Career Training : How to Find the Job You'll Like
Is It Gonna Be A Job Or A Career?
Today's job market is highly selective. Employers can pick and choose from hordes of desperate job seekers, some of whom are highly qualified and others who are not. More than ever, job-seekers are faced with the prospect of choosing between a part-time position or none at all. Employment agencies are having a field day and it is the job-seeker who has become dis-empowered. However, with a little know-how, job-seekers can turn the tables in their favor. Here is some vital information that can smooth your job-search and yield you the job of your dreams.
Rule #1. Don't Disqualify Yourself For The Job You Want.
Most job-seekers employ a "fishing in the bathtub" technique when searching job listings. They look first for a job-title. Then they compare the listed educational requirements with their own academic qualifications and summarily dismiss themselves if these do not match perfectly. If they qualify academically, they then check the salary-range before deciding whether or not to apply. They may lightly skim through the job-duties, believing that, once employed, they will receive the training necessary to perform satisfactorily. Is it any wonder then that so many jobs are being filled by temporary workers? This method of job-search is both frustrating and counterproductive for both job-seekers and employers.
To maximize your chances of getting a job, first decide what type of job you would like to do and then learn something about it. Look for work you want to do. Enhance your value to a prospective employer by taking courses about the job you desire. You don't have to be a professional. Be a student and your employer will see that you have the potential to be a profitable investment.The required job-duties are extremely important when viewing a listing. Why? Because this is what your employer will require you to do every day if hired. Your capability always outweighs your academic abilities in any job! If you are not sure that you want to perform such duties, then don't waste the employer's time by applying for the job.
Rule # 2. Know Something About the Duties For Which You Are Applying.
Many job-seekers make the mistake of applying for a job about which they have no clue! Let us examine how employers view employees. An employee is considered a business investment. A business needs to make money from its investments. The business must be profitable or it will die! Period! No ifs, ands or buts! Every dime invested in assets of the business must produce a profit. Every dime must justify its expenditure. Every employee must be a business asset or else he/she is a liability. Every employee must produce profits for the business or be discarded! Period!
The job-listing is NOT a charitable gesture. A job-listing means that a business is seeking to acquire an asset in the form of an intelligent person who is fully capable of performing certain profitable actions for a long period of time. In other words, the employer is seeking your compatible skills and time for use in his business venture. He is not obligated to train you in the job although he may show you the techniques used in his business. He expects you to have some idea about the purpose of his business. That's why he lists the required duties of the job! Do not be confused about what you are doing when you apply for a job. You are offering to trade your skills, time and knowledge to a business in return for money. Therefore, the more competent you are in your knowledge and performance of the job-duties, the more valuable you are as a prospective employee.
Rule # 3. Your Resume Is Only A Key To The Employer's Door.
Understand this: Your resume gets you into the door but it's your skill that keeps you in your job. Too many applicants depend on their resumes to get them a job. A well-written resume is only a key to your prospective employer's door. It arouses his interest in meeting you. Do not assume that the employer already knows whom he wants to employ. The employer only knows the type of person he wants in his business. He is working with broad guidelines, trying to maximise his return on his financial investment. Therefore, he is wide open to any applicant who falls within his target area. It has been my experience that, except in cases of myopic dogmatism, many academically-qualified job-seekers have been beaten to a post by an enthusiastic, intelligent, temperamentally-correct individual of less sterling academic achievement. The reason being that, while your resume may get you into the boss' office, it is your character and competence that will get you the job.
No employer can be reasonably expected to invest money in a solely text-book educated individual with no concept of his own personal value. As my deceased father (May God bless his soul) used to say: "Common-sense is much more valuable than book-sense." NEVER, NEVER, NEVER go into a job interview expecting your resume to speak for you. Only YOU can speak for YOU! Once your resume has done its job of getting you into the boss' office, be prepared to sell him on the profits he can acquire by having you as an asset in his business. Remember, no employer is obligated to GIVE you a job because you are academically-qualified and NEED one.
Rule #4. You Got The Interview, Now What?
It's not rocket science now, is it? Let's review how you got this far. You NEED to generate money. You have decided what you want to do to get the money. A business needs someone to do what YOU WANT TO DO. You send a resume telling them a little bit about yourself and stating your interest in DISCUSSING their proposition further. They like what your resume says and think YOU MAY FIT THEIR GUIDELINES. They set up an appointment to speak with you personally (the dreaded interview!). Now what?
How To Ace The Interview (and make the employer hire You!)
If you have been following the logic this far, you realize that you are potentially ahead of the game IN THE EMPLOYER'S EYES when you get called in for the interview. It is in YOUR BEST INTEREST to research the company BEFORE attending your interview. Why? If you really want to stress your potential value to the business when hired, you NEED TO KNOW to what you are going to contribute YOUR SKILLS. That knowledge allows you to CONTROL the tone of the interview. Most applicants approach an interview seeking a charitable gesture from their prospective employers, but you are NEGOTIATING how best TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR TALENTS to assist in further developing the business.
That's the only way you can further cement the FAVORABLE IMPRESSION that got you the interview in the first place. With knowledge of where you can fit in, you are miles ahead of the competition who thinks their value is in their resume. You can use your knowledge to declare your value to the company without any bluff or chest-thumping. Use that knowledge to make the employer WANT to invest his money in YOU!
Don't Ever Forget:
If you understand and apply these insights, you will find that job interviews and job searches will be less frustrating and more productive. Remember, when you apply for a job, you are agreeing to allow an employer to control 3 precious assets: Your Time, Your Skills and Your Knowledge. In return, the employer pays you an agreed financial value for using those assets. If you should ever find yourself on a job-search, it is in your best interests to understand and apply these techniques.
Happy and profitable job hunting!
