Being unemployed can take a major toll on your self-esteem, your financial situation, and your desire. If prolonged, it can also have a negative impact on your competency level (i.e., keeping up with skills, experience and attributes that are in demand in the job market). But don’t get down on yourself. As you look for a new job, you need to understand that there are thousands of others who are also unemployed and looking for a job.
To give yourself an edge and position yourself ahead of these other jobseekers, implement an effective job market strategy for overcoming unemployment. Here are the top 3 strategies you need to consider in overcoming your unemployment.
Strategy 1 – Create Your Own Job Opportunities: It is a statistical fact that 80% of job seekers concentrate on 20% of jobs available. You may find this puzzling, but it makes sense when you consider that these 20% of jobs are the jobs advertised through the mainstream job channels most job seekers use – newspapers and recruitment agencies. The other 80% of jobs are accessed via the hidden job market channels – and this is where you need to concentrate your efforts.
Strategy 2 – Take On Volunteer Work: It is rather shortsighted when jobseekers say they cannot do volunteer work because they don’t want to work for free. This is so far from the truth when you take the time to consider what you stand to get out of it. Volunteer work achieves 5 things: it keeps your skills and experience up to date; portrays you as a hardworking, proactive individual who uses his or her initiative; puts you into the know with regard to the internal job market industry, as you now have one foot through the door at your place of volunteer work; makes you more marketable as you can put the name of the company down as place of work; and, finally, naturally gives you an edge over other job applicants as a result of the first 4 reasons. Think of it this way. If you were the employer and you were considering 2 applicants, one who does volunteer work and the other who has just remained unemployed and has done nothing, who would have the edge in your eyes?
Strategy 3 – Continuous Improvement: Never stop developing yourself. Be highly committed to self-development, especially given the impact of the information age on today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world of work. Those who get jobs effortlessly are those who are on the cutting edge of their industry in terms of latest trends, technologies, training and specialized industry advancement. The good news is that there is a huge variety of affordable, sometimes free, ways to stay ahead of the curve. So commit to learning and improving yourself by participating in educational experiences such as classes or training, reading specialist publications, researching info on relevant websites, and so on.
Simply working on these top 3 areas will dramatically improve your chances of achieving your job goal in the quickest and most effective manner possible. But first a note of caution: the success of these strategies is very dependent on how well developed your job market skills are. Conduct a self-analysis of your current job market performance by taking this FREE Job Market Performance Assessment.
Tags: Attributes, career, career advice, Career Change, Competency Level, Desire, employment, Financial Situation, Hidden Job Market, Initiative, Internal Job, Job Opportunities, Job Seekers, Jobs, Mainstream, Market Channels, Market Strategy, Negative Impact, New Job, Recruitment Agencies, Regard, Self Esteem, Statistical Fact, Unemployment, Volunteer Work
A face-to-face interview is the most stressful part of the job search for many individuals, but it is also a critical component of the recruiting process. Up until this point, you have been able to hide behind your resume and cover letter. As the selection process starts to draw to a close, though, it’s time to impress the hiring team. A large part of a successful interview is avoiding potential pitfalls that can undermine your ability to impress the hiring team.
The top ten critical mistakes that people make when interviewing for a position are:
Arriving late to the interview
Arriving late makes a strong negative first impression and will raise questions in the interviewer’s mind about your reliability and punctuality. Always ask for directions to the interview site and double-check a map so that you know where you are going. Don’t forget to allow extra time for traffic and other unforeseeable events.
Poor dress attire and grooming
Remember that professional companies are looking to hire professional individuals, not the beach bum who just shook the loose sand from his hair. Dress conservatively in a well-fitting suit and keep jewelry, makeup, and fragrances to a minimum. It’s also important to always take a shower, brush your teeth, and comb your hair before an interview as well to present to clean, polished image.
Failure to do research about the company prior to the interview
Show you are interested in the company for by doing some outside research before the interview. This attention to detail sends a clear message to the interviewer that you are serious about the position and are willing to go the extra mile. This research will also help you determine if the company’s industry, products/services, and culture are a god match for you.
Failure to give specific examples of your experience and measure your skills against the position
Interviewers want to know more than just the bare bones of your experience. They are interested in the specifics of task how you performed, challenges you have faced, and the methods you have used to overcome those challenges. This is especially true of behavioral interviewers. Take the time to give the interviewer specific examples of how you have performed and how these collaborate to the duties of the position. If you can draw a clear parallel between your work experience and the position you are interviewing for, you have a much higher chance of being successful in the interviewing process.
Not taking the opportunity to ask intelligent questions about the company and/or position
The interviewing process is not just an opportunity for the company to evaluate your fit for the position; it’s also your opportunity to evaluate how well the company and the position match your ideal job. Asking questions not only helps you determine how well-suited you are for the position (and it for you), but also clearly indicates that you have done some basic research about the organization. Don’t ask questions just for the sake of asking questions. Intelligent, poorly-worded questions can frequently do more damage to your reputation than remaining silent.
Failure to practice
Even the best public speakers need to take the time to practice delivering and answering detailed questions. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will get with your answers and the material, allowing for a much smoother delivery.
Talking too much (or not at all)
The best answers are succinct, but detailed. Interviewees who ramble on and on come across as trying to compensate for some weakness, while those individuals who just sit there and stare appear as though they are in shellshock (and maybe in over their heads). Neither of these scenarios is ideal in an interview situation. Choose your words carefully and sparingly, but don’t be a mute.
Bad-mouthing previous managers or companies
One of the fastest ways to turn off an interviewer is to bad-mouth your current or previous employer. This raises questions about your loyalty and integrity, and labels you as unhappy and a complainer. Even if you worked in a sweatshop with no lights, running water, or meal breaks for 18 hours a day, keep all negative commentary to yourself.
Fail to explain why they are a good fit for the position (and the company)
If you leave it up to the interviewer to evaluate if you are a solid fit for the company, then you risk the chance that they might not make the decision you’d like to hear. Make it easy for the interviewer for hire you by connecting your experiences, talents, and strengths to the job description.
Don’t state that you want the job
Once the interview has concluded, if you want the job, let the interviewer know that you are still interested in the position. Since the interview is as much about your evaluation of the company and the position as it is them evaluating you, don’t assume the interviewer knows you still want the job. Reiterate your interest and inquire about the next step in the hiring process.
Tags: Beach Bum, career, careers, Comb Your Hair, Cover Letter, Critical Component, Critical Mistakes, Dress Attire, employment, Extra Mile, Extra Time, First Impression, Fragrances, Hiring Team, interview, Interviewer, Interviewers, interviews, Job, Job Search, Jobs, Loose Sand, Potential Pitfalls, Professional Companies, Professional Individuals, Punctuality, recruitment, Resume, Resumes, Selection Process
For many people the thought of finding an ideal overseas assignment and then relocating abroad for a few years is a dream.
For a few people that dream actually becomes a reality.
So what’s the difference between those who dream about making it happen and those who actually find work abroad and experience a whole new exciting lifestyle away from home?
Application – that’s what!
Application in the form of applying oneself to the task of finding suitable work abroad, and application in the form of the CV, resume and covering letter sent to suitable employers and recruitment agencies…
Applying yourself: -
If you want something in life, experience should tell you that you have to go out there and get it for yourself. Opportunity seldom knocks on the door quick enough for any of us; therefore if you dream of working abroad you need to start looking for suitable vacancies in your overseas location of choice.
If you speak a foreign language you might be drawn to countries where they speak that language because you will have an obvious advantage over other overseas candidates. If on the other hand speaking English is your only linguistic skill you should either look at opportunities in English speaking countries or target countries like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where the business language is English and where there are a plethora of job vacancies.
Whichever country you settle on you can use the internet to search for employment offers, recruitment agencies and potentially suitable employers based in that country, and you can then begin contacting them one by one.
Making an application: -
To get anywhere in life it is sometimes necessary to put yourself forward – and if you’re looking for work overseas you’re going to have to put yourself forward to be noticed in the form of an online application or CV/resume and covering letter.
Because your CV will be your initial contact with any recruiter it has to represent you in the best possible light possible.
This means that your resume and covering letter have to be well written; if you’re applying in a language other than your mother tongue you should consider paying for a professional translation to be done because recruiters hate receiving poorly put together job applications. In their view someone who cannot be bothered to make the maximum effort with their personal CV probably cannot be bothered to do a good job full stop and are therefore hardly worth considering for employment. Therefore it is up to you to put together the most well written, compelling and interesting application for employment possible.
Don’t fill out your CV or covering letter with lots of flowery embellishment, be succinct and to the point. You should illustrate why you think should be considered for employment with examples of relevant experience you have and you should ensure you supply details of qualifications you have, referees who can supply personal and employment references and you should include all your personal contact information.
Finally, having targeted employers and recruitment agencies and having made the best application for employment possible, you should follow up your application and remain proactive and relentless in your search for that ideal overseas assignment. After all, only those who live their dreams have a chance of true fulfilment.
Tags: abroad, Business Language, career, Covering Letter, Cv Resume, Dubai, English Speaking Countries, expatriate, Home Application, Job Vacancies, jobs abroad, Life Experience, Linguistic Skill, live abroad, overseas, Overseas Assignment, Overseas Candidates, overseas employment, Overseas Location, Plethora, Possible Light, recruitment, Recruitment Agencies, Speaking English, Suitable Employers, Suitable Vacancies, Suitable Work, Target Countries, UAE, United Arab Emirates, work abroad, Working Abroad, writing a resume
If you have ever been told that you have a great voice, then you may have thought of making use of that great voice in a professional way, as a singer, announcer or as a voice over talent. Voice over, or adding your voice to advertisements and recorded messages, can be a very lucrative field for a trained talent. If you would like to get the training necessary to succeed as a voice over talent then here are a few steps to take.
But first before I give the step-by-step guide to a career in voice over, remember one thing: in the commercial world all kinds of voices are needed: low voices, whiny voices, gravelly voices, flat voices and even average voices. So, even if you don’t have a classic “good voice” you can enter the field if you have determination. Here is what you should do.
1. Take Acting Classes:
Yes, take acting classes if you are in a major city. Find a course and enroll in it. Why acting classes? You need to know how to create the characters who “speak” in a commercial. Just taking an animation class won’t do it. You need to start the process organically. It’s not about the voice, yet, it’s about the intent beneath the voice that shapes the voice.
2. Take a Voice Over Class
After you’ve opened yourself up for three months in an acting class, time to move into specifics with a voice over class. In L.A., the best resource is http://www.voiceoverresourceguide.com. It lists all the studios as well as all the classes in L.A. At the top are http://www.voicecaster.com and http://www.kalmenson.com.
3. Start Practicing at Home
In addition to class, listen to any and every commercial on the TV and radio. Mimic them. Pick up magazines and read aloud the ad copy as though it were a commercial. Get so used to your voice that silence sounds wrong.
4. Find Your Niche
Once you’ve gotten a handle on your instrument - your voice - you need to know what your range is and, by association, what your market is. Are you the classy BMW voice, the GenX hamburger guy, the Don Pardo game show host? You could be all three and more. Knowing all that you can do will help you with confidence and direction when promoting yourself.
So, start studying, keep practicing and try to determine where your voice would fit in best.
In the next article, I will discuss how to get your demo reel ready and made, how to find an agent, and how to book the job.
Tags: Acting Class, Acting Classes, Advertisements, Animation Class, Bmw, Bmw Voice, career, Class Time, Lucrative Field, Magazines, Niche, Radio, Recruitment Agency, Recruitment Jobs, Shapes, Silence, Sounds, Specifics, Three Months, Voice Over Talent, Voice Talent, Voices
When you are employed it is really easy to get complacent about job prospects. You settle into a nice routine, you get used to how things work and the only time you ever seriously think about your career prospects is when you are thinking about applying for a new job. Then suddenly you find out that everyone else has so much better prospects than you do and you are very much at the bottom of the pile. So the time to actually think about improving your job prospects is now!
There are lots of things that you can do to make you stand out from your colleagues and be that little bit more employable. Voluntary work is a great way of picking up new skills, showing that you have a sense of community responsibility and that you are not afraid of hard work.
Studying in your own time can also really improve your career, even if the subject matter isn’t wholly relevant (although the more relevant, the better) studying helps sharpen your analytical skills and helps you to become much more confident in general.
New skills can also be something that you can help your CV stand out. These could be organisational skills or learning how to manage, in different settings etc. So being in charge of a group of Scouts or Brownies certainly shows that you can be in charge, lead and (probably) that you have the patience of a saint. So don’t discount learning new skills, even if they don’t seem to be directly related to your work.
In the workplace, whether you are permanently employed or a temp working for a recruitment agency, make sure that you are flexible about work, as efficient as you can be and that you are always willing to take on new challenges. Adopting a ‘Can Do’ attitude will also boots your job prospects.
Tags: Analytical Skills, Attitude, Better Prospects, Boots, Brownies, career, Career Prospects, Challenges, Colleagues, Community Responsibility, Cv, improve, Job Prospects, Little Bit, new career, New Job, new skills, Organisational Learning, Organisational Skills, Own Time, Patience Of A Saint, Recruitment Agency, Subject Matter, Voluntary Work
