Information Related to "Planning Your Career -- Part 3"
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Let's
briefly review what has been discussed in parts 1 and 2 of this career
management series. In Part 1, we emphasized the importance of your career
to God and to you and your family. Failing to plan in this area is equivalent
to planning to fail. It's crucial that you assess your interests, gifts
and talents and plan your career accordingly. In Part 2, we examined
six basic types of jobs and the characteristics of the individuals that
would most likely fit into that area. This is important in clarifying
and giving focus to your educational plan and your job search.
We are now ready to take a look at the job market and how you can effectively
search out and find the position that's right for you. Recent research
(Bernard Haldane Associates Internet Job Report 2002), reveals that jobs
were found in the following ways:
Approximately 16 percent of jobs are found through newspaper ads and an additional 4 percent on newspaper Web sites. Most of these are entry-level. It's a good place to start looking. Unfortunately, a vast majority of those searching also start here. Typically, job applicants are screened out on industry experience first (which can be very frustrating) and then education and training. Of course, if you are just starting your career or are trying to get into the job market for the first time, you may have to accept an entry-level job that requires no experience. But, at least you can get your foot in the door, so to speak.
When answering ads, make sure in your cover letter that you can match the requirements with your qualifications or you'll just be wasting your time. Explore www.careerbuilder.com and from there you can tie into the local newspaper and research job postings by keywords. Keywords are the words that define what you are looking for, such as operations, training, customer service, mechanics, science, engineering, IT, etc. You can also set up a search agent, a profile in which you describe what you are looking for, and have relevant job postings automatically E-mailed to you for your review.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "Planning Your Career -- Part 3"
Other Articles by Greg Johnson
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