Finding your new career:

Getting started

Do you remember how you landed your very first job out of high school? Or out of college? Probably by reading the Sunday want ads in the employment section of your local paper. It may not have been the most ideal job, but it served a purpose then. Since then, most of us have changed jobs, if not careers several times.

For today's professionals, finding a new career is much different than it was even ten to fifteen years ago. The key to a job search begins with setting out a career objective. In order to do so, a person must do some self evaluation, and assessing your own core competencies. Ask yourself, "what are my strengths and weaknesses?" "And how can my skill set and abilities in my current position be applied to some new career?"
These are practical and simple questions but the answers are very important in order to match our talents to the right job.

Do your homework

The next step is to do some research on the career in your area of interest. Read up on specific career profiles, job descriptions, qualifications and earnings. You may even want to research some potential employers and the earning potential in your next career. In other words, you want to avoid a dead end position where you have no potential for growth and advancement.

By doing your homework, your are empowering yourself with the information that will help you to capture the next good job. Remember you can always make better choices when you are informed and use this information to your advantage.

Get your resume together

A good well written resume is crucial to finding a good job. A resume gives potential employers a snapshot of your work history, and is often the first chance a job candidate will have to make a good impression. Advances in technology have given rise the web resume, scannable, and the traditional resume. Most resumes are now run through a scanner or an optically sensitive computer in the human resources departments of most companies. A resume can be sent to a company several ways. Via U.S. Mail, or fax, or e-mail. But be mindful that resumes with fancy fonts, and layouts may not be read clearly so try to keep it simple. Many people enjoy the ease of using the Internet to find jobs. Posting your resume online is an extremely powerful tool. Many online job banks and resume databases are free for job seekers to use There are various sites such as www.monsterboard.com
www.hotjobs.com
www.careermosaic.com
www.careerbuilder.com

When sending in your resume, you should always send a cover letter no matter the method of delivery, even when you are faxing or emailing your resume. Cover letters serve a vital purpose in the job search process and serve to focus your qualifications and skills for the job at hand.

Follow-up is crucial in the job search process. Very few employers are going to call you, so you need to tell them in your cover letter that you are going to call to set up an appointment and then you need to make sure you do call. And don't take no for an answer. If the employer thinks you are not qualified for the position, ask if you can still come in for an informational interview to learn more about the company and about careers in that field.

It is not what you know, but who you know

Experts estimate that the vast majority of job openings are never advertised or publicly announced, but filled through word-of-mouth or networking. The likelihood of a job opening not being advertised at all increases with the level of the job. Most people know this, yet most job seekers fail to fully utilize networking for all it's worth. According to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Labor, only 5% of people found a new job from responding to a classified ad. Almost half (48%) found a new job from referrals from friends or relatives; 24% from direct contact with employers what we call cold contact with employers; and 23% from school or alumni placement offices, employment agencies, or temp. agencies. So, what have you learned? You need to build and nurture your network of friends, associates, and contacts and use their network to even greatly expand your network.

The Interview

In most instances, the first meeting with a potential employer is when they call to schedule an interview. Most jobseeker's interview skills are a little rusty, since most people do not make a habit of interviewing. So before your first interview, take the time to brush up your old skills by creating a mock interview. Have a friend ask you some of the more common interviewing questions such as; "Why are you looking for a new job?" or "What are your weaknesses?". You will be amazed at how quickly and thoughtfully you will answer the questions during the actual interview.

If you are asked to complete an employment application during your interview, never write "See Resume" on the application. Complete each field even if the information is the same as what is contained on your resume. Your employment application is considered a legal binding document Therefore, many employers will require you to complete the employment application even though they have already received your resume. Remember, many employers will conduct a background check based on the information from your application. Any discrepancies or irregularities could disqualify you from being offered the position. And always have a blue or black pen with you. It looks more professional to have your own pen instead of having to borrow one

Skfaciane
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