The sparkling new year is
upon us. In the previous two
weeks, we’ve been telling each other some home truths about job search. The objective of this exercise is to energise us for the new year. And remember, never give up or go on holiday from job search.
Let us conclude this presentation.
Home truth No. 8
You need to get organised for job search.
The starting point is skill analysis. Skills are the fundamental basis of job search.Employers are looking for certain skills, and the best jobs are those ones where your skills match the needs of the employer.
There are three types of skills job specific, self-management and transferable skills. You also need to put together an arsenal of accomplishments. This is for those with fairly long working history, highlighting their career achievements.
You need to understand your strength(s), weakness(es), interests, aptitude and potential. What would you like to do with your life, all your life? Using the inputs from the above, you will determine and write your career/job objective statement.
It is a statement that describes or states what career or job (or a range of closely related occupations) you desire. A job/career objective statement must highlight what skills you have to offer the employer as well.
You will now generate a list of potential employers in respect of your chosen job objective. Necessary information may be obtained from friends, relations, consultants, vendors, newspapers, trade journals etc. Once you’ve made your choice, go after them- using conventional and unconventional means.
How do you intend to pursue these job opportunities? What is your job hunting strategy? Let me tell you what is working. Or let us start with what have the least chance of working. The five most ineffective job search strategies are these.
• Internet: posting your CV/Resume on the Internet, and expect potential employer to visit the board/site and make a choice, depending on the match between your skills and their requirements. It has four to 10 per cent success rate;
• Mailing out Resume CV to employers at random (Resume blasting). Seven per cent success rate;
• Answering ads in professional/trade journals. Seven per cent success rate;
• Responding to newspaper ads. Five to 24 per cent success rate. The higher the salary/position, the lower the success rate;
• Using employment agencies, five to 28 per cent success rate. Again, the higher the salary/position, the lower the success rate.
Now, the best five ways to search for a job;
• Ask for job leads from family, friends, people you know, etc – “Do you know of any job at the place where you work, or elsewhere?” Thirty-three per cent success rate;
• Knocking on the door of any employer, factory, office etc, whether they are known to have vacancy or not. Forty-seven per cent success rate;
• Identifying subject/field of interest, identifying employers on that field and calling on them to ask if you they are hiring for the position you desire and that you know you can do well. Sixty-nine per cent success rate;
• Do the above in a group with other job hunters. 76 per cent success rate; and
• Doing a life-changing job search (identifying your skills, proffered places, interest and acceptable working environment and going after the job you desire) 86 per cent success rate.
You got me there. There is still a better method: combining the strategies (experts suggest it should not more than four !).
Home truth No. 9
As you can see, most job seekers don’t have the right strategy, If any at all.
A fact never to be forgotten:
The major difference between successful and unsuccessful job seekers is not some factors out there, or the ‘barrier’ listed earlier. It is the way they go about their job hunt. A successful job search requires organisation and effort. Don’t think of yourself as unemployed. You have a job, full time job. If you are employed think of your job search as a part-time job. If you are unemployed, the working hours of eight are available for your job search. If you are employed but seeking new opportunities, you need to make time for your job search, and be consistent.
Job search requires that you develop a new set of priorities and schedules. Be aware that there will be distractions. Just about anything will sound better than looking for work. Don’t be fooled, your number one priority is finding that new job. Don’t let anything get in your way. Here are some tips:
• Establish measurable goals, daily and weekly. If you set 10 a.m-3 p.m Tuesday for research, your goal could be to identify 10 new employer you can pursue. Wednesday’s goal could be to contact the employer you identified on Tuesday. Be realist, but challenge yourself.
• Make yourself accountable. Create an area in your home where your entire job search is centered. If you keep all your job search supplies and information there, you will stay organised and ready to work. Check your progress at the end of each day and each week. Set new goals. It is a good strategy to involve someone else in your search. Give them permission to hold you accountable for your plans. Or join a job club.
Home truth No. 10
You need to give your job search all takes in terms of effort, organisation, focus,energy, creativity, strategy, etc.
• Keep accurate records if you are conducting a serious job campaign. You make hundreds of contacts and generate new opportunities regularly. Don’t rely on your memory, develop and maintain a filling and/or a recording system – binders, pocket calendars and notebooks.
You need all the help you can get when you are on the march for job seach. The veritable source of help and assistance is the book by Olu Oyeniran, Job-Hunting Manual-comprehensive strategies and tactive for extensive job hunting.
Your destiny is in your hands. Now you know.
