Posted on 04/14/2010 6:32:54 AM PDT by CSM
If you're looking for a job, then the current economy may have you worried. Many people believe that since the stock market took a hit, companies aren't looking for new team members right now. That may be true for some businesses, but there are still plenty of opportunities available.
You can't just sit there and expect someone to hand you a job. You need to be proactive and make it happen. Only you can make the decision to do something with your life. So get up and start job searching!
Your top priority should be to learn your strengths and weaknesses. Remember, people who only work for money are miserable, because there is no fulfillment or meaning in their careers. You must find something that blends your:
skills abilities personality traits values dreams passions
Regardless of whether the economy is healthy or unhealthy, it's important to be in a career you love. If you are just working a J-O-B then you're going to be miserable.
After you've determined what your strengths and weaknesses are, you should then identify jobs that compliment your passions and talents. Next, you need to figure out which companies you would like to work for and begin to build a relationship with them.
This is a three-step process on how to build a relationship with a potential employer:
Step 1
Write an introduction letter. This is not a cover letter; this is just a letter introducing yourself and explaining that you intend to apply for a position at the company. Briefly state why you want to work for the company and the top three qualities you bring to the job.
Step 2
Next, send your resume and cover letter. Since you've already introduced yourself, they expect this next step. Create a resume that stands out, but don't go overboard. You don't want it to be an eyesore. And make sure you proof your writing! The last thing you want to do is make a glaring spelling mistake in your cover letter.
Step 3
Follow up the resume and cover letter with a phone call. In the cover letter, specify that you will call them on a certain date—and then do it. Even if you only get a voicemail, leave a message so the person knows you are serious about getting the job.
Complete these three steps and you'll begin to establish a relationship with the company before you even meet with a human resources representative or your potential supervisor. Remember, persistent follow-up and networking results in interviews and jobs. Even if some companies are instituting a hiring freeze right now, other companies are doing just fine financially and are looking for people to fill their vacant positions.
I figured that since I posted the job loss thread, I better offer the solution article. Enjoy.
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Viva Dave!
Thanks!
Great advice! But, it doesn’t always work, esp. in an economy where there are few jobs.
Thanks for posting. Saved the article in case my husband totally gets fed up with his job one day.
You’re correct that there is no blanket solution, but what I find most useful about Dave’s advice is that it creates a mindset. That mindset eventually leads to success.
90% of working people are employed in careers they loathe because survival is better than starvation.
My dead end career at my dead end company does not define me and I only use it as a means of paying bills to fund the things in life I really enjoy.
Sounds just like me.
I saw Dave live last night in Charleston, SC. Very motivational!
Dave’s advice is good, but companies have become extremely gun shy about hiring people unknown to anyone on the inside. They’ve been burned by too many expensive idiots, especially if they used affirmative action criteria. Better to put the efforts into starting your own business - perhaps providing a service to those larger companies. And if you are over 40 you simply have to go independent, your “employee” days are essentially over.
ditto. I'd like to see a poll on how many people like or love their jobs. I detest mine, but as you've indicated, it pays the bills. It would be great if everyone had a job they loved, but that's impossible. What I resent are people, including many conservatives, urging people to delay retirement until they're seventy to "save the system." I'll bet all these talking heads have high-paying jobs doing things they love. If they were put in one of the dull, stifling jobs many or most people work, they wouldn't say that. I'm getting out, retiring, next year with no regrets.
I wonder how long it’s been since Dave applied for a job. Paper submissions like that end up thrown in the round file just like the electronic ones.
I’ve never ‘applied’ for a job in my life...and I’ve been gainfully employed since 1976. I had ONE summer off in the late 90’s when I was laid off from an investment firm after an insider coup happened. My boss got fired and they didn’t keep me on. (I was collateral damage; I had no idea what those guys were up to.)
Dave’s advice is good, but I think a lot of good & interesting jobs are truly based on ‘who you know’ and that gets you in the door to begin with.
I had one job that I really hated. I was stuck in an office and that just was NOT me. Granted, I was helping a friend get his business started, but after a few years it bored me to tears. When Husband found me on the bathroom floor sobbing, he said, “I think it’s time you changed jobs.” Gee. Ya THINK? LOL!
People SO overlook how important it is to ‘do what you are.’ Three books that have helped me SO much through the years to narrow my focus and get paid for what I LOVE to do are:
‘The Path’ by Laurie Beth Jones
‘Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow’ by Marcia Sinitar
‘I Could Do Anything...If I Only Knew What it Was’ by Barbara Sher
You HAVE to see yourself as a Free Agent and that you’re working FOR yourself, no matter WHO signs your paycheck. Until you change your mindset, you ARE going to be miserable and stuck in dead-end jobs.
And for Pete’s Sake! Get yourself OUT of debt and live within your means. You cannot BUY happiness, and a lot of miserable people spend a lot of money and energy buying ‘things’ because they’re so miserable in their work life.
Jobs ping
Thanks CSM for posting this.
I’m a big Dave Ramsey fan.
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“Are You Looking For A Job?”
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Thank you for the ping Jet Jaguar.
Great post. Thanks.
Thanks for the link.
I try to serve as an example to others. Sometimes a Good Example, sometimes a Bad Example, LOL!
Thought of one more book to share:
‘It’s Only Too Late...If You Don’t Start Now’ also by Barbara Sher. It’s about how FREEING the second half of your life is; and now that I’m peeking over that cliff, I need all the help I can get!
Most people start hitting their stride in their 40’s and make the most cash ever in their working lives while in their 50’s.
I plan on making that true for myself, too! Can’t hurt, might help! :)
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