Job Searching and Career Planning

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Job searching techniques
Identifying the right opportunity
Searching for the dream job
Preparing a cover letter
Effective resume
The Role of the Recommendation Letter
Preparing for Interview
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

In an era when number of people leaving the universities is increasing tremendously, only people with the best techniques will land a place of their dream career. The number of jobs created by different sectors of the economy is not enough to absolve all the graduates that are leaving institutions of higher learning. Having the relevant degree certificate only is not enough as there are many people with the same academic qualifications; and who would want to do the same job that one is looking for, if they were given a chance. The competition is very high and the demand is rising and as the laws of economics have it, the price of getting a job is becoming higher everyday. According to (Orville 4), it is the special skills that the job seeker must have and is willing to share at the opportune time that will enable him/her to have competitive advantage against others in the same field.

To horn these skills it is necessary to use the appropriate techniques. Having the correct academic papers is not in itself enough in securing a job. However, without good papers most of the applicants are disqualified before a chance for interview is accorded. So the first step for living the dream of your life in that career is taking a relevant course in a recognized institution. After attaining the required grades the journey to hunt for a job would now start in earnest. Looking for job is a skill that everybody should have. It is therefore necessary to know how to write a catching resume, have the right contacts and how to present yourself during the interview. These are the tools of marketing for every person who is looking for a job. Networking and establishing contacts with people that would help in getting to know people inside the job career, becomes a vital step in getting the dream job.

According to Krueger (p. 12), every person has a right job lying in wait, but not every job we come across is actually the right job for all us. A career that gives your friend a lot satisfaction may not necessarily provide you with the anticipated comfort. There is therefore need for career choice advice from experts. Career guidance is a service offered to job seekers to identify their strong areas and therefore focus their efforts.

Job selection should be done with specialty in mind as extensivity has no place in the era of specialization.

Job searching techniques

When searching for a job different techniques must be used ranging from websites that advertise jobs, social networks and the newspapers. Also be in contact with people working in the area that you may be wishing to work in. There are different techniques that people can use to select a job. While these techniques are general, the focus should be how best a job seeker can convince their interviewers that he/she is the best and will give best value for their money. This requires writing techniques, oratory prowess with communication skills and strict adherence to dressing etiquette (Hale 6). There are general procedures for searching and selecting a job. But every person must have tailor-made approach because what works for one person may not work for another. Just as people are different in their characters and behaviors, the same should be applied when searching for a job. Searching for a job over a long time also requires change of tactics. One cannot use the same old tricks to achieve new results; when one style does not seem to work it should be the time to change tack. Dynamism is necessary during resume and cover letter preparation. This process of preparing these documents is as important as getting in readiness for the interview. These papers must be continuously updated to ensure that they are current and relevant to a particular job that one is applying for (Edward 26).

There is an old adage that an opportunity knocks once in ones lifetime. However, these days due to scarcity of appropriate opportunities people must be resilient enough to knock at every opportunity to land their dream career. Being able to identify the opportunity becomes the first hurdle that job seeker should overcome (Hale 14).

Identifying the right opportunity

As one prepares to plunge into the sea of seeking employment, not every piece of opportunity that present itself would make ones dream career. Also not every bit of advice shall be relevant to the person looking for a job. However, the job seeker has the prerogative to choose what works for him/her and ignore what does not work for them. Careers are guided by the academic qualifications as well as taste for the job. It is not unlikely to find people who have trained to work in particular area but are actually working in a completely different environment. This scenario becomes inevitable when graduates are left with few choices when joining the job market. However, little experience in a particular area is better than no experience at all. Among the issues that are common among the career platform are issues like teamwork, innovation and creativity. One can test the effectiveness of these areas using the available job as the hunt for the dream job continues (Leslie 20). Searching for a dream job is a lifetime endeavor. There are pertinent questions that one must ask when looking for a job. What is the entry point into the career cycle? What is the irreducible minimum in terms of pay package and the kind of job that one would do? What point would one join and make it easy to scale the career ladder? What satisfaction would one get from the job?

It is important to note that the entry point in any career will affect the progress made up the ladder of such careers. Every job seeker should have a completely outlined strategy on how to achieve long and short term goals. Short term goal could be to get whichever job that is available for the sake of survival and self-sustenance. The long term goal is how to make use of the available resources to secure a dream job. While candidates walk out of college into the job market, few actually know what to expect and many become frustrated. Once bright future becomes dimmer by day as the jobs becomes elusive and scarce.

While job experience is a necessity, one must always ask himself/herself whether they have performed optimally in whatever they are doing; will find satisfaction in the job they are looking for; if money issue was withdrawn whether they would still work with the same zeal? The money should not be the only motivating factor for looking for a job but generally how to optimally live a life. Techniques of job search must be modified to fit into the career and the person who is applying for a job. None of the techniques available is fit for all people and applicable for all situations. What we have everyday is guide that every job seeker must customize to fit in their situations (Orville 23). However, this should not dampen the spirit of looking for the job that would satisfaction to the job seeker.

Searching for the dream job

Searching for a satisfying job is all time career (Leslie 32). No one should sit on their laurels in terms of working on the dream job. Career choice is sometimes informed by the different advices people get from all quarters. Use your friends where it could have taken you time to actually reach. Do not postpone or procrastinate what could have been done today. Take practical steps in search for the career. Otherwise wishing for a good job everyday will not benefit, but acting on it will benefit a job seeker. The decision to settle on one career must be an informed decision that the career will take care of financial, social and emotional satisfaction that the best job has to offer (Krueger 9). If the career does not satisfy any of these needs then it means the holistic nature of career satisfaction would be lacking. Only those who do not quit actually land a place of the dreams.

Good career seekers should be able know how to tell their story. There episodes in the lives of each one of us that can touch the heart of the interviewer. It is a skill to look for a job. Learning to tell ones story is like marketing a new product in the market. The person selling it must be aware that there are many other competing and substitute products in the market. Therefore the question that every job seeker should grapple with is how best can I sell my talents and skills to potential employers in a market place flooded with equally qualified candidates?

It is only the special skills such as organization, leadership and creativity that will make you stand out of the crowd. Only those who have these skills, besides required academic qualifications, can be able to reap maximum benefits. One of the most frequently asked question is how will you benefit our company? By employing someone the company is making an investment. However, the question is how the returns from the employee can be maximized? It should not be forgotten that new employees will require induction training, besides remunerations agreed on. This is an investment that if the company must take you as their choice they will have the best returns of the money. Therefore the technique is how to catch the eye of the potential employer using the cover letter, comprehensive resume and effective recommendation letters.

Preparing a cover letter

Many applicants take time to prepare compelling resume but pay little attention to the writing of the cover letter. As searching for job gains momentum one should be able to answer the question, how to best present ones case? Let those people who have written such letters before guide you on how to approach the issues. There is only one chance to make the first impression and this chance would determine the future and rules of engagement in the company. This chance would be lost if the cover letter is not done to attract the eyes of the potential employers. A job seeker must take the process through his mind or with help of other colleagues in preparation for the job hunting mission. Anticipate the questions that are likely to be asked in the interview forum. Brainstorm on the appropriate answers that are likely to earn points in the eyes of the employer. Then move to prepare a cover letter.

Effective cover letter has no formula but should be able to capture three major things. First one must express interest in the job being offered and explain where you got the information about the company? What special attributes do you have that make outstanding from the rest? What benefits are you bringing to the company? And the last paragraph should be requesting for an interview and leaving a contact address or phone number in case the person wishes to inform of the selection. Effective cover letter is the first impression the employer is going to have of person applying for the job. The company will be investing their money on you and therefore you must give high returns for their money. Cover letter offers a chance to the employer to evaluate writing skills on the potential applicant. The employer should therefore make a positive impression about you from the cover letter. Cover letter is therefore not a cover for the resume but lone standing document that tests its own attributes from the applicant.

Cover letter is used as directing marketing tool for the job seeker. It becomes the description of the attributes of the products that make it favorite among many choices. This introduction must be precise, unambiguous and be a summary of experience and academic prowess of the applicant. The cover letter will do the work if positive attributes are highlighted precisely and unequivocally. Normally salutation on the cover should appear, preferably by name. However when the name is not available a plain salutation of “Dear Sir/Madam” will do.

The body of the letter should short; short enough to raise appetite to read the resume and long enough to cover all the essential details. A cover letter should be a warm welcome for the employer to look at other testimonials. A cover letter should end with highlighting the contacts and inviting the person reading the letter to read the resume.

Effective resume

Resume or curriculum vita is the summary of the applicant’s skills, academic qualifications, experience and aptitude. Every job seeker should be able to know their strengths and their weaknesses. To have a competitive advantage against all the rest applying for the job there must be something special with you. The job market is very crowded and being just another person with the same techniques will not land you a dream job. This is where necessary skills come in handy.

While the cover letter is a summary, the resume should be comprehensive enough to explain to the employer, that you have what it takes to handle the tasks outlined in the job. The contents of the resume must be prepared to mirror a specific job. There is general resume for all the jobs one seeks to apply to. Curriculum vitae therefore become a guide to the academic and experience in the job. In the academic section, start with highest qualifications and in experience area start with latest. However, as Krueger (p. 21) advises caution must be exercised as what is presented in the resume should be factual and can be supported with relevant document when/if the need arises.

Resumes must always have a list of referees. These are people who you’ve worked under and who can give an account of what kind of person you are. Prospective employers would want to know the truth of your story from a different person (Krueger 19). This person is usually the referee. It is not advisable to have your relatives as your referees. However, the person you choose as your referee must be a person willing to market you and your abilities for the job (Leslie 29). It is advisable that at least one of the referees write a recommendation letter to the prospective which would also be attached to the resume.

The Role of the Recommendation Letter

The search for job is not complete until the recommendation of the referees is also incorporated in the application material. The reference list in the resume must be supported by the recommendation letters from the people quoted as referees. A prospective employer will automatically contact the referees on phone. So the telephone addresses must be properly stated in the list of referees.

The referees that you choose therefore must therefore tell a positive story about you. Make sure you have alerted them in advance so as to prepare them psychologically for the eventuality of the call. However some of the referees, by trying to be honest, would actually open the dark side of you that you would rather have left closed. Having a written recommendation letter helps to stem this shortcoming. Job seekers should therefore arm themselves with recommendation letters from the institutions that they have worked with to support their claims of experience (Orville 21).

After the employer is convinced that you are the person he/she has been looking for, they give you a call to prepare for the interview.

Preparing for Interview

Interview is a formal first meeting between the applicant and the employer or the body doing the recruitment. This could happen through a phone call, letter of invitation or an email message. One must, therefore, have the best phone etiquette when answering calls as one may never know when the prospective employer would be calling. Some of the applications take long to be sorted out. It is therefore necessary to keep track of the jobs and companies that you have applied the jobs.

Learn to remain courteous as this will make the route to first impression. Introduce yourself courteously every time when you receive a call; it will help develop the habit of phone etiquette. After getting that call that books the interview, it is important to rehearse on the possible criterion to be followed during the day and time of interview. Who are the people that are likely to be present during the interview? This helps one to fight fear and anxiety that comes with such eventuality.

The candidates gather the confidence to tackle aptitude test and oratory skills that are very important during the interview. The way an applicant presents herself/himself can say a lot about their suitability for the job even before you utter a word. Lack of confidence in the job interviews becomes the problem from which many job seekers suffer. Being intimidated by other competing job seekers and the panel of interviewers can also shift the focus that should be on job and reduce chances of winning the interview.

However, no applicant is perfect match of what the employer is looking for. This means there the panel carrying out the interview would most probably go for the best compromise. Compromise will only benefit those candidates who show willingness to learn (Edward 33). Considering the fact that there are many other people who have the same qualifications, it is imperative for one to be able to stand out from all the rest in an interview by use of any extra unique feature that presents itself.

Dress code should be in accordance to the job and must be smartly dressed with a tie preferably a matching suit to boost the dressing code. When appearing before the panel of interviewers, applicant should to cut out an image of a person in control of his life. Although it would be difficult for many people who are used to wearing casually, it should be a habit worthy forming to learn to dress smartly for the interview; this may also depend on the position you are applying for.

It happens that if one cannot be able to take care of themselves, then it will not be a miracle for them to be organized in their work place. Places like banks and government institutions dress code is defined and strict and only those people who adhere to it can survive. Interviewers are looking for people who are conscious of their good grooming techniques. The applicant, therefore, should not give the interviewer a reason to disqualify them. One must ensure that they have carried the original certificates that will be required for authentication during the interview. When asked questions speak clearly, convincingly and confidently. Drop things that are irrelevant and are likely to drain your energy.

Conclusion

While we are not in control of what other people tell us, we are however in control of what response we give at all times (Orville 15). The response gives a sneak preview how the person would react when faced with a similar scenario. Control your emotions as you are not in control of the consequences (Edward 16). It is always important when looking for a job ensure your objectives are in line with the objectives outlined for the job advertised.

Planning your career should be an integration of long term goals together with short term goals. What do you want achieve in a specific time. Start with day, week and then months and then set time for the years (Orville 20). Having benchmarks to be achieved at the end of every period of time, helps in self evaluation in the career. Getting the right job is one thing and performing to the best of the ability is completely a different issue. You must always know what you want to become in life as without a plan any route will lead to any destination.

As Martin Luther King once said every person must do his or her work with finality, dedication and without reservation. When we become the best in our areas of specialization, then we stand a better chance to land a job than when we play the second fiddle in preferred applicants’ ladder or become part of the large crowd that is swelling everyday (Orville 11). Indeed the probability to get the desired job is lowered every time when new groups leave colleges into the job market. It is therefore necessary to plan and execute the plan as fast. When an opportunity presents itself it is necessary to look at the bigger picture of the many people looking for the same job rather than looking at yourself as most favorable. Whether it an area where one has been dreaming of or another career for the sake survival, the bottom line is that ‘do it to the best’.

Works Cited

Edward Sarah. Finding Your Perfect Work: the new career guide to making a living, creating life. New York: Putman, 1996.

Hale Judith. Outsourcing Training and Development: Factors of Success. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2006.

Krueger Brian. The college Grad Job hunter. Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2001.

Leslie Rae. Effective Planning in Training and Development. London: Kogan Page Limited, 2000.

Orville Pierson. The Unwritten rules of the Highly Effective job search. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.

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