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Finding your first job ever

The interview succeeded, your hired for the new job. The real work starts here. Where to start? What to do? Below some tips in order to give yourself a flying start and the company a positive boost.

 

1. Self assessment

Before you start searching for a job you should make a profile of your ideal job. You must be realistic in setting up the requirements. You have to ask yourself important questions like: what are my capabilities? Can I handle stress? Am I a leader or do I need to be leaded? During your Job search you must continuously match your profile with the job found. In case there is a match you may apply, in case there is no match do not apply.

The right career will match your qualities, interests, and skills. Do not fall into the trap of applying for the most lucrative jobs only to find out later that you can't stand your job or the people. In case you do not like the job, in the end you will not at all care about the money. Money is important, but it always appears to become a factor which is of minor importance than job satisfaction!

 

2. Determining your skills

As earlier told you have to look into your own skills. The main skills required for a job are in most cases listed in the job profile. In case you read certain areas of knowledge in the job profile, which you really lack you better not apply. It is no use applying to a job for which you need two years of experience, in case you have no experience. The answer will always be negative. Look into your skills and match these with the requirements.

 

3. Researching jobs

As soon as you have found out your own skills and your own needs you can start searching for a job. You can search in many ways. Nowadays the internet is the main source for finding a job. The fact that you are currently reading this article proves you have already found that out. Other devices or methods for finding a job are news papers, recruitment agencies, friends and relatives, career events, etc. There are many ways of finding a job. It is advisable to make use of various ways. Never only subscribe at a recruitment agency, never only tell a friend you search for a job. You have to be pro-active and you have to “sell” yourself and your skills.

 

4. Finding a Job

With persistence and patience, these job search strategies should yield you a job in your desired field. The following advices can be given:

1. Check out Internet job listings.
2. Go to trade websites for the career field in which you're interested. Often, occupations have professional associations with websites that include job listings. If you don't know the name of the association or trade organization that unifies your potential colleagues, do a search or ask someone in the field. Those websites are also an excellent way to cull contact names.
3. Go to job fairs. You can usually find advertisements for job fairs in your local newspaper.
4. Visit the websites of companies for which you would like to work. See if they have any job listings posted within the site.
5. If you're interested in working for a medium- or large-sized company, call the human resources departments of potential employers and ask if they have any job openings.
6. Read the classified section of the newspaper. If you want to relocate, find out what newspapers serve the places you'd like to live and then browse those papers' classified sections on the web.

 

5. Determining fit

Do not foolishly accept your first offer. You must do your homework on the industry and the company before you accept a job. By answering the below shown questions, you can accept or reject your first offer with confidence:

1. Check out Internet job listings.
2. What is the organization's size as compared to others in the industry?
3. Is the organization's industry one with a bright future ahead? (Make sure you're not thinking of joining the modern equivalent of a company that mass-produces phonographs or slide rules.)
4. What was the organization's annual sales growth over the past five years?
5. What is the organization's projected future success or growth?
6. What is the complete line of products and services that the organization provides? (Keep in mind that many companies are parts of larger corporations or own subsidiaries.)
7. Where is the organization's headquarters?
8. Where are the organization's other offices, companies, plants, factories, or outposts?
9. At which of these locations would you be happy living and working?
10. What is the organization's transfer policy? (Could you be forced to transfer? Can you apply to transfer? If you hate the cold, make sure the company won't force you to work in their Juno, Alaska, office.)
11. Does the organization sponsor or donate money to particular groups, political parties, or social causes? (Haven't heard of the groups who receive money from your potential employer? Do some extra research - if you are a card-carrying Green Party member, you may not feel comfortable working for one of the GOP's primary donors.)
12. What is the organization's history? Who runs it, and what are their backgrounds?

 

6. Planning your career

Planning your career is not an easy thing to do, however it is really required. Without planning you might end up doing things you do not like at all. Below you find some useful strategies and advices:

For example, if you want to be a CEO in the large-scale telecom industry, figure out the names of the executives at some huge telecom companies e.g. Etisalat, Telefonica and Orisel, who currently have the kinds of jobs you want. Conduct informational interviews and read biographies, newspaper articles, and magazine profiles about those individuals, paying close attention to how they arrived at their current posts.

1. How did they get into this industry?
2. What were their first jobs in this field?
3. What was the timeframe of their advancement through the ranks?
4. Did they get certain scholar degrees or another advanced degree?
5. What skills did they pick up through either school or work on their way up?

After you have gained a sense for how people generally arrive in the boardroom, start translating that information into goals you have for yourself. Break your prospective career path down into a series or stack of building blocks, and think about what short-term goals you associate with each block. Dissecting the process of career ascension will force you to create smaller, less overwhelming goals, while keeping your vision in mind. This way, you will always be able to measure your progress. As you define your building blocks, you may want to ask yourself:

1. Where do I want to be in three years? In six years? In ten years?
2. What skills will I eventually need to gain?
3. How can I gain those skills? Through an advanced degree? Through a specific job I'll have in the future?
4. What experiences do I want to have on my way up?