By : Rich Heintz
Over the years, California Job Journal has published a wealth of job-seeking advice. Several months ago, I began culling through past issues with an eye to retrieving some useful hints that might otherwise be long forgotten. The result is a three-week series of articles offering the essentials of dealing with job search, resumes and cover letters, networking and interviewing. While some hints will be old hat to regular readers, these are pointers worth repeating to anyone about to embark on that challenging journey to a new job.13 Great Ideas First of Three Parts
1. Pick your path with care. Where is the first place you look for work? Within yourself. Only you can say what type of work you really want. The answers you uncover during your self-discovery will shape much of what you do during your job search. So before you target your first resume or make your first networking call, take some time to consider where you want to take your career and where you want your career to take you. If you need help, counselors at the many One-Stop Career Centers statewide can point you toward interest inventory exams.
2. Visualize your dream employer. What qualities do you seek in an employer? Great benefits? Flex time? A noble mission? A large staff? Small crew? Public? Private? Make a list of your expectations. Your "perfect" profile will help you decide if a prospective company measures up, better enabling you to focus your efforts on the companies that truly count.
3. Pick from 14 job-search strategies. Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute, recommends that jobseekers use more than one method but no more than four to be effective. Here are the choices (listed in descending order of effectiveness):
1. Use the creative approach - surveying your interests and skill, matching them to a company and networking your way in.
2. Work with a group of jobseekers.
3. Use the yellow pages to identify companies of interest.
4. Knock on employers' doors.
5. Ask family members, etc, for job leads.
6. Go to the state or federal employment office.
7. Ask former teachers for job leads.
8. Take a civil service exam.
9. Go to employment halls.
10. Go to employment agencies.
11. Answer ads in local papers.
12. Answer ads in professional journals.
13. Randomly mail resumes.
14. Use the Internet.
4. Change industries, not careers. Just because you are unhappy in your present job doesn't mean you have to change careers. An accountant does not have to work for an accounting firm. Nor does a computer expert have to work for a high-tech company. Realizing your options can open up a world of job opportunities.
5. Start as a temp. Temping is a great way to keep your skills fresh and your spirits up while job hunting. In addition, more and more employers are looking to temporary help as a source for permanent employees. In essence, your assignment may be a tryout for a more permanent position.
6. Find the jobs in hiding. Most employers dread having to screen dozens of applicants to find a good hire. Your job is to find that employer before they advertise the position, thereby increasing your chances of landing a job (since your competition may never learn of the opening). How do you find such openings? First, have a clear idea of the type of job you want. Then call friends, former employers, people in the field, and hiring managers at target companies. Be sure to ask for referrals, and always remember to send a thank-you note.
7. Don't wait for the call. Employers complain that too few applicants show initiative when responding to an ad. Few, for example, follow up their letter of inquiry or resume with a phone call, preferring instead to wait for the employer to call them. Many successful jobseekers know an employer is impressed and not bothered when an applicant follows up a letter of interest with a call. In fact, jobseekers should use the phone more extensively to pursue all manner of job leads.
8. Create your own board of directors. Need expert advice on your career, but can't afford a career counselor? Recruit friends or members of professional organizations willing to share their thoughts and expert opinions on your strengths and weaknesses. Then treat them to a special lunch as a thank you after you land that job or promotion. The key: pick your panel wisely.
9. Remember ten things when looking for work: Tell everyone . . . Answer ads . . . Look for opportunities (follow trends) . . . Prepare a quality resume . . . Contact recruiters . . . Follow up your resume with a phone call . . . Attend functions (like job fairs) . . . Name your referring contact in your cover letter or email. . . Persevere (with a positive attitude).
10. Put volunteer work on your agenda. If you are looking to enhance your resume despite being unemployed, consider doing some volunteer work. It can boost your energy, confidence and self-esteem, while giving you an edge over less-resourceful applicants. In addition, you can use volunteer work to explore a new career, helping you determine if a field is to your liking.
11. Do your own preparation. While you may wish a job counselor could provide you with all the answers, doing your own research about companies and an industry in general will help you make a better impression in job interviews.
12. Use the EDD website. The California Employment Development Department has a labor-market website where you can pinpoint some of the more promising regions and professions. This information can help you intelligently target your job search. Go to labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov.
13. Fight the funk. Looking for work can be daunting, and it's only natural to get down at times. That's when career counselor Claudia Jordan recommends her clients go for a walk, see a funny movie, call a friend with a positive attitude, or undertake any hobby that makes them feel happy. Regular exercise can also help immunize you against the blues.
Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia
Over the years, California Job Journal has published a wealth of job-seeking advice. Several months ago, I began culling through past issues with an eye to retrieving some useful hints that might otherwise be long forgotten. The result is a three-week series of articles offering the essentials of dealing with job search, resumes and cover letters, networking and interviewing. While some hints will be old hat to regular readers, these are pointers worth repeating to anyone about to embark on that challenging journey to a new job.13 Great Ideas First of Three Parts
1. Pick your path with care. Where is the first place you look for work? Within yourself. Only you can say what type of work you really want. The answers you uncover during your self-discovery will shape much of what you do during your job search. So before you target your first resume or make your first networking call, take some time to consider where you want to take your career and where you want your career to take you. If you need help, counselors at the many One-Stop Career Centers statewide can point you toward interest inventory exams.
2. Visualize your dream employer. What qualities do you seek in an employer? Great benefits? Flex time? A noble mission? A large staff? Small crew? Public? Private? Make a list of your expectations. Your "perfect" profile will help you decide if a prospective company measures up, better enabling you to focus your efforts on the companies that truly count.
3. Pick from 14 job-search strategies. Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute, recommends that jobseekers use more than one method but no more than four to be effective. Here are the choices (listed in descending order of effectiveness):
1. Use the creative approach - surveying your interests and skill, matching them to a company and networking your way in.
2. Work with a group of jobseekers.
3. Use the yellow pages to identify companies of interest.
4. Knock on employers' doors.
5. Ask family members, etc, for job leads.
6. Go to the state or federal employment office.
7. Ask former teachers for job leads.
8. Take a civil service exam.
9. Go to employment halls.
10. Go to employment agencies.
11. Answer ads in local papers.
12. Answer ads in professional journals.
13. Randomly mail resumes.
14. Use the Internet.
4. Change industries, not careers. Just because you are unhappy in your present job doesn't mean you have to change careers. An accountant does not have to work for an accounting firm. Nor does a computer expert have to work for a high-tech company. Realizing your options can open up a world of job opportunities.
5. Start as a temp. Temping is a great way to keep your skills fresh and your spirits up while job hunting. In addition, more and more employers are looking to temporary help as a source for permanent employees. In essence, your assignment may be a tryout for a more permanent position.
6. Find the jobs in hiding. Most employers dread having to screen dozens of applicants to find a good hire. Your job is to find that employer before they advertise the position, thereby increasing your chances of landing a job (since your competition may never learn of the opening). How do you find such openings? First, have a clear idea of the type of job you want. Then call friends, former employers, people in the field, and hiring managers at target companies. Be sure to ask for referrals, and always remember to send a thank-you note.
7. Don't wait for the call. Employers complain that too few applicants show initiative when responding to an ad. Few, for example, follow up their letter of inquiry or resume with a phone call, preferring instead to wait for the employer to call them. Many successful jobseekers know an employer is impressed and not bothered when an applicant follows up a letter of interest with a call. In fact, jobseekers should use the phone more extensively to pursue all manner of job leads.
8. Create your own board of directors. Need expert advice on your career, but can't afford a career counselor? Recruit friends or members of professional organizations willing to share their thoughts and expert opinions on your strengths and weaknesses. Then treat them to a special lunch as a thank you after you land that job or promotion. The key: pick your panel wisely.
9. Remember ten things when looking for work: Tell everyone . . . Answer ads . . . Look for opportunities (follow trends) . . . Prepare a quality resume . . . Contact recruiters . . . Follow up your resume with a phone call . . . Attend functions (like job fairs) . . . Name your referring contact in your cover letter or email. . . Persevere (with a positive attitude).
10. Put volunteer work on your agenda. If you are looking to enhance your resume despite being unemployed, consider doing some volunteer work. It can boost your energy, confidence and self-esteem, while giving you an edge over less-resourceful applicants. In addition, you can use volunteer work to explore a new career, helping you determine if a field is to your liking.
11. Do your own preparation. While you may wish a job counselor could provide you with all the answers, doing your own research about companies and an industry in general will help you make a better impression in job interviews.
12. Use the EDD website. The California Employment Development Department has a labor-market website where you can pinpoint some of the more promising regions and professions. This information can help you intelligently target your job search. Go to labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov.
13. Fight the funk. Looking for work can be daunting, and it's only natural to get down at times. That's when career counselor Claudia Jordan recommends her clients go for a walk, see a funny movie, call a friend with a positive attitude, or undertake any hobby that makes them feel happy. Regular exercise can also help immunize you against the blues.
Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia
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