Career Exploration Tips

By Nimish Thakkar

If fretting about your career is affecting your professional performance and personal life, it may be time to consider a career change. Sometimes a career change may not be necessary at all; rather, small changes in the way you do your job may do the trick.

Rule out job-related factors

Sometimes extreme work pressure, long commutes, bad bosses, lower salary, and a host of other factors may be contributing to your dissatisfaction and a career change may not be necessary at all. A new job or a different industry (using your existing strengths) may just do the trick and is much easier. If, however, you determine that it is your profession that you are unhappy with, it may be time to explore a new career.

Keep the following tips in mind before embarking on a career exploration.

Take stock

What is it that you like to do most? Why? Is there any activity or interest that you particularly love or enjoy? Example, do you love traveling? Is it because you get to see new places? Or, is it because you love nature? Or, is it for the thrill of flying? Or, the joy of meeting new people? It is not enough to know what your interests are; you need to go a step further and evaluate why. These underlying reasons may often hold the clue to your inner passions and a potential line of work to fulfill them.

Your skills, interests, values, personality -- all of these should be carefully considered during the process of career exploration. Avoid thinking about financial responsibilities, barriers, etc. Just let your fancies lose. Don't worry you are still at the stage of brainstorming; thinking about other things won't let the creative juices flow freely.

Assessments

Assessments such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory and an assortment of assessments can help navigate options. Be careful, though, assessments need to be interpreted carefully (by an expert) and should in no way be considered a final verdict.

Develop goals

What are your short term goals? long term? Unless you know your life's purpose how can you make a meaningful change?

Research, research, research

Once you have narrowed your options to two or three choices, it is time to undertake extensive research. What growth opportunities exist in your industry? What is the median salary? What are the entry requirements? How stable is the career? Which area of the country are most jobs available? What are the work conditions like? Are there any certification requirements? What kind of experience is desired? These are just a few of the questions you need to ask. Familiarize yourself with every aspect of the industry. Our career planning resources and industry research section can be helpful at this stage.

Network

Informational interviewing, the process of gathering information through networking is an effective means to gather different perspectives from insiders. At times, these conversations may also open doors to potential job opportunities. Ask your network questions like what they love the most about that job? Least? What does the job entail? Prepare a list of questions and see if you fit the bill.

Try testing the waters

Internships, volunteer opportunities, opportunities within the same organization are just a few ways you can actually get a feel for the profession before making a full career change. Experiencing a new profession from within can really give you a good idea about what the job would entail. Sometimes, it may be possible to get your feet wet within the same company you are at. Try voluntarily taking on extra tasks in the new area you are interested in. It may mean more work but the effort could be worth the rewards.

Cost Benefit Analysis

Now, it is time to conduct some cost-benefit analysis. What will switching careers at this stage cost you? How much income would you lose? Is there a part time job or freelancing opportunity that you can add to supplement your income? A career change may at times require a new degree, certificate, or training; are you willing to get one? Sometimes, you may decide to take the cut and switch; while under other circumstances you may decide to stay put in your current position. In either scenario, conducting a cost-benefit analysis is absolutely essential.

Transition slowly if necessary

Depending on your personality, you may want to take the transition slowly. Adding a part time job in your new career and slowly transitioning to a full-time position may work for some, while for others it may not be necessary.

Stay financially strong

If you don't have a financial cushion or part time or freelance job to support yourself, the transition may be much harder due to financial worries. It is always a good idea to have a cushion or supplemental income during this process.

Work with a professional

Career exploration is a complex process. Having a coach or counselor on your side could make all the difference. Your local Career One Stop center, community college, university, or government sponsored programs may also be able to help.

How does your move impact your overall career goals

What is long term career goal? Does your career exploration lead you to a career in that direction.

Sometimes you may be able to keep your regular job while you explore new waters during nights and weekends. It may not be a good idea to burn bridges with your current employer for some companies do not appreciate the idea of a second career. No matter what or how you decide, carefully plan your move. You must also be careful to not alert your employer beforehand.

Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia

Best Holiday Jobs for Teens and College Students

By Gipsy

Associated Content

Christmas may still feel comfortably far away, but retail and customer service managers are hiring now for their Christmas holiday work force.

Christmas may still feel comfortably far away, but retail and customer service managers are hiring now for their Christmas holiday work force. In fact, many big box retailers break the season into Holiday I, Holiday II and Holiday III zones, and the first of those marketing zones starts next week. Retail managers want their holiday staff trained and ready to go long before Black Friday.

So if you need a little extra cash this holiday season, now is the time to be aggressively applying and interviewing for those holiday jobs. Most of these jobs are temporary and will end by mid-January. However, if you decide you enjoy the job, and prove yourself well during the holiday season, you have a good chance of being hired on-staff permanently.

Follow these tips to find the best holiday job to fit your skills and needs.

1. Consider the perks. Let's face it. Holiday retail is pretty much rock bottom. Customers are never more rude and condescending than during the holiday shopping rush. After really bad days, even the paycheck may seem too small to be worth it. Choose a job with perks that will make your job fun or at least make the hassle worthwhile. If you are technology junkie, consider working at a big box chain like Best Buy or Circuit City.

The discount is usually a percentage above cost, which means you can rack up with sweet discounts on accessories like cables, memory cards, cases, and blank media. Because these stores actually make very little revenue on the core products (TVs, cameras, gaming systems, etc.) the discount will be very small. But, still, the extra $100 of a $1000 HD TV or $5 off new-release DVDs may thrill you enough to make the closing duties worthwhile.

Service based jobs have other perks. Outback employees get 50 percent off their bill up to two people at any Outback. Many other restaurants offer similar discounts, so you and your date can eat well wherever you are. Day spas offer discounts and sometimes even free services to employees.

2. Make the training work for you. Look at the job requirements and training you will receive, even in a temporary job. Pick up some extra hours at a local recording studio and learn what you can. Sign on as a short-order cook and learn your favorite restaurants recipes. Apply as an assistant at a local photography studio and learn lighting during all those holiday portrait shoots.

Another example, take a look at big box technology stores. If you are chosen for a certain department's sales, you will receive extensive training in that department's technology. Pick a store that sells products for an industry you are interested in.

Considering photography? Train to sell cameras at Best Buy and you'll receive tons of knowledge and training on equipment. You'll also be exposed to the newest technology as it is released and get a chance to play with it when there are fewer customers.

Need to know more about computers or home theater installation? Train in one of those departments. Make your part-time job work for your future. Take advantage of the knowledge of your supervisors and ask questions about the technology. At the end of the holiday season you will be more empowered to make consumer choices about these confusing technologies than before.

3. Network, network, network. When you're in your late teens and early 20s, look for a part-time job with a later pay-off, to supplement that minimum wage check. Use your contact with the public to make connections that could benefit your future. Pick a job in an industry that you need connections in and then network like crazy. Talk to everyone. Learn as much as you can and ask questions.

Even if you are just working simple customer service at a retail store or fast food place, take advantage of every contact with the customers to get to know different people. I hand out examples of my photography work at the camera store I work in part-time. This has already helped booked me several portrait sessions which pay considerably more than my hourly wage. You never know who will walk through those doors and who might hire you into a better position later down the road.

Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia

Great Part-Time Jobs With Discounts

By Careerbuilder.com

Extra cash and work experience are two great reasons to pick up a part-time job. But the employee discount never hurts.

Employee discounts are all but expected in some industries -- retail being a prime example. According to a poll by Maritz Research, 89 percent of people looking for retail employment want their companies to offer discounts on its products or services.

Employers have even started offering employee discounts to the general public. In 2005, Ford, Chrysler and GM all offered all of America the chance to cash in on the discounted automobile rates paid by their employees.

"(Offering employee discounts) definitely improves retention," says Bob Schiff, senior vice president of YouDecide, a company that helps employers provide voluntary benefits and discounts for their workers. Schiff says that after his company puts all of an employer's benefits on one portal on its HR intranet, "it increases intranet traffic by 300 to 400 percent."

Even colleges and universities have gotten into the game. Duke University, for example, offers its employees everything from discounted cars to cheaper salon services, gym memberships and foreign language classes.

Not all companies advertise their discounts, so to get more information on a company's incentives, your best bet may be to talk to current and former employees or read online message boards. But here are a few hints for finding employment that will bring you more than just a paycheck:

If you're a fashionista...

Consider a job in retail. Most stores encourage their employees to wear their apparel at work, so they offer hefty discounts to their workers. Gap, for example, reportedly offers employee discounts ranging from 30 to 50 percent at Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic.

If you're a caffeine junkie...

Consider a job as a barista, where you can get your caffeine fix both at work and out of the office. At Starbucks, for instance, you get free drinks while working, and employees get to bring home a pound of coffee each week!

If you're a jet-setter...

Look for open positions at an airline. Beginning on their first day of employment, employees of Southwest Airlines get unlimited free flights, as long as there is space available on the plane. Southwest also has discounted travel arrangements with other carriers.

If you're a foodie...

Consider working for a grocery store, where you can stock up on all your recipe ingredients for cheap. Trader Joe's gives all employees a 10 percent discount and Publix Supermarkets offers premium pay for working Sundays or holidays.

If you're a movie nut...

Consider a job at a movie theater or video rental company. Blockbuster reportedly offers its employees free DVD rentals -- enough to satisfy nearly any movie lover.

Job Vacancy , Indonesia Job , Job Indonesia

Trik Lolos dari Kejaran Deadline

Pernahkan Anda merasa diburu pekerjaan? Satu tugas belum selesai, ada lagi tugas baru dari atasan. Hal ini tentu membuat kita sulit mengerjakannya. Apalagi jika waktu yang diberikan untuk mengerjakan tugas-tugas itu tidak banyak. Kita pasti akan kebingungan karena dikejar-kejar oleh deadline. Hal terpenting yang dapat menyelesaikan masalah ini adalah pengaturan waktu yang tepat yang diiringi dengan kinerja yang efektif dan efisien. Berikut beberapa cara yang dapat Anda lakukan agar tidak terjebak oleh deadline.

Pahami Tugas yang akan Anda tangani.

Ketika memberikan sebuah tugas, klien/manajer Anda pasti menjelaskan terlebih dahulu segala hal mengenai tugas tersebut. Untuk menghemat waktu ketika pengerjaan, Anda harus menyerap informasi sebaik dan sebanyak mungkin. Bila perlu anda catat poin-poin penting mengenai tugas tersebut. Anda tidak perlu ragu untuk bertanya mengenai hal-hal yang kurang dimengerti dan ada baiknya juga Anda bertanya mengenai hal-hal yang mendetail seperti, “Apa yang Anda harapkan setelah proyek ini selesai?” atau sebagainya. Semakin banyak pertanyaan yang Anda ajukan, semakin besar kemungkinan Anda dan klien/manajer mampu menyamakan persepsi sehingga bentrokan yang mungkin terjadi mengenai proyek tersebut dapat dihindarkan.

Perencanaan Strategi

Pastikan Anda telah matang dengan tugas yang diberikan sehingga Anda tidak menghabiskan waktu untuk bertanya-tanya kembali. Setelah itu, sekarang saatnya Anda membagi pekerjaan tersebut menjadi beberapa bagian kecil yang dapat Anda kerjakan secara terpisah. Hal ini akan memudahkan Anda dalam penyelesaian tugas, karena sering kali bila tidak dibagi-bagi, sebuah tugas akan terlihat sangat banyak dan terlalu rumit untuk diselesaikan. Bila perlu buatlah daftar pembagian tugas tersebut sehingga Anda dapat memberi tanda check untuk setiap tugas yang telah diselesaikan.

Disiplin

Manajemen waktu dapat dikategorikan sebagai keterampilan berdisiplin. Bila Anda terbiasa untuk disiplin, tentu ini bukanlah masalah besar. Namun bila Anda adalah tipe pekerja yang terbiasa menunda waktu, tentu ini adalah masalah besar yang harus Anda ubah demi produktifitas kerja. Setelah menyusun proses kerja dengan segala pertimbangan waktu, kini Anda tinggal mengerjakannya dengan memegang teguh konsep disiplin. Disiplinlah dengan apa yang telah Anda tetapkan sama seperti Anda disiplin dengan waktu yang telah ditetapkan bersama perusahaan.

Tentukan Prioritas

Terkadang memang Anda akan menemukan situasi dimana ada beberapa tugas yang diberikan dalam waktu hampir bersamaan dan harus selesai dengan waktu yang hampir bersamaan pula. Prioritaskan dan fokuslah pada apa yang seharusnya Anda selesaikan terlebih dahulu. Anda tidak akan mendapatkan hasil yang maksimal bila konsentrasi Anda terpecah, so fokuslah pada hal yang sekiranya bisa mendatangkan pencapaian terbesar terlebih dahulu.

Hindari Menjadi Seorang ‘Perfeksionis’

Anda tidak perlu menyia-nyiakan waktu hanya karena terobsesi mengerjakan suatu hal sesempurna mungkin. Yang dibutuhkan dari proses kerja Anda bukanlah sebuah kesempurnaan namun pemaksimalan kinerja Anda. Anda dapat melakukan sesuatu yang lebih baik dan lebih banyak lagi ketimbang memikirkan suatu pekerjaan yang menurut Anda tidak sempurna-sempurna.

Beristirahatlah sejenak

Walaupun Anda merasa terus diburu oleh waktu dan pekerjaan, Anda tetap perlu beristirahat untuk menyegarkan pikiran. Anda tidak perlu memaksakan diri karena hal ini hanya akan mengakibatkan Anda kelelahan dan kinerja Anda justru akan merosot. Beristirahatlah sejenak dengan meminum kopi, teh atau memakan cemilan. Hal simpel ini sangat bermanfaat untuk me-refresh otak Anda. Namun perlu diingat untuk tetap menjaga waktu kerja Anda agar jangan terlalu banyak tersita untuk istirahat.

Hindari obrolan yang tak jelas

Berinteraksi dengan rekan kerja memang sangat penting. Namun Anda harus memprioritaskan pekerjaan Anda ketimbang hanya menggosip atau ngobrol yang tak ada juntrungannya. Selain hanya akan merusak dan membuang-buang waktu, hal ini dapat merusak konsentrasi, mengganggu pikiran, serta membuang moment yang Anda miliki. Anda tidak perlu menolak, tetapi Anda hanya perlu menunda dengan halus ajakan teman untuk menggosip. Katakan terus-terang bahwa Anda sedang menyelesaikan proyek penting, mungkin dilain kesempatan bisa berbincang – bincang dengan mereka.

Kini Anda dapat mulai menyusun rencana untuk mengatur pekerjaan yang menumpuk dan Ingatlah untuk selalu disiplin. Terlepas dari hal itu terkadang Anda membutuhkan konsep deadline untuk diri Anda sendiri, karena deadline dapat memotivasi kinerja Anda ketika menyelesaikan pekerjaan. Anda akan memiliki kinerja lebih, jika dituntut memenuhi deadline. Cobalah Anda membuat deadline untuk diri sendiri.

Job , Jobs, Career

Hal-Hal Yang Membuat Anda Harus Pindah Kerja

Mendapatkan pekerjaan memang bukan pekerjaan yang mudah. Tentu Anda ingat saat harus berburu lowongan pekerjaan, mengirimkan surat lamaran dan CV, deg-degan menghadapi interview sampai akhirnya pekerjaan tersebut akhirnya Anda dapatkan. Namun kenyatan tidak seindah bayangan. Saat dijalani ternyata pekerjaan tersebut tidak memberikan kepuasan dan imbalan yang diinginkan. Malah menguras energi, emosi dengan sedikit atau sama sekali tidak memberikan penghargaan. Saat hal ini terjadi hal yang wajar jika Anda lalu memikirkan untuk pindah kerja.

Namun jangan terburu-buru mengambil keputusan untuk mengundurkan diri. Terkadang masalah yang dihadapi setiap hari adalah konflik yang biasa muncul dalam keseharian dan rutinitas pekerjaan Anda. Nantinya hal tersebut bisa jadi pelajaran yang menempa kematangan karakter Anda. Jika Anda masih memikirkan untuk pindah kerja, telaahlah hal-hal berikut, apakah Anda mengalaminya? Jika iya, berarti Anda sudah saatnya untuk mulai pencarian kerja baru.

1. Perusahaan mengalami downward spiral. Perusahaan kehilangan pelanggan dalam jumlah yang signifikan, lalu ada rumor dan tanda-tanda perusahaan akan ditutup karena mengalami kebangkrutan. Alasan - alasan ini lebih dari kuat bagi Anda untuk mengakhiri hubungan kerja dengan perusahan Anda. Hal ini bukan berarti tidak loyal terhadap perusahaan, tetapi untuk mengantisipasi langkah Anda selanjutnya, seperti menyiapkan diri kembali untuk mencari pekerjaan baru yang prospenya lebih besar.

2. Hubungan yang buruk dengan manager atau atasan. Ada banyak sebab yang membuat hubungan tidak baik terjadi, namun pastikan Anda sudah melakukan sesuatu atau bersikap proaktif untuk memperbaiki hal ini. Jika ternyata hubungan Anda dengan atasan sudah tidak bisa diperbaiki lagi, dengan alasan apapun, akan lebih baik jika Anda mengundurkan diri dan mencari pekerjaan baru. Keadaan seperti ini akan menimbulkan situasi yang tidak kondusif dan tidak nyaman untuk bekerja.

3. Tidak ada penghargaan yang sesuai. Anda sudah bekerja dan berprestasi mencapai bahkan melebihi target. Anda juga loyal dan bersedia mengorbankan waktu dan energi ekstra demi pekerjaan. Anda bersedia untuk belajar hal baru karena tanggung jawab ekstra yang dibebankan kepada Anda. Namun ternyata tidak ada juga peningkatan remunerasi walaupun Anda sudah bekerja cukup lama dan sudah berusaha membicarakannya dengan manajemen. Prestasi Anda seakan tidak dikenali dan atasan maupun manajemen menganggapnya sebagai hal biasa yang sudah sepantasnya dikerjakan. Jika ini terjadi, mulailah memikirkan untuk bekerja di perusahaan lain.

4. Tidak ada perkembangan dalam karir Anda. Bila Anda salah satu dari orang yang senang dengan tantangan, besar kemungkinan Anda akan merasa tidak nyaman untuk bekerja dalam rutinitas. Demikian juga sebaliknya, Anda lebih suka bekerja dalam rutinitas, namun Anda ditempatkan di posisi yang tidak sesuai. Hal ini menutup jalan dan kesempatan bagi Anda untuk mengembangkan potensi diri sesuai dengan kepribadian. Daripada 'menyeret' diri untuk berangkat ke kantor setiap hari, depresi dan bosan dengan pekerjaan yang dilakukan sekarang, maka percayalah bahwa tantangan dan tempat baru adalah jawaban yang lebih baik.

5. Perbedaan prinsip dengan kebiasaan dan kebudayan perusahaan. Sebagai contoh: perusahan menerapkan peraturan baru yang mengekang kepercayaan dan prinsip Anda. Atau tidak bersedia mengembangkan sistem dan teknologi sesuai dengan jaman demi efisiensi kerja. Bagaimana Anda bisa berkembang secara pribadi dan professional jika perusahaan mengekang pertumbuhan Anda?

6. Sudah tidak menikmati pekerjaan seperti dulu. Mungkin Anda sudah merasa tidak enjoy lagi dengan pekerjaan, lingkungan yang sudah tidak mendukung Anda lagi, atau mungkin pekerjaan yang overload, semuanya seakan terakumulasi dan membuat Anda sudah tidak sanggup untuk memikirkan pekerjaan lagi, maka sudah saatnya untuk berhenti dari pekerjaan Anda.

7. Tingkat stress Anda ditempat kerja terlalu tinggi. Pekerjaan dan tekanannya membuat hidup Anda tidak nyaman sehingga mempengaruhi fisik dan mental Anda. Anda mengalami kesulitan untuk bersosialisasi dengan keluarga dan teman - teman Anda, sering kehilangan kendali akan emosi Anda, kinerja yang menurun, semangat dan energi menjadi hilang, sehingga kreatifitas dan inovasi berkurang dan lain - lain. Jika dibiarkan terlalu lama, tentunya akan melelahkan Anda sendiri, dan berdampak untuk perusahaan juga.

Job , Jobs, Career

Kinerja Anda Menurun Menjelang Akhir Tahun?

Memasuki minggu kedua bulan Desember, dengan sederet rencana untuk menghabiskan cuti dengan berlibur, atau merayakan Natal dan Tahun Baru bersama keluarga dan teman membuat akhir tahun dinanti dengan penuh antisipasi. Selain excitement yang meluap-luap karena akan menghadapi berbagai hal yang menyenangkan, pernahkah Anda menyadari bahwa di saat seperti ini justru produktifitas kerja menurun dan Anda jadi tidak bersemangat bekerja? Rasanya otak Anda sudah dipenuhi dengan angan-angan untuk lepas dari pekerjaan, bersantai dan melarikan diri sejenak dari rutinitas kerja sehari-hari.

Beware then! Jangan sampai Anda meninggalkan pekerjaan yang tidak selesai saat cuti. Selain membuat kredibilitas dan profesionalisme Anda dipertanyakan juga akan membebani rekan kerja yang bertugas ‘jaga kantor’ sampai Anda kembali. Lagipula, Anda masih ingin bekerja saat Anda kembali dari liburan bukan?

Analisa beberapa penyebab yang membuat kinerja Anda menurun sebelum Anda mengambil tindakan untuk memperbaikinya :

• Pengelolaan jam kerja yang kurang strategis sehingga banyak pekerjaan yang terbengkalai.
• Tidak menaati "to do list" untuk hari ini.
• Menyusun prioritas yang salah.
• Tidak memanfaatkan sumber daya yang ada secara maksimal
• Terlalu banyak waktu dihabiskan untuk melakukan hal-hal pribadi seperti menelepon teman, terlalu lama browsing situs pertemanan, menuruti ‘nafsu’ untuk main game. Semuanya dilakukan dengan alasan ingin istirahat sejenak dari jenuhnya pekerjaan.

Berikut beberapa tips yang bisa membantu Anda mengoptimalkan waktu sebaik-baiknya sebelum Anda berlibur :

• Niatkan diri Anda untuk mendisiplinkan diri menjalankan setiap daftar pekerjaan yang harus Anda selesaikan hari itu. Jika perlu tempelkan kertas yang bertuliskan to do list lengkap dengan deadline nya di depan Anda sebagai reminder konstan ada pekerjaan yang perlu Anda selesaikan segera.
• Berusahalah untuk jadi produktif sebelum jam makan siang karena otak bekerja lebih baik saat pagi hari. Kerjakan pekerjaan yang membutuhkan konsentrasi dan kreatifitas tinggi di pagi hari, dan kerjakan tugas rutin di sore hari.
• Berikan reward kecil setiap kali Anda menuntaskan satu pekerjaan. Contohnya dengan membaca email dari teman, membaca majalah atau meng-update status di akun situs pertemanan Anda. Hal ini akan memberikan Anda sense of accomplishment.
• Dengarkan musik yang bisa menambah semangat Anda. Musik juga bisa membantu Anda untuk konsentrasi pada pekerjaan dan menghindari Anda ikut-ikutan dengan obrolan di kubikel tetangga. Sesuaikan dengan kebutuhan mood Anda untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaan.
• Manfaatkan waktu istirahat sebaik-baiknya. Saat makan siang, kembalikan energi Anda dengan makan bergizi dan jika ada waktu sisa, sempatkanlah untuk tidur sejenak di meja Anda.

Job , Jobs, Career

Job Fairs - create a lasting impression at job fairs

by Scott Boyd


Job fairs. Speed dating for job seekers and employers! Or like a cattle market.


Most Colleges and Universities organise job fairs round about graduation time to allow students to meet new employers - it's a fairly common method of recruiting recent graduates.


Job seekers can use job fairs to find out a bit more information about employers, working life and general industry information. This is what most people use job fairs for.


However, the opportunity exists for job seekers to use the brief few minutes they have with employers to create a lasting impression (er, a "good" lasting impression!) and sell themselves, for job fairs are also an opportunity for the cream of the crop to rise to the top!


So who are those people hanging about the tables?

Employers and recruiters tend to send HR personnel along to job fairs to either weed out unsuitable candidates or pick out some young potentials from the crowd.


Unlike trade shows (which have basically the same format), job fairs aren't "staffed" by marketing people - they aren't trying to sell you anything. They are there to be sold by YOU! (the obvious exception is where you are such an attractive prospect, you get them chasing you, but let's face it - if that was the case, then you wouldn't be reading this!)


You are a salesman competing for business amongst hundreds of others. You could leave your CV with the recruiter. Would they remember you?


Dress for an interview!

Yes, job fairs are interviews and you should treat them as such.


Simply sauntering along in jeans and a t-shirt to see what's going on isn't going to get you anywhere, regardless of your skills and abilities. There are literally hundreds of other people there with the same aim as you - finding meaningful employment!


So, go along to job fairs and be prepared to make an impression!


Do your homework on the fly!

You see those glossy brochures the recruiters have strewn all over their little tables? And the posters on the walls? And the conversation the recruiter is having with the other jobseeker next to you?


This is all valuable information! And you NEED to use it to make your impression!


Find out about the company. Find out about the jobs they are offering or their graduate programme. Listen to the questions the recruiter asks other people and the information he or she gives out.


If you wander on up and ask some vague question about health plan or holidays, the recruiter is simply going to answer you and will soon be distracted by someone else. There it was. That was your chance. It's gone now.


You need to engage the recruiter - not simply hold a one sided conversation with them! At a job fair, a conversation is your best friend, because the longer you spend talking with the recruiter, the more likely they are to remember you.


At least....

The least you should leave a job fair is with some background about your industry (an idea of the types of jobs available), and some information about employers. At best you leave having made a positive impression on several employers and have a few job prospects to look forward to!


Job , Jobs, Employment

by Liz Ryan



When you write career-advice columns as I do, it's easy to get the idea that you've heard everything. Of course, as soon as I think that, along comes an email message from a reader to bust that notion apart. Here's an email message I recently received:

Dear Liz,

A person at the Workforce Development Center told me to take my BA degree off my resume so as not to intimidate employers who don't require a college degree. What do you think?

Thanks, Eliza

This is a new low--advising job-seekers to deny their hard-earned bachelor's degrees! That advice, of course, is ridiculous. We don't have to pretend to be less-well-educated versions of ourselves in order to get hired. We do need to spend a little time figuring out what the employer is looking for--what business problem lurks behind the job ad. Here are five ways to stay in the pipeline when you're applying for jobs you could do in your sleep:

Address the need, not the requirements.
If a job ad asks for candidates with three years of experience, the last thing you want to do is to write, "I have 18 years of experience!" in your application or cover letter. Employers get skittish about highly qualified candidates because they fear these folks will bolt for a better opportunity at the first chance.


Improve your odds of getting an interview by addressing the business pain, instead of the listed requirements. In your cover letter, you can say, "I can only imagine that looking after dozens of suppliers and keeping on-time deliveries and supplier quality at a high level are constant priorities." Let the manager know that you've slain his particular dragon before. That will help neutralize the fear that you're too experienced to do well in the job.

Say why you're interested.
If you're actually looking to downshift in your career, for instance, or would trade a loftier title for a shorter commute, say so in your cover letter! "I'm especially interested in the job at Acme Explosives because I prefer startup energy to the huge corporations I've worked in for the past decade." Be specific. If an employer sees a logical reason for you to prefer her job even though you've held bigger positions, that will help you get over the hump.

In the interview, talk about them.
Nothing is more appealing to an employer than to have a job-seeker talk about the company, rather than blather on about himself. "I've done blah-dee-blah-blah-blah" is hard to listen to for long, but "I'd love to know more about your purchasing process--how does it work?" is not. If you keep the focus on the job and use your brilliant questions to show your understanding of, and curiosity about, the organization, you'll help allay fears that you're just looking for a safe harbor until the dang recession blows over.

(Get more interview tips in "How to Answer the Trickiest Job-Interview Questions.")

Probe for the pain.
Think about the most common obstacles you've run into when you've performed similar work, and ask your hiring manager about them. "A lot of companies run into supplier-quality issues--but maybe that's not a problem for you?" is a great interview question. Most likely, the purchasing manager will say something like "No, we've got our share of that"--and then you can say, "I'd love to hear about it!" The more you learn about the pain, the more aptly you'll be able to tailor your stories to let the manager know you've slain his most annoying dragons already.

Don't make it about salary.
If you apply for jobs you could have done (or did do) 15 years ago, you're not going to be able to hold out for a massive salary. One of an employer's most understandable fears about hiring overqualified people is that they'll walk in the door and ask for a salary bump a month later. Let the employer know that you're game to grow with the company, if you are, and that there are things (flextime perhaps, or the ability to work from home sometimes) that trump dollars and cents. Keep the conversational flexible and problem-solve-y, and keep the focus on solving whatever problem the employer is facing.

If you're asked, "Will you make a two-year commitment?" answer, "I will if you can do the same thing." That is supremely reasonable. Employers need help, and you've got lots to offer. Don't deny your education and your work history--change the conversation instead!



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