Chapter 1. The Real World
of Work 1
What They Say About Success
Innovation is the key to success.
Some bigshots say there are four skills which are key to
success:
1.) communication skills
2.) the use of information technology
3.) numeracy
4.) learning how to learn.
What gets me about this list is that they don't mention what
could be the most important factor of all; how to deal with people, get along
with them, work with them.
Straight Reality: Get Rid of Delusions
Everybody is replaceable.
Happiness matters. Go
for a job you like rather than the highest paying one.
The way to make it in the world is to be of use to somebody.
Nothing is work unless you'd rather be doing something else.
This is a book of resources and ideas of how to find a job
or a career and how to deal with it once you get it. It's pretty well all here
It's not an education book so although I list trade,
professional, accrediting and union organization addresses of where to find schools
to learn your chosen profession, I left many school addresses out because it
would have made the book too tedious, however, I've written an education book
where I cover most educational institutions for most professions.
This book points you in the right direction, my education
book gives you details about schooling.
The job hunting game is the biggest and most important game
of all, especially if you're a have-not which most of us are at some point in
our lives.
I wrote this book because I know that money is king and if
you don't have a good supply of it, you can easily fall into a pit of mundanity
and hopelessness.
Knowledge is the only solution to get you out of any
hole. Despite all the psychobabble in
the world about finding your soul, the only thing that really matters is to
bring home the bacon.
If you don't have money, you ain't got nothin'. You can't find fulfillment unless you got
enough money one way or another to give you a comfortable roof over your head
with some disposable income to do with as you please and the only way most of
us get it is with a job.
Probably the biggest delusion in western society for middle
to upper class kids under 25 who don't know the real world but think they do is
that life is easy and it's relatively easy to make it out there in any field
you choose.
They have these delusions based on watching glittery images
on TV all their lives while being protected from life on the poor side of the
tracks in their sanitized neighborhoods.
Get it through your head now, real life ain't like it is on TV and when
your Daddy cuts you off at some point in time, you'll see how tough it is just
to get by and you'll see how cutthroat and competitive the real world is.
I don't buy into any statistics the politicians put out to
try to either hype up or downgrade the economy.
Charles Dickens once said, "These are the best of times and the
worst of times" which is true because everything is individual regardless
of the global reports on the economy.
Life is lived alone in your head.
You can either choose to thrive in a down economy through your actions
or fall prey to the propaganda like most people do.
Face three facts:
We have a huge trade deficit where eons of goods come in
from all over the world taking jobs away from Americans simply because most
stuff can be made cheaper in other countries mainly because of cheap labor and
much less safety and pollution laws.
Nafta, the North American Free Trade Agreement and Gatt, the
General Agreement On Trades and Tariffs, have made it very easy for American
companies to relocate to third world nations which have very few laws and a
cheap labor force so they can ship the product back to America for low or no
tariffs.
The economy is changing to that of high tech and information
over basic goods and services.
Because of these things, we have an economy where the
traditional low-end staples are generally produced cheaper overseas and shipped
here but America is the world leader in technology and innovation so we create
the new frontiers of consumer goods and expand them out into the world which is
how we make our money.
The lesson is that it's all about high tech gadgetry and
information technology/ computers for the moment but I have a sense of
foreboding that a country that doesn't manufacture its own staple goods like
fridges, stoves, TVs, furniture, shoes, clothes, etc. is destined for doom or
at least a rude awakening at some point in time.
I fear this lacksadaical attitude the powers that be in this
country have about buying our basic goods from China and Mexico rather than
making them ourselves.
Because of this, I fear the state of the job market greatly,
especially for the average guy or gal without a specialized skill regardless of
how motivated he or she is.
The high tech industry is volatile because they create new
products, there's an initial spray of success as the consumers buy it but then
copycats come out, the market is over-flooded and demand dies down so the
problem is that of the need for new products.
As soon as a new product line is invented, the high tech
sector goes up. We had cable TV,
computers, wireless phones, the internet, blackberries, DVD players and now we
wait for the next big invention to change the world.
Maybe it will be electric cars or windmill generators on our
houses but somehow I doubt it because the oil companies fight against these
types of products from making it onto the market. Check out ecompany.com for a feel of the high
tech sector.
Beyond technology which is always changing, the economy will
never be completely stable. The medical
profession and death industry are relatively stable but that's it. You can't even trust a government job
anymore. There are cutbacks there
too. The military is not an automatic
stable career. You have to learn to make
your own breaks.
I can't tell you how many naive bumpkins I've come across
who spent years studying in a field and barely knew anything about how their
professional or trade organization could help them with job searching or even
that their field had a professional organization for resource assistance.
Some fields are horrible for job prospects even though
school, college and unversities routinely offer these programs and majors.
Their business is the business of making money by granting
diplomas not to help you find a job or to even tell you there are very few jobs
in the field. They make money by pumping
out graduates. With very few exceptions,
they have no connection with the actual job industry.
Do not study anything in any school until you do some
research to see what the job market is out there for that particular
field. Go to bls.gov to look for the
future outlook for different professions.
At trade schools and colleges, in the different departments,
they often have one resource guy or a little library with a shelf full of books
that you can use to help you find jobs in the real world. Find these people and ask them for help even
if you don't go to that school.
As I explain in my education book, college is a business,
the degree is the commodity with no guarantees so don't play that game. Do your research upfront to make sure there
will be good job opportunities in your chosen major or fieldotherwise you will
end up another depressed case like many millions with useless liberal arts
degrees. Pick a major in a practical
field like physical therapy, get a steady job then go back to your liberal
artsy pursuits and maybe parlay them into a part-time job or business on your
own time but get your feet firmly planted on the ground first with a steady
practical profession.
They never tell you that there are way more architect and
journalism graduates around than there are jobs yet they keep taking new
students in these areas at college. It's
a rude awakening when you study hard, get your journalism degree then send out
400 resumes and get nothing back like a girl I knew and she was beautiful on
top of it. She would have made a great
news anchor but she ended up becoming a teacher.
It's a shame when you study hard at something that you
wanted to do since grade school then find out there are no jobs in that field.
Most of us are brainwashed into thinking that college is the
American Dream, however, college is a fantasyland and the land of broken dreams
for many people who get advanced degrees in some soft major then end up
desperate for a job.
Before you major in something, make sure it's a bonafide,
necessary skill that there's a need for like dentistry, nursing, criminal
justice, etc.
Beware that there are too many lawyers and too many phys.
ed. teacher majors around. Beware of
flaky majors with very few job opportunities.
For time expended, you can probably make more money and never be out of
a job with a basic down to Earth, practical skill.
Before you go to a conventional academic college, check out
the technical colleges, community and vocational schools in your area to see
what they have to offer that's more realistic in finding true employment.
If you're in doubt about your life as most people are in their
twenties, don't necessarily waste it at college getting a useless degree. Get a skill that takes relatively little time
to learn then do it for awhile and collect a good pay cheque while you find
your true soul.
You can get a commercial driver's license and drive truck or
get an allied health profession relatively easily within a year or two of
school then have a steady job while you indulge your other interests and figure
something else out as you get older.
You can design websites from anywhere on the planet. You don't even have to have merchant credit
card status. You can collect the money
through paypal.
Take math and sciences throughout high school even if just
for the fact that it looks good on your record.
Even if it's actually meaningless in the real world like quadratic
equations, it still shows the fact that you can think analytically and this is
what prospective employers in most trades want, somebody with a mechanical
aptitude.
If your high school offers any type of computer training,
take as many courses in computers as possible.
If you can do one thing for yourself that will increase your chances in
the work world, buy a computer and learn how to use it.
Don't waste time on video games, learn real applications
like Windows operating system, internet basics, word processing, financial
accounting, spreadsheets, etc. Find
nighttime adult education courses offered by your local schoolboard.
The Bare Bones Guide
Work is about daily meaning as well as daily bread.
Crappy jobs are easy to get anywhere, good jobs are hard.
Work is love made visible.
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
Why do I work? It's
for a good cause... cause I need the money.
More men are killed by overwork than the importance of the
world justifies.
You load sixteen tons and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
St. Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go.
I owe my soul to the company store.
Merle Travis, Sixteen Tons
Look for career info through:
Personal contacts
Libraries
Career centers (government, school, private)
Guidance offices in schools
Counselors
Internet
Professional societies
Trade organizations
Classified ads
Federal, state and local governments
Labor unions
Career consultants/ headhunters
Community agencies
Corporations, companies
General organizations related to your field.
Scan want ads in:
Newspapers
Journals
Newsletters
Trade magazines
Look for employment agency ads in newspapers. Check phone books for names of agencies and
employers to contact.
Be wary if you, instead of the employer, have to pay a fee
to register with a recruiter/ employment agency.
Identify agencies that specialize
in your field.
Visit companies. Ask
to see a person in a specific department or a person in charge of a certain
type of job.
Vocational guidance books to help you choose a career are at
#.016.3317 or HF5381-HF5383 at the library.
Job search books are at #331.7, #371.425 and #650.14 or
HF5328 to HF5549.
Go to #640.43-50 or BF637 for books about self-management,
time management, work and family, etc.
Go to #353.001 for government related job books.
At #153.94 or BF698, there are books about personality and
occupation and personality tests for career.At #158.7, 3306.361or BF481, HD4904
or HD8072, there are books about the psychological aspects of work.
Job books in the Library of Congress system are at
#HF5382.5.
Business books are at #650-659.
Resume writing books are at #650.14 or HF5383 at the
library.
Many libraries have special sections for employment,
education and business in addition to the regular stacks. Ask about them in the Reference Section then
go to both sections to see what they got, the regular book section which will
have the older books and the reference section which will have the newer
ones.
For information about cities, refer to the Worldwide Chamber
of Commerce Directory at the library or the websites in this book.
Every good library gets the major newspapers in your state
plus the national ones like the Wall Street Journal, wsj.com and usatoday.com
which all have ads for jobs. They may
get a few of the regional newspapers that are geared exclusively to job
ads.
Beyond that, every library has at least a few general books
on whatever field you're in, for example, psychology books are at #150-159,
movie books are at #791-792, culinary arts at #641, medicine at #610-619. You might find a few good books there with
addresses and information that might help you find job or career info.
Bookstores usually stay current with the latest job books
and they also have job books particular to the region that you live in so go to
your local bookstore for some good leads, particularly ask if they have a state
or regional jobs hotline book.
Beyond the local newspaper which has classified ads for
work, check out the state or regional newspaper for ads plus the city
newspapers close to where you live.
Some states and regions have a jobs newspaper or magazine
which exclusively lists job ads for the entire area. Either ask about it at the local government
employment office or at a large newsstand.
If you're considering a trade or profession and are
uncertain about where to train or get education for it, you could contact the
relevant trade and professional organization but for many professions, there is
local training in midsize cities and the place to get this info is at the
local, free state government employment office.
They can even get you free training, loans and subsidies if you act poor
but inspired.
Find the free Government Employment Agency in your area, go
there and ask for their help in finding a job or a career. They have lots of stuff on computer, aptitude
tests to see what you're good at, help in writing civil service tests and most
relevant job databases around.
This is the place to go to either find a career or a
job. For a list of private employment
agencies, look for the National Directory of Personnel Consultants at your
local library.
Beyond that are career counselors, some for free through
high school, college, vocational school, churches, etc. and some private,
for-profit ones who will help you for a fee.
Job fairs, advertised on the TV news and in the newspaper,
are sometimes held in high school, college, at the library, etc. It's worth it to go even if you have a job to
network with new people and get their business cards.
Education books at the library go from #370-#379 (374, adult
education, 378, college and university) or L of the Library of Congress
system. As with job search books, they
put the old ones in the stacks and all the new good ones in the reference
sections. Don't underestimate your
library for a wealth of information including magazines, audio-visual materials
and access to the internet.
They might have a separate reference section for college
education and test taking books like how to study for the GED, SAT, LSAT, GRE
or things like civil service exams.
For Trade and Professional Organizations, refer to either of
the books Encyclopedia of Associations (galegroup.com) or National Trade and
Professional Associations of The United States (columbiabooks.com) at your
local library. There's also the State and Regional Associations Directory
(columbiabooks.com).
If you have a vocational trade, do the same thing. Find your trade organization then get
whatever information they have to offer.
If my listings of the major professional and trade organizations is not
current, try typing the name of the organization into a few search engines to
see if it has a website or online presence.
At the very least, try typing the name of your field into search
engines.
Just about every field has a trade or professional
organization and usually that organization publishes a magazine or journal
which has job postings in it.
Along with the trade organizations, somebody else often puts
out other journals and magazines in most fields usually offering information
for profit.
The key to finding most magazines in most fields is a big
directory at the library called the Standard Periodical Directory which lists
most subjects neatly in alphabetical order.
There are a few others like Ulrich's Periodical Directory which covers
the world as opposed to the Standard Periodical Directory which only covers
Canada and the United States.
Willingspress.com publishes a worldwide periodical directory
that originates from Britain.
Simply go to your library and ask for a periodical or
magazine directory. There's a book
called Writer's Market (#808 at the library) which lists the addresses of
magazines in the trades for prospective writers to send their articles to but
you can use it to look for magazines relevant to your field.
In general, there are a lot of different job and career
books at both the #331 general and reference sections of your library. There are some Cd-Rom job databases, many
websites and some databases services like Delphi or Dialog which have job
databases.
Petersons.com sells a book which lists job books for a lot
of fields called Where to Start Career Planning: An Essential Resource Guide
for Career Planning and Job Hunting
Galegroup.com, 800-877-gale sell expensive directories
available at the library like:
Job Hunter's Sourcebook: Where to find Employment Leads and
other Job Search Resources
Professional Careers Sourcebook
Vocational Careers Sourcebook
I've noticed some shows on the public TV channel (PBS) and
other intellectual type cable channels geared for the job hunt and different
professions.
Bantam publishes The National Directory of Corporate
Training Programs which describes the entry level programs of many corporations.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
1801 L St. Nw
Washington, Dc 20507
202-663-4264
eeoc.gov
Federal laws, executive orders and selected Federal grant
programs bar discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age and handicap.
Information on how to file a charge of discrimination is available from
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offices around the country.
Careers and Colleges
989 Ave. of The Americas
Nyc 10018
careersandcolleges.com
For high school students.
The Nuts and Bolts Guide of Earning a Living
When you choose a career or business, pick one that you have
a reasonable expectation of being around in 20 years, that caters to the nuts
and bolts, bread and butter things people need as opposed to something in a
frivolous hobby, recreation area or something that caters to the upscale,
luxury market because when hard times hit these are the first to go and there
will be hard economic times in your area in your lifetime.
The following are some basic, bread and butter ideas to make
money without too much time or money investment involved:
Honest selling, selling people things that can really help
them by believing in it and getting out there in public to promote it is the
one profession that has created more wealthy people and improved the world more
than anything else.
If there's something reasonably expensive I want, I always
check the local ads newspaper for people selling their used goods
(bargainhunterpress.com). I've bought
everything from cars to computers to TVs here.
I believe that every city or region needs one newspaper that covers ads
for used goods. This would be a good
business opportunity if your area doesn't have one.
If there is a regular flea market in your area as there in
many areas, go there, pay your $20 to put a table down and sell stuff. You get your stuff to sell from closeout/
wholesaler websites, small garage sales and flea markets that people have in
front of their homes, ads in the local bargain newspaper, estate sales, drive
around looking for stuff on garbage day, etc.
Get a truck, offer to clean people's homes and haul stuff
away for a low fee then resell some of their junk. Advertise with flyers door to door in upscale
areas, small ads in the local bargain newspaper, website, sign on the side of
your truck, etc.
Anything you buy at local yard sales or anywhere else that
looks like an antique or something a collector would be interested in could be
worth big bucks if given worldwide exposure on an internet auction
website. Take a picture of it and sell
it at a site like ebay.com. Read one of
those yesterday's trash is today's treasure books to learn a bit about
collectibles and antiques.
yahoo.com/recreation/hobbiesandcrafts/collecting
csmonline.com, collector's supermall.
aaronspriceguide.com
beckett.com, collector magazines.
biddersedge.com
buycollectibles.com
collect.com
collect.com/palmer
collectiblescanada.ca
collectiblestoday.com
collectingchannel.com
collectingnation.com
collectitnow.com
collectoronline.com
collectors.com
collectors.org
collectors.org/apic, political items.
collectorsnews.com
collectorvalues.com
collectorweb.com
kovels.com, Kovel's Antiques and Collectibles Price List.
aarf.com, florida.
antique.org
antiqnet.com
antiquealley.com
antiqueantics.com
antiqueappeal.com
antique-expo.com
antiquefest.com
antiqueglass.com
antiquehotspots.com
antiqueinfo.com
antiqueresources.com
antiquesonline.com
antiques-oronoco.com
antiqueplazaonline.com
antiqueshopsusa.com
antiquesonly.com
antiquesworld.com
antiqueworld.net
Start an internet mail order business specializing in a
niche area.
Personal services businesses are ventures where you make
most of your money with labor. It could
be anything like furnace repair, basic plumbing, driveway sealer, well-digger,
tractor service, stonewall construction, daycare, nanny, etc.
Many gadgets and appliances have very few repair
people. You could make money repairing
lawn mowers, chainsaws (sharpening them too), washing machines, dryers, stoves,
microwave ovens, cameras, computers, motorcycles, cars and even
upholstery. Check with either the
manufacturer about training or local vocational schools/ technical colleges for
courses.
Work for a temp agency.
Sell used computers and/ or new ones at deep discount
prices.
Teach people either in a class through the community
continuing education program or one on one.
If you teach through the system, use that as your connection to sell
computers and get one on one clients.
Offer to go to the client's home and teach him or her there.
Either sell things over the internet or learn website
creation and website promotion and offer these two services.
Take any unskilled job if you're desperate. Some jobs lead to better jobs or promotions
if you're good.
Paint houses, preferably with a paint spraying machine
because it's easier and more profitable.
People will always need a welder or a blacksmith.
People will always need their cars fixed. Advertise in the newspaper. Offer to go to them and fix the car there,
i.e., a mobile mechanic.
Start a car junkyard, selling car parts. Specialize in a narrow brand and advertise on
the internet or take all types.
Motorcycle repair.
Do lawncare.
Home improvements.
Cleaning, all ways.
Motels generally need cleaning and clerk staff.
Overnight gas stations and convenience stores generally need
workers.
Plough snow with 4wd truck.
Local mover.
Odd jobs with a truck.
Buy a snow blower.
Get contracts to shovel snow.
Daily airport or city to city shuttle service. Put sign on the side of your van:
Roscoe's Daily Shuttle
Halifax to Yarmouth, 12:00.
Yarmouth to Halifax, 5:00.
666-6666
Do tax returns, basic accounting for small businesses.
Small daycare service in your home.
Tutor children in academic subjects.
Be a prison guard.
Do child care, eldercare, homecare.
Become an auctioneer or start your own auction house at 15%
commission.
Become a photographer, videographer for weddings, etc.,
photo.net.
Get Rich Through Work
Most people become wealthy by providing a needed product or
service of good quality at a fair price.
They continually seek better, faster, cheaper ways to do things for more
people.
If you work a job, the ways to get rich are:
1.) Work your way up through the ranks.
2.) Get a profession like lawyer, doctor, engineer, etc.
3.) Get an MBA then work in business management or
administration.
4.) Get a sales job in a hot product.
Get a Job and Keep it
There is a think tank that came up with these “skills” to
help get the job and succeed at it:
Read, write and speak clearly and simply
Listen and to understand.
Appreciate the points of view of others.
Share information.
Be proficient in e-mail and computers.
Make your point if need be.
Use a search engine to find info.
Know a little bit of all subjects.
Know basic math. Know
how to add and subtract without a calculator.
Have the ability to analyze a situation, gather the facts,
think about it then make a wise decision.
Seek different points of view. Listen to others, not just yourself.
Don’t be too dogmatic or self-centered. Make room for other ideas.
Always see the consequences of a decision on people. For example, some people just see that the
ycan save money by firing people but don’t realize it could cause stress and
sabotage.
Be creative and innovative in exploring possible solutions.
Make a decision, take action but if it’s going badly, don’t
be afraid to reverse course.
Have a positive attitude and positive actions.
Be honest.
Be nice.
Recognize hard work.
Take care of your health.
Strive to be a positive force at work.
Don’t be a brownnoser.
Don’t try to dominate others.
Be accountable for your actions and the actions of your
group.
Take some risk but don’t be foolhardy.
Go with the flow. Be
sociable but when it’s time to work, shut up and work.
Be willing to listen and learn from mistakes.
Be a constant learner.
Be safety conscious.
You have to be able to work with others as part of a team.
Be flexible.
Respect others, even if they’re different.
Be a team player.
Google for Jobs on google.com
Go on google.com
Type in:
job title jobs place
pizza driver jobs Seattle
elementary school teacher jobs Gainesville, Florida
It supposedly gives you a big list of jobs.
Chapter
2. The Real World of Work 2
The Way Job Hunting Works
It's all about what can you do for them, not what can they
do for you.
Don't be afraid to act humble, just don't act
desperate. Be willing to do more for
less now in order to get ahead.
We've been conditioned to think that job hunting is
answering ads and filling out applications but this is the old, passive
way. Most jobs aren't advertised because
it's a hassle for the employer to advertise, get a hundred applicants then
eliminate 99 of them.
The best way to get a job is to either network like crazy so
someone gives you a tip or recommends you when an opening comes up or be an
active job seeker. Approach companies
and people asking for a job. They like people
who take the initiative in looking for work.
It's not just about flooding the marketplace with
resumes. It's about following up,
calling people, asking for an interview, showing up, asking to speak to the
boss, etc.
I repeat. Don't wait
for job ads. Network and contact
companies to introduce yourself. Even
offer to intern for a week for free and they don't have to hire you unless they
like your work.
The truth is that in a skilled profession, the boss is
always looking for good workers.
Communication is the most important ability. Make up a clear resume that showcases your
skills. When you answer interview
questions, be clear and specific.
Have a neat appearance.
Be dependable. Show
up on time.
Adapt to the people you're with. When you go for an interview, size the
interviewer up then present yourself as though you're like this person. If he's a buttoned-up, Christian type, act
that way. If he's an easygoing type,
show that you're easygoing too but don't cross the line in being too informal
right away.
You're there to help the employer decide to hire you. Don't be over-the-top. Be respectful and act conservative and
dependable.
Talk about your strengths.
If they ask for your weakness, say that you work too hard. Once you start, you don't stop.
Some interviewers have a canned set of questions they ask
everyone.
Some interviewers might intentionally try to get you mad by
criticizing you. Don't let them see you
sweat no matter what.
If the interviewer wants to make smalltalk, go along with
him.
Some interviewers are nervous about interviewing people.
After the interview, send an e-mail thank you note and a
real one in the mail. Just thank them
for the interview and say I hope I get the opportunity to prove myself to you.
It's rare to find a perfect job. Take what you can get, prove yourself and
move up in the organization.
Remember, your job is to convince this guy that you can help
him make more money.
Most interviews are very generic. The interview is looking for a connection or
a common ground with you. He or she will
ask versions of the following questions:
Who are you?
What is your personality like?
What can you do for me?
What are you good at?
What are your weaknesses?
What kind of pay do you expect to earn?
What are your dreams and ambitions?
Why do you want to work here?
There's a grey area on the legality of asking personal
questions which is why a lot of interviewers won't ask questions such as are
you married, do you have kids, what's your religion, etc. but they'll ask a
general question like what's your personal life like.
You should have prepared answers for these types of
questions. It's ok to pause after a
question to think about it for a few seconds.
If you blurt out an answer, you might look too well-rehearsed or too
spontaneous. You don't think things
through.
Whatever you do, don't take liberties with the
interviewer. Don't get personal or
chummy with him. He wants professional
respect even if he tells you to relax.
You can make friends later but for now show respect to him as a manager.
Never tell the guy what kind of salary you expect even if he
asks the question. Just say within the
typical pay range of the profession, that you'll deal with it after someone
makes you an offer.
Compact resumes are the most impressive. If you can describe yourself completely and
quickly in one page, employers will be impressed and make a decision to
interview you.
On your resume, you can put either your website name down or
your e-mail address and invite the reader to see more information about you if
they want, including a photograph. With
e-mail, you use an autoresponder service.
You have to keep hustling to make contacts and get
interviews. You'll get rejected and
discouraged. Don't show cynicism. Be upbeat at interviews. Treat your job search like a fulltime job.
While you're looking for work and even after you find a job,
keep taking continuing education and upgrading courses to be better qualified
in your profession.
If you're genuinely interested in your field, it shows. If you're not, it shows too. Find something you really like to do.
No matter how you cut it, e-mails get deleted and postal
mail gets thrown out but if you have the guts to call someone or show up at the
campany and ask to see the boss, the voice to voice or face to face interaction
is more likely to get you an interview or a job than any other approach. There's no shame in saying I'm looking for
work, I'd like a chance to prove myself.It takes some guts. That's a plus right off because most people
send resumes and never make live contact.
If you went to some school, look up their alumni membership,
find people in your profession then send them e-mails or letters telling them
you're an alumni too, you're looking for a job, do they have any leads for
you. Do the same for trade
organizations. Ask the other members if
they have any leads.
In any interview, any interviewer worth his salt will use
his intuition to get a feel for the person's essence or spirit. That's what sells you, a good, wholesome,
energetic, upbeat, positive spirit, not fake but real.
Even if you get down while being unemployed, don't start
drinking and eating junk food such that you look bad when you go in for
interviews. You have to look healthy
like you respect yourself.
Job Motivation One-Liners
If you disrespect somebody and want to keep the
relationship, apologize right away. If
you act like nothing happened, that person will never be close to you
again. Do it as soon as possible. Most bad situations are reversible if you act
quickly.
Smiling creates a warmer environment.
Enthusiasm creates enthusiasm.
Everybody screws up.
Things always happen to mess up your plans. Stay cool.
Deal with the issue at hand then go back to the main plan.
Telling the truth should help you in business and work.
When you lie or mess up, fess up fast fastidiously. If you don't, your character is mud when they
find out you lied. People will forgive
if you confess. If you don't, they will
know you can't be trusted.
Get awayfrom being a formal, button-up kinda guy or gal to
be a personable storyteller type of person.
Love the work you do.
If things are going well, stay out of the way. Don't try to fix things that work.
Powerlessnes is (mostly) a state of mind, especially in a
wealthy country.
People want you to try to personally connect with them, to
not be a formal button-up, all business person.
Everybody is accountable.
Never say it is not your fault.
Job Quotes/ Work Quotes 1
The harder I work, the luckier I get.
Samuel Goldwyn
Find what you love.
Steve Jobs
You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create
your own legend or not.
Isabel Allende
We are in the twilight of a society based on data. As
information and intelligence become the domain of computers, society will place
more value on the one human ability that cannot be automated: emotion.
Imagination, myth, ritual-the language of emotion-will affect everything from
our purchasing decisions to how we work with others. Companies will thrive on
the basis of their stories and myths. Companies will need to understand that
their products are less important than their stories.
Rolf Jensen, Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies
The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of
person with a certain kind of mind-computer programmers who could crank code,
lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys
to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind
of person with a very different kind of mind- creators and empathizers, pattern
recognizers and meaning makers. These people-artists, inventors, designers,
storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers-will now reap
society's richest rewards and share its greatest joys.
Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind
My life is my message.
Gandhi
The two most powerful things in existence: a kind word and a
thoughtful gesture.
The deepest human need is the need to be appreciated.
William James
We look for listening, caring, smiling, saying 'Thank you,'
being warm.
Colleen Barrett, president, Southwest Airlines, on hiring
criteria
A person
cannot love a plant after he has pruned it,
then he
has either done a poor job or is devoid of emotion.
Liberty
Hyde Bailey
A lot of
people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.
Zig
Ziglar
And to get
real work experience, you need a job,
and most
jobs will require you to have had either real
work
experience or a graduate degree.
Donald
Norman
If you
just lost your job, you are not worrying about losing your job - that already
happened.
You are
worrying about paying your bills and finding a new job.
Labor Day in the
United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September.
The
world is moved along, not only
by the
mighty shoves of its heroes,
but also
by the aggregate of tiny pushes
of each
honest worker.
Helen
Keller
There is
magic in respecting others.
Respect
customers, vendors, bosses, employees, co-workers.
Respect
parents, spouses, sons, daughters.
Respect
the trash collector, the mayor, the bank teller, the truck driver.
There is
no hope for the workingman outside of organization.
Peter J.
McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor and reported
"father" of the American Labor Day holiday
A truly
American sentiment recognizes the dignity of
labor
and the fact that honor lies in honest toil.
Grover
Cleveland
The
labor movement means just this: it is the last
noble
protest of the American people against the power of incorporated wealth.
Wendell
Phillips
Job Quotes/ Work Quotes 2
Choose a
job you love,
and you
will never have to work a day in your life.
Confucius
Do you
feel stuck?
Whether
in a project, a job, a relationship,
or some
other situation,
there is
a time for perseverance,
and a
time for letting go and moving on.
Don't
underestimate your abilities,
that's
your boss's job.
Anonymous
DON'T
get officious.
You're
not yourself when you're officious -
That is
the curse of a government job.
the
movie Harold and Maude (1971)
Find a
job you like and you add five days to every week.
H.
Jackson Brown, Jr.
Getting
fired is nature's way to telling you
that you
had the wrong job in the first place.
Hal
Lancaster
God
guided me to America and gave me a good job.
But he
also gave me a heart so I would look back.
Manute
Bol
God will
forgive me.
It's his
job.
Heinrich
Heine
I met an
American woman and got married so I had to get a job.
Walter
Wager
I don't
want any yes-men around me.
I want
everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job.
Samuel
Goldwyn
I think
the person who takes a job in order to live -
that is
to say, for the money -
has
turned himself into a slave.
Joseph
Campbell
I just
try to do as good job with the material as I
can and
play some jazz as well,
some
improvised music, and do that every night.
Just see
where it goes.
Mose
Allison
I am
privileged to do a job I love to do.
I would
never change any moment from my life.
Enya
I figure
that if the children are alive when I get home,
I've
done my job.
Roseanne
Barr
I like
the job. That's what I'll miss the most...
I'm not
sure anybody ever liked this as much as I've liked it.
William
J. Clinton
If you
have a job without any aggravations, you don't have a job.
Malcolm
S. Forbes (wealthy publisher)
If you
don't enjoy your career,
today is
the day to begin a long-term plan
for
creating a career that interests and excites you.
If you
hate your job,
look for
small joys at work each day,
perhaps
in your interactions with customers and co-workers.
If a man
is called to be a street sweeper,
he
should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,
or
Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry.
He
should sweep streets so well that all the hosts
of
heaven and earth will pause to say,
here
lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.
Martin
Luther King, Jr.
If you
don't take full responsibility
for your
own happiness,
who do
you suppose will?
Your
happiness is a one person job -
it
begins and ends with you.
If you
can work and if you're offered a job and you don't take it,
you
cannot continue to claim benefits.
It will
be extremely tough.
David
Cameron
If you
put all your strength and faith and vigor into
a job
and try to do the best you can,
the
money will come.
Lawrence
Welk
If my
films make one more person miserable,
I'll
feel I have done my job.
Woody
Allen
It is
not my place to doubt the sincere beliefs of others.
My job
is to question my own beliefs.
It is a
mistake for a sculptor or a painter to speak
or write
very often about his job.
It
releases tension needed for his work.
Henry
Moore
It's never
easy with characters in these dark and grave
circumstances
but that's my job.
Patricia
Clarkson
It's a
terribly hard job to spend a billion dollars
and get
your money's worth.
George
M. Humphrey
It's a
recession when your neighbor loses his job:
it's a
depression when you lose yours.
Harry S.
Truman
It's not
my job to dream your dreams.
It's my
job to make your dreams become a reality.
Blanche
Lincoln
Know
that miracles are the natural way of the Universe
Your
only job is to move your doubting mind out of the way.
Let's
talk about the Gas Company because this is my favorite job.
Minoru
Yamasaki
Living
in fear of anything is a terrible waste
of what
could be a great life.
If you
live in fear of losing your job,
either
you fear the embarrassment of being jobless,
or you
fear the loss of material goods -
house,
car, and such.
If you
live in fear of losing your stuff and money,
it is
clear that they own you.
Maturity
is the ability to do a job
whether
or not you are supervised,
to carry
money without spending it,
and to
bear an injustice without wanting to get even.
Ann
Landers
Miracles
are the natural way of the Universe -
our only
job is to move our doubting minds aside
and let
the miracles flow.
My son
is now an 'entrepreneur.' That's what you're
called
when you don't have a job.
Ted
Turner
My God,
this is a hell of a job. I have no trouble with my enemies.
I can
take care of my enemies all right.
But my
damn friends, my goddamn friends.
They're
the ones that keep me walking the floor at night.
Warren
G. Harding
My
mother worked in factories, worked as a domestic,
worked
in a restaurant, always had a second job.
Ed
Bradley
No, they
don't appreciate you, and it's not their job.
It's
your own job to appreciate yourself.
Not
everyone is always going to like what you do.
Your job
application, your book proposal,
your
offer of marriage is going to
get
rejected sometimes, perhaps often.
Your
boss, your spouse, even the person
behind
you in the supermarket checkout line
is
occasionally going to think that you are doing it all wrong.
Don't
take it personally.
Now our
job, our duty, our responsibility to ensure
the
safety and security of our citizens cannot be complete
unless
we guarantee health care security for our citizens.
Thomas
Vilsack
Outsiders
can help, but insiders must do the job.
Jimmy
Yen
Scratch
a dog and you'll find a permanent job.
Franklin
P. Jones
Sometimes,
our family's most important job
is
reminding us how unimportant we are.
The most
terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant
leading
a platoon when you are on the battlefield.
Dwight
D. Eisenhower
The
world is perfect. It's a mess.
It has
always been a mess.
We are
not going to change it.
Our job
is to straighten out our own lives.
Joseph
Campbell
The
greatest teacher I know is the job itself.
James
Cash Penney
The
ending of a job or a relationship
may
appear as the darkest night,
but it
is merely the Winter season -
the time
of renewal and rebirth
that
precedes the new planting -
the
beginning of the next great cycle.
The best
way to appreciate your job
is to
imagine yourself without one.
Oscar
Wilde
The job
of the Central Bank is to worry.
Alice
Rivlin
The only
thing to do is to hug one's friend tight and do one's job.
Edith
Wharton
The
price of success is hard work,
dedication
to the job at hand,
and the
determination that whether we win or lose,
we have
applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.
Vince
Lombardi
The
hardest part was when I was in high school not
having a
job and always being broke.
I had to
get to auditions without a car.
I either
took the bus or walked.
Cuba
Gooding, Jr.
There's
a trick to the Graceful Exit.
It
begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage,
a
relationship is over, and to let go.
It means
leaving what's over without denying its value.
Ellen
Goodman
To be
successful, a woman has to be much better at her job than a man.
Golda
Meir
We must
trust our own thinking.
Trust
where we're going.
And get
the job done.
Wilma
Mankiller
What new
technology does is create new opportunities
to do a
job that customers want done.
Tim
O'Reilly
Whatever
your life's work is, do it well.
A man
should do his job so well that the living,
the
dead, and the unborn could do it no better.
Martin
Luther King, Jr.
When
someone gets a job, it better be clear what they did to get it.
Mark V.
Hurd
Whenever
you are asked if you can do a job,
tell
'em, Certainly I Can. -
and get
busy and find out how to do it.
Theodore
Roosevelt
Working
at a job you hate is unlikely to bring you either happiness or success.
Do what
you love. Whether wealth follows or not,
you will be happy.
You can
always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel
you've done a permanent job.
Laurence
J. Peter
You
better take advantage of the good cigars.
You
don't get much else in that job.
Thomas
P. O'Neill
You must
pursue this investigation of Watergate even
if it
leads to the president.
I'm
innocent.
You've
got to believe I'm innocent.
If you
don't, take my job.
Richard
M. Nixon
Chapter 3. The Real World
of Work 3
Job
Search Worksheet
What do you want to do?
Where do you want to
work?
I want to work in the
following field(s).
I want to work in the
following nation(s).
I want to work in the
following organization(s).
I want to work in the
following region(s)/state(s).
I want to one of these
positions.
I want to work in the
following town(s).
part-time employment
considerations.
Housing and food while
you job search
recreation, mental health
and health while job searching
Job
Search Advice from career.fsu.edu
Know yourself.
What are you after:
a fulfilling life
money
Know your career goals
and objectives.
Know your true nature/
soul.
Study the job search
process and the job maket (where you want to work). The easiest way is to get some of my several
job books.
You have to search. Many people do it online by sending resumes
and with a linkedin profile. Some people
introduce themselves at the buildings and personnel managers where they want to
work.
What do you want to do?
Where do you want to
work?
Identify specific
companies and organizations.
Research these
targets. Send them emails, network and
show up with a resume, say you’re looking for a job.
Information interviews
are where somebody agrees to talk to you about the field, no strings attached.
The job search process
takes time.
You will probably get
discouraged.
Don’t wait for a
job. Keep applying and showing up.
Job Searching Involves:
Research
Persistence
Rejection
When you’re facing them,
it’s never about you. It’s about what
you can do for them. Don’t ask about
vacation time. Simply look eager and
healthy.
Make a good resume and
cover letter.
Practice interview skills
by reading a checklist of possible questions.
Explore multiple options.
Don’t send out resumes
then wait for a response. Keep applying.
Attend job fairs.
Searching in the want ads
or employment agencies.
Networking is the best
method for the job market.
Try these places for
info:
Telephone books
Community Directories
Professional associations
and journals
Newspapers
libraries
Employment agencies
State Workforce Dev.
centers/ Department of Labor
alumni
Chamber of Commerce
Discussion groups
Do research on the job
you are pursuing.
Prepare questions prior
to the interview.
Be courteous.
Send a thank you letter.
Use a record-keeping
system for the job search that contains this material:
Employers contacted
Letters sent
Responses received
Second interviews
Examples of networking
resources:
Family, friends,
neighbors
Faculty, staff, former
teachers
Professionals
School associates and
alumni
Avoid Common Mistakes:
Shyness
lack of confidence
Fear of rejection
Lack of necessary skills
Procrastination
Negative thinking
Job-Hunting Errors
poor resume
Failure to network
Limiting job research
Using a canned approach
Inadequate interview
preparation
Poor interview
techniques:
Too little time devoted
to search
Negative attitude
Lack of attention to
appearance
Take care of yourself.
Keep good records.
Join a job hunter’s club/
support group.
Consider part-time or
temp work.
career.fsu.edu/advising/guides
Career
Info at cla.umn.edu/career-readiness/tools-resources
Set Goals
Build a Relationship with
Your Supervisor
Build Relationships with
Your Co-Workers
Regular Deliberatation
Core Career Competencies
cover letter
interviewing
networking
job search
internships
part-time jobs
volunteering
z.umn.edu/CRGuide
z.umn.edu/findinternships.
Be proactive.
Be purposeful.
characteristics that
employers seek
Initiative
self-motivation
Flexibility and
adaptability
Willingness to learn
take constructive
feedback
Problem solving
critical thinking skills
work in teams
Communication skills
written and oral
Solid work ethic
Attention to detail
Reliability
Interpersonal skills
getting along with people
Organizational skills
Planning skills
establishing priorities
following through on
tasks
Tact
Honesty and integrity
use of technology
social media
Critical Thinking
Teamwork
Leadership
Applied Problem Solving
How do I dress?
Set goals
Do your duties
Keep learning
Know Your Rights
The Fair Labor Standards
Act
dol.gov/whd/regs/
compliance/whdfs71.htm.
President’s Emerging
Scholars
prezscholars.umn.edu
Active Citizenship
Community Engagement
Digital Literacy
Employers Want Basic Human Abilities
Capitalist success is the same anywhere. Be ambitious.
Be smart. Be frugal. Work hard.
Think up ideas to do things better. Take risks.
The thing is that they don't care about you. They care about what you can do for
them. Can you do what they want you to
do? When you make your resume, cover
letter and go for an interview, it's all about I know what you want and I'm
here to solve your problems. Focus on
the job, not you.
It's not hard to research any company and even theboss so
you know about them before you tailor your resume and cover letter to
them. Go to those company/ industry
websites I list in this book.
Everyone has an ego.
If you show these bosses some interest and admiration but not so much
that it's phony, some of them will hire you on that alone.
Employers generally look for these things:
Someone who shows up, doesn't steal, does the job and is not
a sad sack.
Somebody not self-centered.
Somebody honest.
Somebody who looks healthy.
Wants to succeed.
Communication, write and speak clearly, listen, make
effective presentations.
Critical Thinking, assess a situation, gather multiple
perspectives, evaluate your options.
Leadership, inspire and motivate others.
Creativity, generate new ideas or alternatives.
Flexibility, adapt to change.
Teamwork, cooperate, negotiate.
Accept responsibility, behave consistently, hold a strong
work ethic.
Professionalism, have a good attitude, dress appropriately.
Able to work on their own.
Doesn't get stressed out.
Doesn't get angry.
Become extraordinary or invaluable.
Self-confident.
Ambitious.
Problem solvers.
Can take constructive criticism.
Not negative.
Somebody with a career plan.
Open-minded.
Your ability to do the job.
Your ability to get along with the people you work with.
Show some deference to the boss. Don't treat him like your buddy.
Conform to the place and to way people dress and talk.
Be polite.
Your ability to be friendly and empathetic to others, to see
it from their point of view.
Your ability to adhere to the unwritten code of civility
among people without being angry, ill-tempred, hateful or violent.
Your ability to speak clearly with a good command of words.
Your ability to butter up clients, be nice to them so you
get the sale.
Your creative, visionary, problem-solving ability.
Your ability as an adminstrative person/ manager. Do you respect paperwork and do it?
Your ability as an inspirational leader or as an inspired
worker.
Your character when you're feeling low.
Your professionalism.
Your ability to manage a project.
Your intuitive technical aptitude.
Your natural ability at salesmanship.
Your writing ability.
Your ability as a negotiator, a compromiser.
Your ability with a computer.
Your daily look. Do
you look good, healthy, inspired or do you look like a rundown piece of
alcoholic trailer trash with roots showing through?
Your ability to look at the sunny side of life.
Your desire to constantly strive to get ahead, a go-getter
so to speak.
Your enjoyment of your work.
Your ability to be realistic, to not live in a delusion.
Your ability to not gossip, talk about people behind their
backs.
Ability to speak well.
Knowledge of basic math.
Ability to think to solve problems and use common sense.
Positive attitude.
Sense of responsibility.
Ability to adjust to new situations.
Work safely.
Be a team player.
Ability to learn new things.
Employers Want Websites
quintcareers.com/jobskillsvalues.html, what do employers
really want?
associatedcontent.com/article/996004/whatemployerswantthetoptensoft.html?cat=31,
what employers want.
marquette.edu/csc/documents/topskillsemployersseek.pdf, top
qualities and skills employers seek.
psychcom/careers/skills.htm, skills employers seek.
helium.com/items/543149-top-10-qualities-and-skills-employers-seek,
top 10 qualities and skills employers seek.
The Future of Work?
Life changes because of technology but people stay the
same.
Employers still look for the same old-fashioned basic things
in a worker.
They can tell in one look.
Onetime when I was a teenager, I applied to work as a cleaner at a
hospital. I got hired. I told my friends to apply. They did.
They didn't get hired but the boss kept hiring new people right after
them. I then realized it was because of
the look. I looked healthy, clean-cut
and clean. My friends didn't. The way you present yourself to the world
speaks volumes about you.
In the past, many employees looked forward to a career
within a specific organization for life with gradual payraises and promotions
along the way. This model still exists
in a limited form.
The new career model is that a person will probably work
with several different organizations over a lifetime, possibly within several
sectors; commercial, industrial, government, NGO.
Some industries take a big hit like pulp and paper because
of electronic text. Others take off like
cellphones and wifi.
They say that there are less huge multinational corporations
now and more smaller to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Here is a list of some universal skills that will make you
employable and a good worker:
communication skills, talk well, write well
information management skills, use a word-processing program
use email
do basic research, as in library and search engine usage to
find information on a topic
people skills, work with people, smile, don't discriminate
be on time
do what you say you'll do
be honest
be personable and friendly
have the intelligence to plan for the next several things
you must do on the job
solve problems as they come up with creative, common-sense
ideas
do what you're told, do it on time
be organized in general, time management
be a clear, rational thinker to a certain point, most people
have self-delusions which is fine as long as they don't interfere with the job
be able to critically analyze an article to see if it's crap
or makes sense
use standard software suites of word processor, spreadsheet,
databases and presentation
the more software you know how to use, the better your
resume looks
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