Finding The Right Job For You

If you are going to find the right job, one that makes you happy, the first thing you need to do is ignite your imagination. One of the most common mistakes that a person makes is looking for the wrong job. You'd think that doesn't make sense but the fact is that people don't understand the requirements necessary for determining the "right" job.

The scholar Joseph Campbell often spoke about finding one's passion and living within one's happiness. A lot of people might not think that's important when it comes to a job but the truth of the matter is that the more your job makes you happy, the more content you're going to be with your entire life.

You've probably grown up hating the jobs that you have to do and you've never even thought about whether or not a job out there could possibly make you happy.

The truth is, plenty of people have jobs that make them happy. In fact, two young college students named Larry Page and Sergey Brin worked with computers because it was something they loved to do. The two of them wanted to find a way to retrieve information from the massive data pile known as the internet. The work they did was exhausting and tiring but because it was something they loved to do, it didn't even seem like work.

Eventually, they unlocked the secret they had been looking for and started up a little company known as Google.

Who knows? If you find the job that makes you happy, you might find yourself with the next multibillion dollar company on your plate.

Now, you're looking for something that's going to make you happy -- and that means that you're going to have to use your imagination and your creativity. Think about the various occupations out there that might most easily be able to incorporate your own happiness into them and work on finding a way to land a job in those fields.

One secret to finding out what makes you happy is to really notice yourself -- and notice what it is that makes you happy. Think about the activities that you do that give you pleasure and find ways that you can use to find out what really gives you pleasure. Remember that the more that you enjoy what you're doing, the less it's going to seem like work -- and the more successful you are going to become.

Now, one of the common problems is that the jobs that might make someone happy might require skills they don’t have. In that case, there are some options open. The first, naturally, is to go to school and get the training. Or you might consider volunteering in some capacity to get your foot in the door. You can even go to the company and speak with someone in Human Resources, making sure you let them see the passion that you have for the job that you're going for. In many cases, a hiring manager will want someone who has a genuine love and enjoyment for the field rather than experience. Yet another useful method is to find someone who is working in the field that you want to get into and set up a meeting so that you can pick their brains. Many people are more than happy to share whatever knowledge they can -- especially if they sense a kindred spirit in you.

Lastly, make sure that you think "outside the box." You might think that the things that make you happy might not be marketable skills but in today's marketplace, there are few things that are written in stone. The current crop of millionaires out there will be the first to admit that they went and did something they loved doing, not even caring whether or not they were going to get paid, and in the end, they wound up making more money than they had ever dreamt possible.

The same can happen with you.

The time has come when you need to look at yourself, find out whatever it is that truly makes you happy, and you need to find a way to incorporate the passion you feel for that with a way to make money. It probably won't happen overnight, of course, but if you keep your eyes open, if you stay focused, and if you keep thinking outside the box, the chances are very good that you'll find the happiness and the success that you're looking for.

Once you know the direction you want to go in, a great way to get your job search started is by posting your resume on the key job sites. ResumeDirector.com is a service that can do this for you. Using their site, you can enter your resume once and have it posted instantly on over 90 job sites, including Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, Jobwerx, etc.

Career Decision Making Guide

Career decision making is a dynamic and ongoing process where your knowledge of self, your values, interests, temperament, financial needs, physical work requirements or limitations, etc., the effects of past experiences, new information, and changes in your life situation and environment all intertwine. It requires constant review of decisions already made and consideration of decisions yet to be made. Good career decision making requires you to engage in a process that requires you to:

1. Examine and recognize personal values

2. Identify, gather, and use relevant information.

3. Understand and use an effective strategy for converting information into action.

Each career decision is limited by what you are capable of now or in the future, by your ability to identify alternatives, and by what you are willing to do. Skillful career decision making requires you to be focused, flexible and open to new learning. The following guidelines and questions to keep in mind to help you with decision making.

1. Define the problem. State the real problem, not the surface problem. State the problem in specific terms, as a question.

2. State the goal clearly. What outcome do you want from this decision?

3. List the initial alternative solutions. Which are the safe ones? Which require risk? What are the outcomes of each solution?

4. Collect information and expand the list of alternatives. What kind of information do need? Where can you obtain it? Is it relevant to the problem? list additional solutions or options.

5. Compare several alternatives with what you know about yourself, your values, your commitments to others, your resources, and your constraints.

6. Take action on your choice. How can you implement your choice? What action can you take now? What action can you take later?

7. Review your choice periodically.

8. Take a new decision based on new situations.

SUMMARY OF CAREER DECISION MAKING STEPS:

1. Define the problem

2. State the goal clearly

3. List the initial alternative solutions

4. Collect information and expand the list of alternatives

5. Compare several alternatives

6. Choose one alternative

7. Take action on your choice

8. Review

9. Make a new decision

Probably the most beneficial outcome of learning effective career decision making skills is that it gives you a feeling of control over what you can do. Careful planning decision making will help you make informed, responsible, and wise choices that will lead to greater career satisfaction.

Once you have made a career decision and a choice of an occupation, then develop an Action Plan. An action plan begins with the identification of short-term and long-term goals. Before you set short-term and long-term career goals, you should have taken informal or formal assessments.

Using the results from these assessments, as well as labor market information, identify careers that will match your abilities, interests, values, personality, development stage, financial needs, transportation and family needs.

An effective career decision plan broadens your horizons and make the achievement of your dreams far more likely. An effective career plan requires you to set both long-term and short-term goals and they are equally important.

Long-term goals give you a more clear idea of the things to accomplish in the long run as they are usually big and central to your life. The steps taken to reach long-term goals are short-term goals.

Short term goals are achievable within a relatively short period of time (six months to a year). Short-term goals may also be accomplished daily or attained within a month.

For example, your short term goal may be taking a minimum wage job while simultaneously pursuing post secondary education in preparation for a career, or your short-term goal might be taking several part-time jobs until you find a stable full-time job.

A long term goal takes much more time to reach. For example, if your long-term goal is to become a doctor, then you need to set aside eight years out of your life to pursue a medical career.

Tips for Surviving Your First Job

Once you have landed your first professional position after college, it’s a wise idea to take stock of your situation after your first month on the job. Getting ready for your first promotion, or your next job move, requires a strategy that will maximize your chances of making the best move at the right time. Here are 10 pointers that will help you manage your first job after college as well as other positions that will follow.

Get a lay of the land at the company. What are the written and unwritten rules? How are you fitting in with the corporate culture? How are you not? It’s important to understand the dynamics and politics that are at play in your firm.

Try to understand the demands that are placed upon your colleagues, your supervisor and his or her boss. Once you understand your role and responsibilities in the organization, try to get a handle on the demands that are placed upon your supervisor and their supervisor(s). It’s also helpful to note the same things among your colleagues. How do all these people interact with you and impact your work life? Try to anticipate the needs of those around you.

Determine how your performance will be evaluated. It is crucial that you and your supervisor understand what measures will be applied in evaluating your performance. It’s a wise idea to have informal talks – at least quarterly – on your performance and to meet at least twice a year for a more formal evaluation. Also, it’s a smart idea to document your Top 10 performance achievements of each month; this is a great way to track and communicate your value to your employer.

Create value. A company hires you to make them money, save them money, solve problems, prevent problems, design a new system/service/product or manufacture or sell something. Determine the best ways you can contribute value for your department and for the company. Equally important, always be looking for opportunities to communicate your value. In other words, go beyond your job description and quietly let people know what you’ve done.

Make up your own “board of directors.” Create a network of mentors and advisors within and outside of the company. Identify about 10 people whom you can confide in and seek advice. Ask these individuals if they would be willing to be your mentor. Specifically, you may want to ask each advisor to meet with you twice yearly in order to discuss you career plans and to get some coaching from them.

Take advantage of educational and training opportunities. Keeping up with current trends in your field is essential. Take course work that will help you to perform your current work better or that will prepare you for your next level of assignments. Get advice from your supervisor and mentors on what might be most valuable. Many companies offer tuition-remission programs.

Network your way to your next assignment or promotion. Your colleagues and contacts in the profession, along with mentors and supervisors, will be valuable folks to have in your professional directory. Think of your potential network as those people you know and those people you don’t know. Get to know “leaders and experts” in your field by attending professional meetings, seminars and conferences.

Be charming and fun to be around — but also have a driven side. This is often a fine balancing act. You want to take your job seriously and perform assignments that will be perceived by others as value-added. Also, take on challenges that others might avoid. People who are good communicators seem to also be good at developing people skills. Talent is one thing, but being able to charm your way through many situations is another. The combo can’t be beat.

Start looking for your next promotion, job or new employer just before your first-year anniversary. Although you don’t want to job-hop, chances are your first job out of college will be good for about one to three years at best. It takes the average person about three-to-six months to find a new position, so plan accordingly.

Balance your work life and home life. Young professionals tend to work very hard on their first jobs, often burning the midnight oil. Be careful not to burn out in your first job. Remember to play and have fun. Some corporations are trying to encourage workers to do this in their work environments, offering games and other recreational diversions.

The art of answering interview questions

Interviewing is one of the most important steps in the job-seeking process. An interview is generally the first face-to-face between a candidate and potential employer and is a situation where making a strong impression is important. Interview preparation can be important to help a candidate perform at peak.

Interview questions are challenging, because you have to maintain your context. The interview answer must be understandable to the interviewers and cover the whole of the interview questions in the required depth. Interview answers are constructed. Every piece is supposed to fit together, and answer the interview question in full. The idea is to give a response that sounds good, and has good quality information.

The primary skills in good interview techniques are fluency and clarity. Fluency is achieved by good construction of interview answers. Clarity is really a matter of practice, and doing some strict real-time quality control on your interview answers.

Don't you wish every job interview question would go exactly as you predicted? You know, the interviewer asks questions just the way you imagined? Unfortunately that rarely happens. You have to be ready for anything. That means you have to think through alternative strategies. And be prepared to answer questions you couldn't anticipate.

Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don't rush your answers, but don't ramble on and on, either. Try to, um, avoid, like, using unnecessary words, right? And um, repeating yourself or, like, annoying phrases, you know?

A good technique is to write out your answers to the questions you anticipate, then edit them to make them more concise. Then practice your polished answers out loud, over and over. If you can have someone help you do a "mock interview," that would be the best way to do this. Most questions will relate either to your ability to do the job or to the type of employee you will be.

Each interview answer needs thought and some attention to the clearest possible way of giving your answer. This process becomes much easier with practice. You'll find that with time, you'll be able to put together a good clear interview answer within seconds of hearing the interview question. Clarity in interview answers eliminates doubt, like fluency. You make your point, or give your example, clearly. Clear interview answers have these characteristics:

Positive Characteristics:

Straightforward examples.

Step based logic for each part of the answer, literally A to B.

Explaining scenarios in 'Who What Where When' terminology, ' Who did what, where and when.'

Objectivity, setting out unambiguous statements of goals.

Negative Characteristics:

No extraneous information or subjects.

Nothing off topic.

Nothing out of sequential order (non sequiteurs are particularly confusing in interviews).

  

You will move forward to the next step only if the interviewer likes you! That's right! In the final analysis, once you're in the interview, it's less a matter of convincing the interviewer that you can do the job than of convincing them you're the kind of person the want. That means they have to like you!

Interview Preparation:

Preparation is the first essential step towards a successful interview performance. Your ability to demonstrate your interest in the organization and enthusiasm for the position you are targeting requires considerable research and preparation. Interview preparation involves the steps a job candidate takes prior to meeting with a potential employer face-to-face. Preparation can include a number of critical points. Many job candidates prepare for interviews by making sure their intended appearance is professional. They also brush up on interview techniques, run through interview sample Q&A sessions to hone their answers and even work on their salary negotiation skills. While a resume or CV can get a candidate in the door, personal interviews are often necessary to land a final offer. With this in mind, interview preparation is critical for job seekers. The better prepared a candidate is for an interview, the more likely it is he or she will come across as professional, on top of things and confident.

The first step in preparing for an interview is to do a thorough self-assessment so that you will know what you have to offer an employer. It is very important to develop a complete inventory of skills, experience, and personal attributes that you can use to market yourself to employers at any time during the interview process. Do a little homework. Research the company and the position if possible, as well, the people you will meet with at the interview. The more you know about the organization, the better prepared you will be to discuss how you can meet its needs. Review your work experiences. Be ready to support past career accomplishments with specific information targeted toward the companies needs. Have your facts ready!

Once you have finished studying, you are now ready to prepare questions to ask the interviewer(s). Try to think of questions for which the answer was not readily available in company literature. Intelligent well thought-out questions will demonstrate your genuine interest in the position. Pick your questions with care this is your chance to gather information, so ask about what you really want to know. Avoid sounding critical by mentioning negative information you may have discovered.

Maintain eye contact with your interviewer. Show you want the job with your interest. In particular, avoid negative comments about past employers.

Listen and adapt. Be sensitive to the style of the interviewer. Pay attention to those details of dress, office furniture, and general decor, which will afford helpful clues to assist you in tailoring your presentation.

Try to relate your answers to the interviewer and his or her company. Focus on achievements relevant to the position.

Encourage the interviewer to share information about his or her company. Demonstrate your interest.

Some General Job Interview Tips

Wear suitable interview clothes.

Do not smoke, chew gum, or eat garlic beforehand.

Take copies of your CV with you.

Arrive on time for your job interview.

Any applications handed before the interview begins, are to be filled in as accurately as possible, make sure they match the information in your CV and Cover Letter.

Always greet the interviewer by his/her last name and try to pronounce it correctly.

Have a good firm handshake.

Look alert and interested. Scan the room once and then keep your eyes on the interviewer.

Wait until you are offered a chair before you sit down.

Stress your achievements.

Always conduct yourself professionally and if something beyond your control occurs, show a sense of humor.

Be enthusiastic and show it in your replies and body language.

Answer the interview question by more than a simple yes or no but try not to go over the 60-second limit.

Avoid at all cost complaining about your current or former employer in your job interview.

Do not answer questions about politics or religion if the job is completely unrelated.

Do not raise salary discussions on your first interview this is usually done on the second interview. Make sure you do your wage research before hand.

Recognizing Your Skills and Abilities to Enhance Your Career

Skills refer to the things you do well. The key to finding the most appropriate jobs in the industry is recognizing your own skills and communicating the significance written and verbally to a probable employer.

What types of things are you good at? If you look back over your life, from the time you were small until now, you will likely see that a pattern of strengths emerged very early in life. For example, you may have always been good at fixing things, or with people, or at raising money for clubs or organizations. Recognizing your strengths, and how you can use them in certain careers more than others, will help assure success in your chosen career.

Most skills and abilities are learned, you are not born with them. It’s likely that some types of things that you do well come easier to you than others. You may be great at understanding computers, but not very good at athletics. It’s important to take a realistic look at the skills and abilities you have, and those you are interested in developing.

Unfortunately, many people sell themselves short when trying to list or describe the skills that they possess. If you can't be confident in your skill set and understand the skills that are transferable into new markets, then you'll have a much harder time convincing a potential employer that you're the right person for the job they're offering. This is where being able to identify your own skills and interests can help you to bridge the gap and show that you are more than qualified for the positions that you seek.

The first thing that you need to do is start thinking about the different jobs that you've had in the past and the various skills that you've developed over the years. Even fairly menial jobs can pass on a variety of skills, including those skills which are highly sought after in the corporate world such as time and project management and even customer relations. The skills that you have were developed with time and hard work, so don't be quick to discount them. List the various skills that you've developed through work and other activities, making notes of any areas that you are particularly strong in. Managing a household or home business requires skills. If this is you, identify what skills you possess.

When you begin looking for a job, make sure that you try and find potential employers who fall within some of your areas of interest even if you've never had employment in that area before. Often times employers will ask job candidates during an interview exactly why it is that they want to work for the company they've applied at; being able to say that you're genuinely interested in the work that they do and having enough knowledge about the field to back that statement up will help to show them that you'll likely be a diligent worker and that you won't become bored with the work and go off seeking another job.

If you have developed skills or possess natural talents which support that area of interest, that's even more of a mark in your favor since you will not only be interested in the work but will also have at least some of the skills and abilities needed to do it. These are qualities that employers are always looking for, and they can help you to land the job even when you thought that you wouldn't be qualified enough.

One secret to finding out what makes you happy is to really notice yourself and notice what it is that makes you happy. Think about the activities that you do that give you pleasure and find ways that you can use to find out what really gives you pleasure. Remember that the more that you enjoy what you're doing, the less it's going to seem like work and the more successful you are going to become.

The time has come when you need to look at yourself, find out whatever it is that truly makes you happy, and you need to find a way to incorporate the passion you feel for that with a way to make money. It probably won't happen overnight, of course, but if you keep your eyes open, if you stay focused, and if you keep thinking outside the box, the chances are very good that you'll find the happiness and the success that you're looking for.

Hunting for a Job

The secret to hunting for a job is to network! Research shows that only 20% of all jobs get advertised in newspapers or online job recruitment websites. Networking is the art of building alliances. By tapping into this “hidden job market” you will make your next job search easier. While much focus in job-hunting is placed on networking techniques, resume-writing, and interview preparation and rightly so one small, but very important aspect of successful job-seekers is often overlooked.

When you begin your job search, think of all the people you know relatives, friends, professors, classmates, and co-workers. You should make an effort to meet these people and ask them for their advice and take the opportunity to let them know that you are currently in the market for a job. A lot of jobs don’t get advertised because most can be filled by recommendations from existing employees, so don’t be shy of letting everyone know about the kind of role you’re after.

Direct contact (by telephone, or in person), this job-hunting method requires you to contact the employer who has the power to hire you. Remember if you decide to go via this route, you will need to provide evidence of how you will be an asset to the company.

In today’s fast-paced world, Internet is an excellent place to find employment information. When you are ready to research specific companies, agencies or organizations, it is essential to check out their websites. Every major company should have a website with information about their long-term goals and employment practices. If they don’t have one, or it seems poorly maintained, keep that in mind when making employment decisions. Employment websites are the ultimate way of searching for jobs online. Most have alert features; where-by a job description fitting your ideal job can be emailed to you directly. You can also upload your resume and cover letters so that prospective employers can view them.

Recruitment agencies are similar to employment websites, however with recruitment agencies you usually work closer with the recruiter. There are literally hundreds of recruitment agencies in your country. You need to register with the recruitment agency of your choice. Once you have registered they will contact you if they feel you are suitable for a particular job.

An important step of job hunting involves having a great resume. This is the root channel, which establishes the first and most impressionable connection with an employer. Thus, be very careful while you are making your resume.

If you would normally send out 5 resumes a day, start sending out 10 or even 20. Don't be picky with the companies you choose. Get in as many interviews as you can now, and be pick with the ‘offers’ later. If a job listing has a both a contact phone number and email address, pick up the phone and call them. It is far too easy for an email to be filed away for later.

Once you begin interviewing, be sure prepare yourself for each meeting. Interviewers are impressed by confident individual’s who show strong communication skills and eagerness for the position. When in doubt, always wear a suit and tie to the interview. Mention a willingness to work in groups but the ability to carry your own weight. Research the company's website before the interview, and if you are able to slip in a few facts during the interview it will score you extra points. Remember the more you interview, the better you will get at it. This is particularly true because most interviewers ask the exact same questions. Soon enough, the answers will flow out of your mouth before you even hear the whole question.

Anyone can get a job when the market is booming, but those who prevail in tough times like these show true character and spirit.

Finding the Right Job

How do you translate your interests into a new career? With a little research, you may be surprised at the careers that relate to many of the things you love to do. While searching for a suitable career, you need to be aware of several factors and prepare accordingly. Assess your key skills and capabilities and form an unbiased opinion of your potential. Once you have a realistic idea of your qualifications and the job opportunities available, start exploring the possibilities from the options available.

Many online tools can guide you through the process of self-discovery. Questions, quizzes, and temperament sorters can’t tell you what your perfect career would be. In the current job market where unemployment rate is high, you should be realistic in your search for jobs. You should not have high hope in getting the 'right' job at your first attempt, but should aim to gain worthwhile experience from your first job.

Once you have decided on the profession you want to be in, take some time to figure out what skills you have and what skills you need. It is important to develop a firm career objective, stating clearly what your expectations from the job would be and the reasons behind selecting it.

Fresh contenders should get career counseling or professional advice from the university about techniques to apply for jobs, which organization to contact, arranging interviews, organizing visits, or making contacts with the personnel in charge.

If you are not so sure about what you want to become, try to discuss with parents and friends who know your characters. Talking to someone in the field gives you a real sense of what type of work you will actually be doing and if it meets your expectations. Tell them which career you want to go in for, why you chose to pursue a certain degree or course, what makes you think you can do better than others in certain jobs, what is your future plan besides working for an organization, and ask their opinions about your plan. All these are important bearings that help you focus in your career, so do not shy away from talking about them.