Dress for Success

by: Larla

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Searching for jobs is not an easy feat. After passing the exam, one has to go through another hurdle – the interview. Being face to face with the client, one should not just have intelligence but also dress to impress.

First, proper hygiene is a must. Shower and spray your favorite perfume. Second, wear a nice business suit but avoid distracting accessories. Slippers or sandals are a no-no. Hair should also be kept combed and brushed. Women can also tie their hair in a neat bun to appear neat.

These tips can help the applicant gain their coveted job. Always remember, an applicant only has one chance to impress the client and this is the time to make a good impression.

Don’t Do What You Love

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Following your passion may be a risky career move. Unless your passion is rare or a common one that’s in demand, you may be in trouble. Chances are you share the same passion with a lot of people, who will be competing with you for the same small number of decent paying jobs. Even if you get your “dream career”, it may end up being a lot less dreamy than you originally thought. You could get treated poorly, have a low salary, and no job security.

Sometimes, finding contentment is simply getting whatever job is available. Being an expert at something as mundane as car parts is more likely to create passion than a career with unlikely odds.

If you want career contentment, make passion secondary to the following characteristics:

  • moderately challenging and meaningful work
  • a kind and competent boss
  • reasonable pay
  • reasonable work hours
  • pleasant coworkers
  • opportunities for learning
  • Job-Hunting Myths

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    While the job market looks promising for this year’s graduates, the perfect job won’t automatically land on your lap. Improve the chances of finding the right job for you and avoid getting sucked by these common job-hunting myths.

    Finding a job after college is easy. The time it will take for you to find a job depends on the market, your location, your qualifications, and the resources you use to find job openings. If it takes a while don’t get discouraged. You can always take a less glamorous job in the meantime to make ends meet until you find a job where you actually use your degree.

    The Internet is the best place to find a job. The internet should only be one component of your job search but it shouldn’t be the only strategy. A lot of people still get jobs through newspaper ads but the best job-search tool is still networking.

    Job Hunting for College Graduates

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    The task of finding a job after college sounds intimidating and daunting. Here are some tips you can use to make looking for a job a little less stressful.

    Start early. It’s never to early to start hunting for a job. It might be a good idea to start looking during the summer before senior year.

    Decide what you want. Before you can hand out your resume, you need to figure out what kind of job you want and how much is usually offered for those positions.

    Online searching isn’t always the best. While online searching might be convenient, not many people actually find their jobs through the Internet. However, this is a great way to check up on companies and learn about what positions are open to you.

    Network, network, network! Networking is still the best way to find a job. The best way to do this is to talk to people who are in the field you want to enter and then gain experience through internships. Start compiling a list of people you think can help you out and put in a good word for you.

    Making a Good First Impression

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    Early in life, you learn how important it is to make a good first impression on someone. This value gains prominence once you start looking for a job and reaches a critical stage during your first few days at work. The early days are when your coworkers and your boss gets lasting impressions about you. They asses your behavior and the kind of person you are. If you have problems arriving to work on time during the first few days or week, you lose their confidence in you. Your coworkers will only take you as seriously as you seem to take yourself and your work.

    To make a good first impression, it’s important that you have a positive attitude about your job and blend in well with your coworkers. Learn their names quickly and avoid office gossip and politics as much as possible. It is also important that you establish a good attendance record and that you take initiative and become a pro-active employee.

    Selling Yourself on a Job Interview

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    If you want to make someone hire you, all you need to do is focus on the interviewer’s needs. Doing that will make you a very irresistable applicant. First, find out as much about the company as you can so you can ask informed questions about the job. Make sure you also study the job description that you applied for so you know what the interviewer will expect out of you. Be on time and dress a notch above what is expected for the position you are interviewed for.

    During the interview, use specific examples to explain why you’re perfect for the job. Ask intelligent questions to show your genuine interest in the position, such as why the position is open. Demonstrate your problem-solving abilities by identifying a problem you might encounter at work and discuss how you intend to solve it.

    Focusing on your interviewer’s needs takes your mind off your nervousness and will make you appear confident and insightful.

    What You Want to Do / Sell

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    A common threat to aspiring entrepreneurs is the life of the business. Will it last long enough to at least get back its capital? The thing you must remember is this: entrepreneurs are very keen observers. They observe common situations around them and visualize a business opportunity in anything. It’s not necessary that you’re truly original; sometimes, uniqueness comes in the improvement of an already existing product or reinvention of something that you are truly passionate about, giving it a whole new life thus making it totally new. So what are you passionate about? People? You can start a training agency. If you’re a foodie, restaurants and caterings are good options. If you’re from a family of educators, it’s good to start with a pre-school. Competition should not be a threat as well. You can charge more, just a bit more, as long as you deliver the promise of good service and quality.

    Who’s your market?

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    To have the passion for a product or to be familiar with the industry is not enough. As in all businesses, you have to study it, research about it, and assess your competition.

    The point here is that you must know who your market will be. You don’t need to be a scientist to research your market and you won’t even need to hire a market researcher whom you’ll end up paying thousands just for that simple task. For the most part, all you have to do is talk to your friends and they’ll talk to their relatives. Chat up with your relatives and have their friends come over as well. You can also simply ask some random person on the street. Engage in small talks in the supermarkets or malls, as all the potential target consumers are all in those kinds of places. Ask them general questions that you can relate to the product you have in mind. It might be too informal to record but the spontaneity is what gives it its validity. Simple, but reliable research is what you have!

    Shifting Areas of Expertise, Sounds Crazy?

    jh5.JPGMany job hunters would laugh at the prospect of getting a job they barely know but end up loving and making it successfully in the said field. This is not an uncommon strategy of people who are just fed up with the work they are currently in. Be brave and face the lion in the face and ask yourself, “Would I last in this job?, Can I live with facing a computer everyday for the rest of my career?”
    Many so-called shifters will tell you that it may just be the break you are searching for when it comes to jobs that you couldn’t get. For example, philosophy graduates are more in demand now for business related jobs than ever before. Why, the way they think brings a better understanding of businesses and the social aspects of doing business.

    Help, I need Help

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    Don’t fret for help abounds regarding job hunting tips from the people who know best. One of the best sites to go to for insider information regarding tons of useful stuff is WetFeet.com where resources have been combined all into one nifty site. Need to know information for any job applicant is there, from the best firms to the highest paying and what they look for it’s all there. Another nice site to go to is careeronestop where more information regarding job hinting and other useful information are and can be accessed. Just be patient and look around, Blessings come to those who wait!