Seeking and Keeping Your Best Job

By J Carroll and K. Wolfe

"How can I find a job-my first job or my best job?" Young people want to know how to get into the paid workforce and employment transitions provide opportunities for workers of all ages to look for work. Some places to start looking for a job include Internet web sites, public or school libraries, classified ads in the newspaper, job listings on a bulletin board, and referrals from family's or friends' businesses. Finding the job listing is only the beginning. Getting and keeping a job involves three aspects: preparation, presentation, and performance.

Preparation

• Identify your own needs, wants, goals, and ambitions. A part time job during school or a summer job can be different from your first job after you have received the education or training you need. Knowing your criteria easier to know which job is right.
• Research the job market and the companies and employers that interest you. Look broadly and explore options.
• Use resources on line, as well as printed materials and information you gather by talking with people who are employed in an area in which you are interested. This takes time and pays off as you ultimately save time by pursuing jobs that actually exist and closely fit your needs and plans.
• Shadow someone already working in a job that interests you, if possible. Conduct informational interviews to hear first-hand stories about the work.
• Explore what education or training you need for career and economic success. Try to match your job with your educational plans and obligations.

Presentation

Once you find a job possibility for which you qualify, begin the application process.

• Create an effective cover letter. It "dresses" your resume and lets you mention qualities and attributes not highlighted in the resume. Make it concise and action-oriented.
• Package your resume, application, and references to reflect your professionalism. There can be no errors of any kind: grammar, spelling, typing. Use good quality paper and be sure the materials are very, very neat.
• Participate in an interview. Remember it is a conversation, and you will want to ask questions, too. Keep a positive attitude and be honest.
• Send a thank you letter and follow up after your interview. Regardless of how the interview went, you must send a note that thanks the interviewer for his/her time and restates your interest in the position. You can ask for additional information, or answer a question more completely than you did in the interview.
• Phone for feedback. Ask where they are in the selection process, and for feedback on your interview. Add qualifications you may not have emphasized already, or reemphasize your skills.

Performance

• Demonstrate the characteristics of good employees: competence, intelligence, honesty, and likeability. Employers want value for their money so listen to and follow directions from your supervisor and do your job to the best of your ability.
• Develop your SCANS competencies to be ready for the next opportunity. Employers have identified the necessary skills for today 's workplace. Be aware of the skills you have and work on acquiring additional skills.
• Commit to lifelong learning.
• Schedule time to learn and grow. Just as you plan for a workout, a lunch with friends, or a vacation, plan also for continuing education and professional development.

References: What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for American 2000. June, 1991. Department of Labor, Washington, DC. Available from the national Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.