STARTING A JOB SEARCH CAN BE TOUGH - Some Tips Between figuring out what you actually want to do, working on your résumé and other job search demands, it can be difficult keeping everything straight. But let’s all just take a deep breath and relax for a minute because it doesn’t matter if this is your first job search ever or your first job search in a while – we’re going to get through this. During my never-ending search for job-seeker content, I picked up a few pieces of advice I wish I would’ve heard during my first job search. We’ll start with something for all the recent and soon-to-be grads out there and get right into the nitty-gritty. SKILLS MATTER – not where you went to school. A new Gallup survey found that only 9% of business leaders say the school on your diploma is “very important,” compared to 84% who see value in real-world experience and 79% who look for applied skills. The good news: If you’ve got the skills, you’ll fare well. The bad news: Your degree alone won’t do heavy lifting for you. Lesson: Learning in the field and learning in the classroom are two very different things. Focus on the skills you have and develop them outside of what a class may require as much as you can. Out of school? Find ways to continue learning! Be careful how much you let your career-focus invade your social media accounts – there’s a balance you need to strike. Don’t just let your Twitter feed become nothing but retweets of thinkers you want to align yourself with. Take an active role in conversations. Oh, and don’t beg your friends and family to ‘Like’ or share your posts too much. Using your friends for business is a privilege, not a right. 5 Social Media Habits of Highly Annoying People via Inc. Lesson: It’s called social media – so be social and talk to people rather than shouting at them. It will take time and effort, but it’s worth it. You may end up having fun, too! It’s okay to brag a little bit – you’re trying to sell your skills and expertise! Talking about your successes and achievements can be a little uncomfortable for some people, but learn to get past that. If you don’t believe what you’re saying, people will be able to tell. Emphasize your passion, and remember: It’s okay to act excited during your job search! On the Job: It’s OK to talk about yourself via USA Today Lesson: Don’t just resort to shamelessly promoting yourself – that’s not the goal here. The goal is to find a comfortable way to talk about all the good works you’ve done. And once you’ve got a job, remember: Confidence never stops being important. Job interviews get easier with practice – and preparing for them won’t always be so nerve-wracking. While most of your prep will focus on the conversation you’re going to have with an interviewer, there are other pieces of info you need to gather to make sure you put your best foot forward. 6 Questions That Will Ease Your Mind Before the Interview via The Daily Muse Lesson: There are a couple questions you’ll need to ask yourself before you start practicing interview answers: What’s the name of the person you’ll be meeting with? Do you need to bring anything? Do you have the address? You CAN beat procrastination. We’ve all had times when we just don’t feel like working… but there are ways to get past those roadblocks. The first step is figuring out why working just doesn’t seem to be working for you. From there, there are ways to figure out what will motivate you. One tip: Don’t put off reading this article! How to Make Yourself Work… via Harvard Business Review Lesson: If your biggest roadblock is the fact you just don’t feel like working, there’s a cure for that: It doesn’t matter how you feel – you’ve got work to do. Work to become better. Work to hang onto what you’ve got. Define success in your own terms. Just like you shouldn’t let other people set your personal/career goals for you, you can’t let them determine what is success to you. “Without a clear sense of what a successful life means to you, then everyone else can control your time, your choices, and your career.” Where’s the fun in that? What Makes Many People Successful? via All Things Workplace Lesson: Just like you shouldn’t let other people determine *your* personal/career goals, you can’t let them determine what is success to you. Go after what you want to pursue, no what someone else wants you to pursue. By WorkBuzz
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:54:16 +0000
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