Jenna G.'s Thoughts on Finding and Obtainig Employment

While in high school, living at home with Mom, if I lost my job it wasn't the end of the world. Now, on my own, that is not the case. From age 15 I jumped around from retail stores to restaurants and everywhere in between. Unfortunately, just recently I did in fact loose my job of 2 years- my job that pays for all my bills now that I don't live with Mom anymore. Scary is an understatement. Finding a new job was a huge struggle. Driving around aimlessly, filling out one application after the next only to sit by my phone that never rang once with a call back. I felt like not one place was hiring in this town. After weeks passed my confidence was shot, not to mention my bills were piling up too. Luckily, a couple of weeks ago I finally found a job and things are turning around. However, I can not say that I enjoy serving tables, dealing with crappy people and their inability to tip appropriately. With that being said, I am in college and hope to one day soon hunt for a job that I actually want. I want to get through my years of working at these dead end jobs and prepare myself for a job that I will enjoy, be good at, make a living at, and feel secure with. I know that to reach this goal, it will take more than a degree though. There are steps to follow prior to graduating college that will guide you to your ultimate destination. Below I have made a list mapping out some of these steps along with other key tools that are great aids for any job seeking scenario.

• DO YOUR RESEARCH- Gather information on the job you are looking for. Sources such as websites, books, magazines, etc. can give you great insight on the career and/or surrounding fields.
• TALK TO THE EXPERTS- One of the best ways to get current, reliable, straightforward information about a career is to interview an expert in that field. It is important to let the person know that you are there simply for information, not a job. Go to the interview fully prepared. Make a list of questions/topics to talk about and avoid jotting down answers- carry out the interview as a conversation.
• GET INVOLVED- Interact with professionals and people in your community. It can also be beneficial to apply for career-related training or volunteer work- there is so much experience provided through involving yourself with work-study programs, internships, and related volunteer work. Plus, experience always looks good on a resume!
• PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME- Gathering letters of recommendation and references is extremely significant. If you are a student, professors are great resources for obtaining recommendation letters. Other references could be, previous supervisors, leaders of organizations in which you participated, close family member or friend if appropriate, etc. Provide references that fall into the following categories: character references, who speak to your integrity, and professional references, who speak to your professional abilities.
• DOSSIER'S AND PORTFOLIO'S- A dossier contains the basic credentials/materials needed for most job applicants. It includes documents such as college transcripts, letters of recommendation, other certificates, letters, achievements records, etc. A portfolio consists of documents and visuals that represent your best work. Both dossier's and portfolio's are key components in the job hunting process.
• CREATING DOCUMENTS- Recommendation request letters, letters of inquiry, resumes, and cover letters are among some of the employment related documents that go along with applying for most careers. It is important that you take the time to format and edit these documents appropriately to insure you are presenting yourself correctly and most importantly that they serve there purpose, to impress.
• THE INTERVIEW- I find it helpful to conduct mock interviews before the "real deal" comes along. Gather important information, collect and make copies of your employment documents, and last but certainly not least, prepare physically-get a good nights rest, eat a good breakfast, and dress to impress. Be sure to smile, and show whoever is conducting your interview your personality, what you can bring to the table.

I know it can be a lot to think about, especially if your new at this like me, however it can be done, and taking these steps are well worth the time. The competition is heating up, how are you going to set yourself apart from the rest and prove to your next potential boss that he should pick YOU.

References:

Technical Communication in the Twenty-First Century, Second Edition By Sidney I. Dobin, Christopher J. Keller, Christian R. Weisser Copyright 2002