your performance?
• Did you receive any awards, special recognition or promotions as a result?

 

The modified chronological format is often the most effective. Here’s the basic layout:

• Header (name, address, email address, phone number)
• Lead with a strong profile section detailing the scope of your experience and areas of proficiency
• Reverse chronological employment history emphasizing achievements in the past 10 to 15 years
• Education (New grads may put this at the top.)

 

One typo can land your resume in the garbage. Proofread and show your resume to several friends to have them proofread it as well. This document is a reflection of you and should be perfect.

 

 

Are you too Busy?

Imagine this: you've been filling out applications for weeks and weeks looking for a new job - and finally you get a callback. They're excited about your application and they want to meet you tomorrow at noon!

You can barely sleep the night before, and when the time comes, you're burning with energy. You hop the bus to get there and rush in the building, only to find the elevator is broken.

But you don't let that stop you. You rush up the stairs, and by the time you make it to the top, you're completely out of breath. It's only then, when you look at the sign hanging above the receptionist, that you realize you were in the wrong building the entire time!

Now you've both late AND worn out. You might have been busy, but you didn't DO anything.
We live in a culture that empathizes hard work over everything else. Rarely do we stop to ask whether we're working hard on the right things for the right reasons.

If you feel like you're climbing  a whole building's worth of stairs in the wrong building, chances are that you're not working very effectively.

First: Take a couple of days off.

This can be a very tough decision to make, especially if you're hanging on by your fingernails. But the fact is that you need to have a clear head when you analyze your business. That's very difficult to do when you're burned out. Give yourself a little time to emotionally and physically reboot, even if it's only for a weekend. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel.

Second: Are you being a perfectionist?

Too many people try to do everything perfectly because they're afraid of being "caught" or looking bad, or they have a "personal standard" they feel they need to live up to.

Drop the idea that all your work needs to be flawless, because it will explode the amount of work you need to do. Chances are that you need volume, more traffic, more customers, and more buyers.
So start going after it!

Third: Give Yourself An Audit

Take a look at the time you used for the day - rate their activities on a scale of 1-10, with a 10 being very helpful to your business, and a 1 being something very counterproductive. What were the reasons for doing the low-rated tasks? Can you attack them and get rid of them?

Remember, your goal isn't to be busy, it's to accomplish more. Work less and spend more time thinking about how to improve your efficiency, and you'll love the results you get.

To your job search success

Fran Watson

Is Cooking Your Passion?

Cooking Is An Art

There’s more to cooking than putting food in a pot and
then eating it.

Cooking can be an art. For those who really love to
cook it becomes a real pastime for them.

They are able to come up with new variations of old
recipes and put their own special touches on them.

Preparing for a gathering can be something of a joy
for them. While some find cooking a time to be
stressed out, other engulf themselves with the task of
creating something truly special for their guests.

When preparing a meal for your loved ones it becomes
an extra special motivation to ensure their family
gets the best of what you have.

It may not be a daily occurrence when you prepare a
special gourmet dinner for your friends and family,
but, you do go to the extra effort of making sure your
family eats better than microwave quick fix dinners.

If you love to cook you will be making efforts often
to make, create, and improve the tastes that feed your
loved ones. Your gift of love is shown in the food you
prepare and that in itself is an art.

If this is you, why not consider a career as a chef?
Training is available at a local college and you can work
your way up the ladder from prep cook, to line cook,
and eventually to chef. 

In time you might even want to operate your own
catering business.

So, if cooking is your passion, why not follow your dream.

To your job search success

Fran Watson

Looking for Work? What Methods Are You Using?

Not many people realize it, but the job-hunt is one of the most studied phenomena of our time. It is amazing what we know about it.
Acquainting yourself with this research can pay rich dividends to any job-hunter, and especially if your job-hunt is running into trouble. Let me illustrate what I mean.
Most job-hunters think there are basically only three ways to go about their job-hunt: resumes, ads, and agencies. Actually, there are fourteen:

1.	Using the Internet to look for job-postings or to post one's own resume.
2.	Mailing out resumes to employers at random.
3.	Answering ads in professional or trade journals appropriate to your field.
4.	Answering local newspaper ads.
5.	Going to private employment agencies or search firms.
6.	Going to places where employers come to pick out workers, such as union hiring halls.
7.	Taking a Civil Service exam.
8.	Asking a former teacher or professor for job-leads.
9.	Going to the state/Federal employment service office.
10.	Asking family members, friends, or professionals you know for job-leads.
11.	Knocking on the door of any employer, factory, or office that interests you, whether they are known to have a vacancy or not.  )
12.	By yourself, using the phone book's Yellow Pages to identify fields that interest you, then calling employers in those fields to see if they're hiring for the kind of work you can do.
13.	In a group with other job-hunters, using the phone book's Yellow Pages as above.
14.	Doing what is called "the creative approach to job-hunting or career-change": doing homework on yourself, to figure out what your favorite and best skills are; then doing face-to-face interviewing for information only, at organizations in your field; followed up by using your personal contacts to get in to see, at each organization that has interested you, the person-who-actually-has-the-power-to-hire-you (not necessarily the human resources department).    How many of these have you tried?   To your job search success   Fran Watson

Vacation for Job Seekers?

Your job search is like a full-time job. In fact, I’m sure many job seekers would argue that their job search takes up more time than a full-time job would.

 

That being said, a vacation is almost certainly one of the farthest things from your mind while you’re searching for a new job. For some, it’s because of financial reasons. For others, sparing even one day to recharge seems out of the question.

 

What do you think: Should job seekers take a vacation?

Read more here 

 

To your successful job search

 

Fran Watson

Multi tasking

Is it possible to be an effective multi-tasker?   Watch this video and see if you agree...

http://youtu.be/yr8W8ejX6To

Fran Watson
Career Counsellor/Coach
www.franwatson.ca/bio.html

Procrastination

Procrastinate:   to be slow or late about doing something that should be done : to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.

It seems that I have been procrastinating about keeping up my blogs.  Instead of getting up and enjoying the day and getting started on all my tasks, I have been lying in bed, falling back to sleep and then getting up and rushing around and not accomplishing half of what I planned.

Has this ever happened to you?  Do you find yourself putting off things you should be doing in your job search?  Getting that resume updated?  Spending time searching the job sites (www.indeed.com, www.monster.ca, www.charityvillage.com )?  Sending out your resumes?  Looking for the "hidden" jobs in your area? 

Do you think that coffee with friends or cleaning your house is a better use of your time?  Think again.  If you are job searching, you should be spending the same amount of time searching as you want to be working.  If you want a full-time job, then you should be spending a full day on your job search activities - checking the local paper (or online version), checking the job search sites, looking up information on companies you might like to work for, crafting a resume tailored to the specific job (no, there is no "one size fits all" resume), and practicing your interview skills.

For more tips click here

Happy job searching...

Good luck!

Fran Watson

P.S.  For some interview questions, click here

Communication Skills Vital to Your Job Search

A recent study conducted by Stanford Research Institute, Harvard University and the Carnegie Foundation discovered that “85% of the reason people get a job, keep that job, and move ahead in that job has to do with their people skills and people knowledge. Only 15% is the result of a technical skill.”

How are your communication skills?  Do you know how to confidently handle yourself in an interview situation or do you become tongue-tied?  Are you able to make small talk at the company office party, or do you stand in a corner with a drink in your hand hoping no one comes over?  Can you confidently approach someone you don't know and begin a conversation? 

If not, then you might want to check out a local Toastmasters Club where you can begin to develop your communication skills.  In addition to developing confidence in communication, you will have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, another skill needed for employment.

Want to find out more about Toastmasters?  Click here 

I have been a member of Toastmasters since 2002 and I continue to learn and grow as a speaker and a leader.  Why not give it a try?  You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain!

To your successful job search

Fran Watson

P.S.  For more help with your job search, click here