Posts Tagged ‘Find Job’
Is Getting the Perfect Job Worth the Extra Effort?
There is a great deal of work involved in obtaining the perfect job. It begins with
defining your idea of the perfect job then searching and obtaining interviews. It is
not an easy task and you may ask yourself if it is worth the effort but when you
look at the end results that you can accomplish you will know the effort is
worthwhile. When you have to work anyway, isnt it worth it to do something that is
worthwhile and enjoyable? People who have a job they enjoy are more successful
than those who work a job they do not like.
The efforts you exert in having the proper training and experience will give increase
your opportunities in the workforce. With an enhanced skill level you have a better
chance of finding the job you want and being able to secure it. Certainly it takes
more effort but when the job market is in a slump, you will have a better chance to
remain or become employed. The effort you exert in both obtaining and maintaining
your perfect job will provide all that you need during those times when the job
market is in a slump.
For many people a job is nothing more than a way to make sure their family has
what they need and although this is the major function of a job, is it not worth it to
having something that is enjoyable? The extra effort you exert to have the job you
really want will allow you to become a higher achiever than you would under other
conditions. For instance, those who like their jobs are likely to become managers
and executives while those who do not like their jobs usually remain in the same
position unless something else opens in another department or another company.
The effort you exert to find the perfect job will ensure that you will enjoy a lifetime
of success as long as you continue to put forth the effort. Its essential to go the
extra mile in order to make sure you will not be overlooked when it comes time for
promotions. Even if you do not advance with your current company, if you decide to
move forward to something else, you will have the skills necessary to be an integral
part of another company doing the job you enjoy because you put forth the effort
to achieve.
How to Know if You’re Making the Right Choice
When you accept a position you always wonder if you have made the right decision.
Is there any way to know if you have indeed made the right decision? Of course its
di9fficult to know until you get into the position and begin working but if you have
made your list of attributes for the perfect job and chosen the one that most closely
matches your list, you can be reasonably certain you have made the right choice.
You went to a great deal of trouble to obtain your perfect job, so you dont want to
be too quick to question your judgment. You want to give yourself time to think
about it and learn all there is to know about your new job before you make any
judgments. When you first start a job there will be time for you to work into the
position and learn it, so dont think because it isnt what you expected at the
beginning that will continue. You should have asked all the pertinent questions at
the interview, and if you did that, any doubts you have in the beginning will
dissipate as you learn more about your new job.
Keep in mind that all new positions have a breaking in period and even if you done
the same type of work in the past for another company, there will still be some
differences. You are not going to work right into your perfect job the first time you
sit down at your new deskyou and the job need to learn to know one another
before you will feel comfortable. Once you get past the getting to know you stage,
you will feel more comfortable about the decision you made.
There may be cases where you asked all of the right questions but the employer did
not give you complete answers and you find the new job is not what you thought it
was. Do you simply grin and bear it? That depends how close it is to being your
perfect job. If there is a possibility for improvement, you dont want to just walk
away. If, on the other hand, you do not think the new job is going to work out for
you in the end, you will have to decide if you want to stay for the time being and
look to move on before you become too involved with the company to seek
something else.
How to Get Referrals from Warm Contacts
You may find it hard to use networking to find a job if you can’t rely on
your warm contacts to give you the information you need. At times,
you would have to ask your warm contacts to refer you to at least two
people that they know who will be able to give you the information you
needed.
However, there are times that your warm contact, particularly those
who don’t know you well, may not readily provide you with the
information. Some of your warm contacts may feel reluctant about
vouching for you to their other contacts.
Because of this, you may find it difficult to use your network. To make
networking and getting referrals an easy task for you, here are a few
tips.
* Nurture your warm contacts.
Before you even need your warm contacts or before you even
ask for help, keep in touch with your warm contacts. You may
send notes or greetings from time to time, call to “catch up” on
them, invite them to lunch, be interested or help in their
business or do anything just to cultivate your connection with
them.
In this way, by the time you need help, they can remember you
and can more readily give information about their other contacts
that will be able to help you.
* Be polite.
Since you might not have close personal relationships with some
of your valuable warm contacts, it is inappropriate to just give
them a call and ask them for information about your field of
interest.
Sometimes, sending a note in advance, or asking to meet them
for lunch is a better way to ask for their help.
* Listen to them.
Most of the time, even if your warm contact knows little in the
field where you are trying to find a job, they might offer you
advice. Be polite and interested in what they are saying. Who
knows, the information that they are giving may be valuable to
you in the future.
There are times that your warm contacts may be telling you tips
on what manner will work best when you talk to the persons to
whom you are being referred. Your warm contacts may also
imply what qualities and qualifications the person is looking for.
* Ask for at least two referrals.
Before you ask for referrals, make sure that your warm contact had
said everything that he or she can say about your field of interest.
Even if they know little about that field, it is impolite if you cut them
short while they are speaking to ask if they know somebody who will
be able to help you.
If they weren’t able to refer you to at least one of their contacts,
thoughtfully ask them why they couldn’t do so. They may give you
answers that may include indirect comments or suggestions. They
may also indicate a lack of confidence in your work strategy. If this is
so, you may have to make follow ups with them to prove that you are
indeed credible and match their requirements.
However, there are also times when they can’t refer you to their
contacts because they just don’t know anybody who might have the
information or might be interested in the product.
In this case, ask them to keep their eyes open for opportunities that
you might be interested in. You can also leave with them copies of
your resume.
* Just ask for two referrals.
Two referrals are enough from each warm contact. This is to have
another option in case the first one didn’t work out. Asking for more
than two referrals could be impolite as it can take much time from
your warm contact. Also, that will make your warm contact feel that
you are relying mostly on him or her for your job search. So, unless
they volunteer the information, don’t ask for more than 2 referrals.
* Contact referrals as soon as possible.
When your warm contacts give you referrals, there are times that they
also call these people personally to give more information about you.
On the other hand, when you contact the people to whom you were
referred, your referrals may call your warm contacts to verify the
information or to ask more information about you.
Either way, you have to contact your referrals soon enough that these
people can still remember their conversation with your warm contact,
or your warm contact can still remember that you have talked.
At times, after your referrals were called by your warm contacts, they
anticipate your call and even prepare questionnaires and exams for
you to take. Do not waste this opportunity by delaying follow-up on
referrals.
Keeping these tips in mind will be able to help you in asking for good
referrals from your warm contacts.
How Effective are Specialty Employment Agencies and Job Banks?
When you are looking for a specific type of job, it may be in your best interest to
seek the services of employment agencies and job banks that handle that specific
line of work. Sometimes they are defined more specific while others are more
general. For example, if you are a paralegal looking for employment, you may wish
to seek an employment agency that specializes in either legal employment or
professionals. Sometimes you may find something that is more refined while other
times you may have to look at something on a wider scale.
When the opportunity is available you should always work with employment
agencies and job banks that specialize in the type of work you seek. This will give
you a better scope of what is available in your field and help you find the job that is
perfect for you easier and quicker. If youre looking for a job as an engineer, you
dont want to have to sort through thousands of advertisements for chemists or
administrative assistants. The fact that the job banks allow you to filter your
searches is a great advantage but most employment agencies do not allow that and
are unable to tell you if they even have more jobs in one field than another.
Your local newspaper is one source that will allow you to see advertisements only
for the field in which you have an interest. On the other hand, it does not provide
enough information for you to know if a particular advertisement is worth your
time. Many newspaper advertisements do not list the employers name or the
salary, and it is not advisable to ask for the salary during the interviewjobinterviewing
protocol indicates you should wait until a job offer occurs if the
employer does not volunteer the information during the interview.
When you look at all of the possibilities, it indicates that your best sources are
those that specialize in specific fields. This may not always be possible but when
these specialty agencies and job boards are available you should certainly make
use of them. The less time you have to spend looking for a job the better your
chances will be of finding the job that is perfect for you in the least amount of time
possible. Look at it as your time being money and the longer it takes to find a job
the more of your time is spent and thus more money is lost.
Finding Training Resources for Your Perfect Job
When you dont have all of the training and education you need to perform your
perfect job, you want to find out where you can go in order to get the training you
need. If you already have a degree but need some additional courses, you might
want to think about taking some online courses. Depending on the field in which
you are interested, you may have to combine online and local courses or training in
order to obtain everything you need. Medical fields, for example, still require clinical
time, so you will need to arrange that in your local area.
If you are not interested in online classes, you will need to check in your local area
to discover where you can obtain the training you need for the type of job you wish
to find. For some people the perfect job is not based as much on the type of work
as on other factors such as salary and benefits. If you are one of those people it will
be easier for you to obtain the training you need than for someone who is more
interested in the position itself. Of course, if you have been working in a factor and
concluding, you want something working in an office, you will have to obtain some
training in order to do that.
If you are just beginning your career finding out the where you need to go to learn
to perform your job of choice is easier than it is for someone who has been in the
workforce and is now looking to change careers. Although career changes are not
usually that difficult, the transition is more difficult for those who have been
working for many years doing the same job. It is not impossible by any means, and
there are resources for those who are making a career change later in life.
Sometimes career changes are necessary not because you no longer feel you have
the perfect job but because of changes within your company.
If you find your job is being downsized and you must begin a new career, most
companies offer outsource training. If this does not fit into your scope of the perfect
job, you can certainly ask for more information about obtaining the training you
need to move into a new field in order to obtain the job that is perfect for you.
Enhance Your Skills to Find the Perfect Job
One of the best ways you can increase your chances of finding the perfect job is to
enhance your skills. The more you know how to do the better your chances are of
finding the job you really want. Since we have to work for a living, we may as well
do something we enjoy and that may mean developing new skills in order to do
something we really like. Learning is a lifetime process and with so many changes
in technology, it is unlikely we will ever reach a point that we no longer have to
enhance our skills in order to keep up with the growing market.
The choices you make will affect your ability to obtain employment in your field of
choice. Its important to understand the importance of maintaining a high skill level
in order to meet market demand. No matter how much experience you have or how
much education, there is always the opportunity to learn more especially in todays
technologically advanced world. The skills we learned yesterday may be obsolete
next week or even tomorrow, so we have to make certain we always have the most
up to date skills and knowledge. It may mean taking additional college courses on a
regular basis, but if it will help you to maintain or obtain your perfect job, is it not
worth the effort.
Anything that is worth doing is worth doing well, so you want to always stay on top
of your skills and enhance them as necessary to meet a growing demand. Whether
you are already working in your perfect job or hoping to reach that level you need
skill enhancement to help with your advancement. There is nothing worse than
finding out theres a job opening within your company but you lack the skills to be
promoted. Your willingness and ability to enhance your skills is pertinent not just to
obtaining a new job but to advancing in a current position as well. Do not make the
mistake of thinking that you will reach the point that you no longer need to learn
new skills because as long as there is a chance to improve technology there will be
the need for everyone to continue upgrading their skills in order to remain part of
the growing market. As we continue to move forward in the 21st century these
technological changes will become more profound and necessary.
Defining the Perfect Job
Before you can begin to seek the perfect job, you have to be able to define what it
means to you. There is no generic meaning nor will you have the same definition as
someone else, even your spouse or significant other. Everyone looks for something
different and thus the meaning of the perfect job will differ even among family
members. It may even have a different meaning for you now than it will ten years
from now. In short, the perfect job is the one that offers what you want and gives
you the satisfaction of feeling you accomplished something when you go home at
the end of your shift.
The first thing you want to do is make a list of what you expect from a new position
whether its with your current employer or whether you are planning to go to a new
company. Unless you are able to identify what you seek it will be very difficult to
find the perfect job. You would be going into it blindly much like looking for a house
without having any idea where you wanted to live or what amenities you wanted in
it. You always want to have a plan, some idea of where to begin. The more details
you list, the easier it will be for you to find what you want from the beginning
instead of continually changing jobs while you look for the perfect one.
Dont expect to find one generic definition for the perfect job because you are not
going to find it. You will view it differently than anyone else you know because at
least one thing is going to be different. For some people the perfect job may be
something that allows them to work a set work schedule very day while others may
be looking for the convenience to telecommute one or more days a week. You want
to identify what it means for you regardless of what it may mean to anyone else.
Make a list of all of the things that are important to you in a job or career and then
work from your list to find that perfect job. Take the time to look for what you
really want rather than taking the first thing that comes alongit doesnt look good
on your resume if you continue to job hop instead of attempting to find the position
you want from the start.
Conducting Your Job Search
There is no one method of conducting a job search that will provide better results
than another. However, it is important to keep in mind that the job market today is
different than it was even ten years ago and many employers refuse to see
applicants until they have seen a resume first. At the same time, very few
employers will accept resumes unless they have a job opening available. The other
problem is that employers are also no longer accepting resumes without knowing
specifically what a job applicant is seeking. It makes it easier for the employer but
more difficult for the job applicant who is seeking to work his or her way into the
perfect job.
Where is the best place to start? Since many employers today are utilizing online
resources this may be your best bet. With so many job posting sites, its a good
idea to look at several job posting boards rather than just one or two. Although
some may be more popular than others, they are not the only ones employers
utilize. You want to exercise all of your options and you can only do that if you take
the time to look at all of the job boards that her available online. Never assume
that all employers use what you perceive to be the most popular site. That is the
same as thinking that all employment agencies will have the same job listingsa
serious mistake in judgment.
Since only 20% of available jobs are posted in the local newspaper, does that mean
you should not use that as a source? Of course you should not eliminate using your
local newspaper advertisements but you should not limit yourself to that source. If
you are a serious job seeker, you want to make use of any and all resources that
are available. The more potential resources you utilize, the better your chances are
of finding the job that is perfect for you. In addition, the more sources of job
advertisements you search, the quicker you will be able to find a job. When you
limit yourself to only a few resources you will not have access to everything that is
available and will limit your search. The more resources you have available, the
more options you open and the quicker you will be able to find the job that appeals
to you the most.
Choosing the Perfect Job
Once you have already defined what the perfect job is to you its time to begin
looking for positions that meet those requirements. The way you do that is by
putting all of your attributes together and connecting them with available positions.
You want to be realistic when you take this step and not try to find the job that
includes every attribute on your list. What you want to do is find something that
closely matches what you perceive to be the perfect job rather than trying to find
something that has everything you want.
One of the problems many people run across when they are looking for the perfect
job is expecting too much. For example, you may feel you are worth 30,000 as an
experienced administrative assistant but there may not be available positions to
support that. Be willing to accept less than what you want in order to get into the
position of your dreams. That does not mean you have to take something you do
not really want but you do want to leave some leeway for compromise.
In order to make the right decision you want to look at the list you have made of
attributes you seek in a job. If you have not already done so, identify them by
importance. There will always be some things that you absolutely must have and
others than are negotiable. When you are in the process of identifying what is the
perfect job for you never identify only those factors that are absolutely necessary
always leave room for negotiation. If youre looking for something that will allow
you to telecommute half of the time be willing to settle for one or two days a week
instead of pushing a position aside because it doesnt offer as many days as you
would like. There are many different ways to negotiate for a job but not all of the
areas are negotiable.
With the job market currently at such a low point it is ludicrous to think you are
going to get everything you want. You may have an idea in your head about how to
get the perfect job but when the economy shows there are more people looking for
job than there are available jobs you will find you have to make more sacrifices.
Instead of risking not obtaining the job that may indeed turn out to be your perfect
job be willing to reduce the number of mandatory options on your list.
How to Prepare for a Potential Job Loss
What do you do when you have that gut feeling of impending doom about your job? Is the writing on the wall? Are you about to be laid off or fired? Is the company going under? Or is it going to come out of the blue that you no longer have a job. If you have these feeling then now is the time to take action in order to soften the blow. You need to start today to get your affairs in order. If the ax falls you will be in a much better position than your coworkers. If you follow these steps and nothing happens you will still be much better off than you are now.
First off, is your resume up to date? If you have not updated it in a few years, now is the time. You may want to consider hiring a professional to do it for you. You need to put your best foot forward. You want to be able to start sending it out before or right after you become unemployed. Searching for a new job can be a full time job by itself. Do you job skills need updating? While you are still working may be a good time to take a few classes and update your skills or start training for a new career. You may want to sign up with a temp agency now so they can place you later. Advantages of temp agencies are they pay well, they find a job for you, you wont be competing for a position with dozens of others and you can usually start immediately.
Start networking. Ask everyone you know if they know of any job openings. If you have not lost your job yet, explain to them you may be laid off and will be looking for a new job. Maybe they can give you a contact name within their company. Someone to send your resume to letting them know if they have any openings in the future you would like to be considered. Start the process now. It is not what you know, it is who you know.
Get your financial house in order. This is always easier said than done. If you are like most people you may already be living paycheck to paycheck and there is nothing extra. If you become unemployed you need as much cash as possible to carry you through. Most experts recommend 3-6 months cash to meet your living needs. What if you cant find a job for 8 months or a year? Gather all your cash reserve or sources for cash. Stash as much as possible to meet you needs.
If you are laid off, the next day you should start filling out any paperwork for unemployment benefits you may qualify for.
You will get through this, it will just take time. Start taking these important steps today and you will be far better prepared for tomorrow.