Posts Tagged “looking for a job”
You may have recently graduated or been in the job market for eons but one thing we all have in common is that we will look for a job at one time or another. This makes the employment pool very competitive with both fresh graduates and experienced individuals competing with one another.
Therefore there is a great need for one to get an edge and stay ahead of the pack when looking for a job. There are three key steps to follow if your search for a job is to bear fruit early:
1. Know exactly what you want: This applies to all facets of life whether it is looking for a job, a house, a car or even a life partner. There are numerous people who are looking for a job and yet have no idea what kind of position they would want to work in. The Swahili saying “Mtaka yote hukosa yote” (He who wants everything loses out on everything) applies in this case.
Identifying what you want works like an invisible force, driving you towards your goal and bringing your goal within your reach. It is not a 100% guarantee that you will get exactly what you want but you will land close. Focus also allows you to narrow down and concentrate your efforts on achieving a specific goal. It goes without saying that you will definitely reap results eventually.
2. Look for leads. Keep looking for leads. Keep looking for more leads: If necessity is the mother of invention, then persistence is the godmother. Once you identify exactly what you want to do then you need to go out and seek it. Leads for job opportunities will not line up outside your bedroom door with paper towels and a tray full of condiments. You need to be aggressive and relentless.
You need to be creative and think outside the box. No one ever got anywhere by sitting and looking pretty. Stay in touch with friends, expand your network of associates and acquaintances and don’t be shy about asking whether there are available openings in their companies or organizations.
Do be careful not to be a pest though; make sure that not all your encounters are about asking for job opportunities. Be flexible and open to opportunities that may lead to your dream job. Don’t shy off from applying for short-term jobs or contracts. You never know where they may lead you. For example a company may be looking to hire people to carry out a stock-taking exercise for 3 days and end up hiring the best performers from the lot.
3. Stay on your toes: Prepare and always have some draft applications ready to send for the various positions you are interested in. Seek out a professional cover letter writing service if you’re not able to draft a general application that you can customize.
It is not advisable to send your application whenever you please simply because a job advert does not have a deadline. If anything, those are the advertisements to be very quick to send out an application. The further the deadline the faster you may need to apply because the company may find the ideal candidate just two days after advertising.
It does not make financial sense to continue carrying out interviews once the perfectly fitting candidate has been found. Now many of you probably have an idea why you never seem to get responses yet your credentials are a perfect match for the job description.
These are just a few simple tips that can turn your job-hunting around and make it a complete success this year. Don’t sit back and waste time. Get up and get moving!
Important Facts to Know before Job Hunting – Career Advice
Job hunting is a daily exercise. Whether you get a good job, you will be hunting another bigger job after a while. That is why I get shocked when people email us to unsubscribe from getting the latest jobs on their emails. Like I said above, job hunting does not stop because you got a job, it makes it easier. Now you have resources and access to information (internet) and even interview experience.
If you are coming straight from college or university starting to look for a job is tricky but it can be very easy if you know what you are doing. If you have a job, I know by now you know various things you need to adhere to before starting to start looking for a job. But if you have forgotten, then here is a refresher.
1. Tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying – include specific elements of the job description in your resume (make it easy for them to see that you are a good fit).
2. Do not rely on a cover letter to explain why you are a fit. You may want to use it to explain reasons for relocation, but your skills and experience need to be evident within your customized resume. If anything, the cover letter may be used to weed you out.
3. Do not apply for more than one position within one company: It creates the perception that you are not sure which position is best for you. We recommend applying to one but including a variety of skill sets on your resume so that you indicate you are qualified for more than one position.
4. Keep everything positive in your resume and in your communication with the company. Don’t dwell on bad experiences, frustrations, or ineffective bosses. Talk about what you learned, why you are better for it and how you will leverage those experiences to make your new company successful.
5. Honesty rules: Hiring managers and HR professionals will do informal reference checks with people they know at other firms and you do not want them to be surprised.
6. Answer salary questions definitively and transparently: Do not try to circumvent these questions. Tell them specifically what you were making and what you are looking to make.
7. Don’t be shy: let your personality come through in your answers. During an interview, you might be thrown some questions that are asked to assess how your brain works or to find out more about your personality.
8. When accepting an offer, be enthusiastic: They want to hear the smile and excitement in your voice. This will lay the foundation of a very positive transition into your new company.
9. Don’t engage in a counteroffer negotiations: You risk alienating yourself from the new hiring manager and your old company. Consider the offer and decide.
10. Being overqualified is a serious concern for companies, but the solution is not to remove things from your resume as it may create the perception of dishonesty.
11. End interviews with assertiveness and pro-activity: It is very appropriate to end interviews by asking “When would it be appropriate for me to follow-up?”
12. Be prepared for behavioral interview questions: Come to the interview prepared with several anecdotes about challenges you have faced before and how you dealt with them. Demonstrate a positive and measurable result whenever possible.
13. Do your best to incorporate the firm’s core values into your interview responses.
14. Keep up your knowledge: Companies understand that people may have been out of work for extended periods of time in this economy. However, you must demonstrate your ability to stay current (seminars, certifications, etc.) and to get up to speed quickly.
15. LinkedIn is a recognized tool, but they disregard most of what they see, including recommendations. Be prepared to provide a supplemental reference sheet during interviews.
16. Identify and ease their pain. Ask hiring managers about “gaps in their department” to find out where their pain is and suggest how you can help ease that pain. They need to be sure they are hiring someone who can help with their issues. Ask good questions. Like, “What does success look like 6 months into this position?” and “What obstacles might I run into?”
17. Be careful with Facebook: they review these pages and screen people out as a result!
If you look at all the above, they seem like warnings but in real sense they are just ways in which you can help yourself find the exercise of job hunting very easy. You do not want to experience a hard time finding a job. Some of you might already be doing this but if you are not, then have these like 17 commandments.
All the best.
Job hunting is a daily exercise. Whether you get a good job, you will be hunting another bigger job after a while. That is why I get shocked when people email us to unsubscribe from getting the latest jobs on their emails. Like I said above, job hunting does not stop because you got a job, it makes it easier. Now you have resources and access to information (internet) and even interview experience.
If you are coming straight from college or university starting to look for a job is tricky but it can be very easy if you know what you are doing. If you have a job, I know by now you know various things you need to adhere to before starting to start looking for a job. But if you have forgotten, then here is a refresher.
1. Tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying – include specific elements of the job description in your resume (make it easy for them to see that you are a good fit).
2. Do not rely on a cover letter to explain why you are a fit. You may want to use it to explain reasons for relocation, but your skills and experience need to be evident within your customized resume. If anything, the cover letter may be used to weed you out.
3. Do not apply for more than one position within one company: It creates the perception that you are not sure which position is best for you. We recommend applying to one but including a variety of skill sets on your resume so that you indicate you are qualified for more than one position.
4. Keep everything positive in your resume and in your communication with the company. Don’t dwell on bad experiences, frustrations, or ineffective bosses. Talk about what you learned, why you are better for it and how you will leverage those experiences to make your new company successful.
5. Honesty rules: Hiring managers and HR professionals will do informal reference checks with people they know at other firms and you do not want them to be surprised.
6. Answer salary questions definitively and transparently: Do not try to circumvent these questions. Tell them specifically what you were making and what you are looking to make.
7. Don’t be shy: let your personality come through in your answers. During an interview, you might be thrown some questions that are asked to assess how your brain works or to find out more about your personality.
8. When accepting an offer, be enthusiastic: They want to hear the smile and excitement in your voice. This will lay the foundation of a very positive transition into your new company.
9. Don’t engage in a counteroffer negotiations: You risk alienating yourself from the new hiring manager and your old company. Consider the offer and decide.
10. Being overqualified is a serious concern for companies, but the solution is not to remove things from your resume as it may create the perception of dishonesty.
11. End interviews with assertiveness and pro-activity: It is very appropriate to end interviews by asking “When would it be appropriate for me to follow-up?”
12. Be prepared for behavioral interview questions: Come to the interview prepared with several anecdotes about challenges you have faced before and how you dealt with them. Demonstrate a positive and measurable result whenever possible.
13. Do your best to incorporate the firm’s core values into your interview responses.
14. Keep up your knowledge: Companies understand that people may have been out of work for extended periods of time in this economy. However, you must demonstrate your ability to stay current (seminars, certifications, etc.) and to get up to speed quickly.
15. LinkedIn is a recognized tool, but they disregard most of what they see, including recommendations. Be prepared to provide a supplemental reference sheet during interviews.
16. Identify and ease their pain. Ask hiring managers about “gaps in their department” to find out where their pain is and suggest how you can help ease that pain. They need to be sure they are hiring someone who can help with their issues. Ask good questions. Like, “What does success look like 6 months into this position?” and “What obstacles might I run into?”
17. Be careful with Facebook: they review these pages and screen people out as a result!
If you look at all the above, they seem like warnings but in real sense they are just ways in which you can help yourself find the exercise of job hunting very easy. You do not want to experience a hard time finding a job. Some of you might already be doing this but if you are not, then have these like 17 commandments.
All the best.
You should approach applying for internships in much the same way as looking for a job. Therefore much of what appears on this page about CV writing and covering letters for full-time jobs and career advancement will be relevant if you are trying to find a placement for work experience or an internship. The tips and ideas on the job interviews section are also relevant to seeking and applying for and successfully gaining internships and work experience placements.
It’s essential to research prospective internship employers. And plan this well in advance. People who leave things until the last minute reduce their options, and increase the amount of competitive pressures involved. Also, planning and researching early in the process will maximize the chances of identifying and securing the best placements.
Employers will be impressed by people who have clearly planned ahead of the rest. Employers will not be impressed by those who’ve obviously left things late.
The action plan starts with researching your target market or sector, however you define it. Focusing on a defined sector helps because certain economies of scale come into effect: commonalities exist between similar organizations and situations which save our time and enable efficient use of our efforts. We can get into a groove and a mind-set that will work in lots of similar situations. Being vague and having no focus makes it impossible to derive these advantages. Variety might be the spice of life, but it’s not helpful in putting together a targeted action plan, where focus, consistency, familiarity, knowledge, expertise and professionalism are the important criteria for success.
Research is relatively easy using the internet – but remember the phone as well, especially when you locate a contact who might guide you. Try to identify the focal points where information is gathered and disseminated for your target sector(s). Most vertical industry sectors – and professions – are represented by at least one trade association or professional body or institute. Large sectors will be represented by many different trade associations, bodies and institutes – each of which represents a sub-sector or ‘niche’ within the main sector. Each representative body will generally have a trade magazine or journal, and also probably a website. These pivotal points will enable you to find out most of what you need to know so as to identify prospective internships (and employers). Use the phone to talk to people in these organizations – editors and secretaries are very knowledgeable and many are very helpful. Try to network and seek referrals from contacts, each time asking politely for help – just be honest and courteous about what you are trying to achieve and many people will be extremely helpful. Accept the fact that you will find yourself barking up the wrong tree on a few occasions – no problem – move onto the next point of contact. Sooner or later you will find what you seek.
What you seek of course is a good list of potential employers (and relevant contact details) who fit your criteria. Your criteria will extend beyond market sector and job function. Geography, organization size, market position, style and culture might also feature in your ideal profile of an internship organization. Again, define and describe to yourself what you are seeking – an employer profile – and use your research sources to compile a list of the organizations that meet it.
Researching individual organizations on the internet and by telephone, and by requesting details from them (sales brochures, annual reports, etc) helps to build up a feel of the market and or professional sector early on, and this individually focused research is very beneficial later in the process when you begin to tighten your specification and list of prospective employers. This detailed research will directly improve your written approach and you performance at interview.
When approaching any organizations for internship or work-experience-placements, resist the temptation to send out lots of emails. Letters are best. Emails give a far lower rate of response than letters. Letters have to be opened, but emails don’t, and many are binned as junk or spam. Follow the principles on this page to write and send the most impressive CV and cover-letters possible. It’s not necessary to have had loads of work experience to create a great-looking impressive CV. See the notes above about writing CVs with little or no work experience.
Article by Juliah – Corporate Staffing Services at Staff-Kenya
Recruitment & employment agency firms in Kenya. To broaden your job search and get those jobs rarely advertised you need help. Recruitment agencies or staffing employment agency firms in Kenya can greatly improve the odds of you getting a job very fast.
