About Me
Blog One: The Application ProcessIf you even want to think about getting a job, you have to go through the long and rigorous application process first. A lot of people are scared of going through this process, but if you go through all the steps and play your cards right, it will be a breeze.
1, Always be sure you have a rock-solid resume. One problem many people have, is that they put experience that is irrelevant to the job. When employers get a resume without relevant job experience, they will not even consider it. A well organized resume is also very helpful, so the employer has an easy time locating all the information he or she needs to know. 2. One overlooked part of the application process is your social media presence. It's the 21st century, and businesses are savvy about screening the accounts of prospective employees. Social media is how you show the world who you are and depending on what you post, that could be either a negative or a positive. Showing off your accomplishments and accolades will do much better to move you forward, than if you posted pictures of your social life that were unfit for a professional environment. 3. Never be afraid to call. Some people think calling is outdated, but it is one of the most personal and direct forms of communication that you can have with a prospective employer. Calling also makes you stand out from the other applicants because at this point, unless your resume is particularly special, you're going to blend in with the rest of the pile. In my case, the employer took a very long time to get back to me and I called in order to check the status of my application. 4. Be sure that you are applying to jobs that you are qualified for. One common mistake that people make is applying for jobs that they either don't meet the requirements for, or don't have the experience for it. I encountered this when I was applying for jobs and some had a minimum age of 18. Foolishly, I still applied to those jobs, but looking back, it was just a waste of time. It is important that applicants fairly and objectively assess themselves and determine what they are conceivably qualified for. 5. Never give up. The process of applying for jobs has a lot of rejection, and there has to be a lot of work put in. For every 10 applications that you fill out, probably only one will reply. Some companies take longer to get back to you than others, so you should NOT lose faith in the process. The response times can range from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks just because all companies are different and may not have the resources to get back to you quickly. You also have to think about how many other people out there are in your shoes, and they also need a job. As long as you put out a healthy amount of applications and follow all of the preceding steps. |
Blog Two: The Interview Process
It is finally time for an interview. That means you've made it to a point where many applicants don't reach. This is the most crucial stage and if you do well here, your work is done and you have achieved your goal. It is also known as the most challenging because of the sheer amount of work that needs to be done. It is vital to do well in this stage because this is going to be their first impression of you. If you aren't prepared or dressed well on this day, the interviewer will have no other option but to assume that you look and act that way on a regular basis and it would be a mistake for them to hire you.
The most important thing to do is research on the company. If you do not know what will be discussed during the interview, you will be at a great disadvantage against the other applicants. There are many websites such as glassdoor.com where people can post questions that they had during their interviews, and using them is extremely helpful during the interview. When you are prepared for what is predictable, you get a leg up over the competition. When you encounter common questions such as, "what is your favorite thing about this company?", preparing for simple questions like that will that, will free you up for the harder questions and make you more prepared overall. You also need to be ready to discuss why you are qualified. The thing that the company wants the most is not somebody with just the most skills, but the right skills. It doesn't matter if you proficient with Microsoft PowerPoint if you are going to be a cook at McDonald's or if you are fluent in Arabic for your French tutoring job. Showing your relevant skills and experience will benefit you greatly, especially if the job is more specialized. Often times, people inflate their resumes, so when you are able to prove your skills and abilities, your prospective employers will take notice and greatly appreciate it. It is also vital that you dress nicely for your interview. The common saying is that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and that is most important in this situation. If your interviewer sees that you dress like a slob for a very important interview it will reflect poorly on your character because somebody who really cared about this job would treat it and the people who are giving you the opportunity with more respect. If you are really unsure what the company dress policy is, it would not be too strange if you were to do a walk by of the company to get a feel of how you should dress. There is so much emphasis placed on dress code because, in a close decision, that could be the deciding factor between whether you get the job or not. If you are not early you are late. Being punctual is critical because this will be your interviewer's first impression of you and they will base all decisions based on how you look and act. If you look clean, neat, and tidy for the interview, they could infer that that is how you would act on a regular basis. But looking the part is not the only piece of the puzzle. You need to be PREPARED. If you are asked to provide a resume or similar paperwork and you do not have it, that will reflect badly on you because it shows that you are the type of person who is unprepared for important situations. Once again, they will not have met you before this, so they will not know the way you act on a regular basis, this is you one and only chance to make an impression, SO MAKE IT A GOOD ONE! How you handle rejection is also key. There are often large pools of applicants and usually, only one is chosen. Just because one company passed you over, that does not mean that you aren't a skilled person because there are many factors taken into consideration for hiring. No matter what happens, the most important thing to do is have trust in yourself and always keep on trying. |
#3: Conduct for the Job
One of the most important aspects after you get a job, is knowing what type of conduct is required for that job. The way you act at is very important. You are now in a professional setting and it is necessary that you act in that manor.
The way you dress says a lot about your ideals. If the dress code is business casual you better not show up in a t-shirt and jeans.
Always be punctual because your timeliness says so much about your work ethic. Someone who comes in late can not be trusted to be a diligent and reliable worker. Whether you get a promotion or raise could be depending on whether you respect your employers enough to come into work at the times that were mutually agreed upon.
You also need to anticipate what will happen next. Both of my jobs were in the service industry where customers had many demands but also very little patience. Often times, it was very formulaic and you could almost categorize each person and that would make it easier for you. For example, the elderly customers only order the senior coffee because it comes with a discount and it is cheaper than a regular small coffee. Also, there were regulars who came in often, and they would order the same things, and it is quicker when you know what they will order and you can just automatically input their order.
Never be afraid to ask questions. Nobody knows all the answers and it is perfectly okay to not know how to do something that is asked of you. For example, I worked at McDonalds and did not know how to make iced coffees for an entire month. That was a problem because it turns out, a lot of customers love McDonalds iced coffee (for reasons unknown) and it was a large part of my job. I also was mistaken about which hot coffees were decaf or regular which led to some issues that all could have been avoided if I just would have asked.
One of the most important aspects after you get a job, is knowing what type of conduct is required for that job. The way you act at is very important. You are now in a professional setting and it is necessary that you act in that manor.
The way you dress says a lot about your ideals. If the dress code is business casual you better not show up in a t-shirt and jeans.
Always be punctual because your timeliness says so much about your work ethic. Someone who comes in late can not be trusted to be a diligent and reliable worker. Whether you get a promotion or raise could be depending on whether you respect your employers enough to come into work at the times that were mutually agreed upon.
You also need to anticipate what will happen next. Both of my jobs were in the service industry where customers had many demands but also very little patience. Often times, it was very formulaic and you could almost categorize each person and that would make it easier for you. For example, the elderly customers only order the senior coffee because it comes with a discount and it is cheaper than a regular small coffee. Also, there were regulars who came in often, and they would order the same things, and it is quicker when you know what they will order and you can just automatically input their order.
Never be afraid to ask questions. Nobody knows all the answers and it is perfectly okay to not know how to do something that is asked of you. For example, I worked at McDonalds and did not know how to make iced coffees for an entire month. That was a problem because it turns out, a lot of customers love McDonalds iced coffee (for reasons unknown) and it was a large part of my job. I also was mistaken about which hot coffees were decaf or regular which led to some issues that all could have been avoided if I just would have asked.
Handling Tough Bosses and Coworkers -3/08/2019-
Sometimes the hardest part of the job is not what was in the description, and what you are supposed to be doing. At times, it may be your boss, and even your coworkers who make the job harder than it needs to be.
The first step to solving this problem, is identifying whether you even have a bad boss at all. You should begin by observing your bosses' actions over a period of a couple days, seeing what he does right and wrong. Make sure when looking at what you think your boss does incorrectly, think about whether it was something that was in his control or not. Once you do this, you should look at the motivations behind what he did. There are many times when disgruntled employees blame their managers or bosses for circumstances that are being their control, and usually forced onto them by people who rank even higher than them. The problem you should be looking out for, is if your boss takes an action only for the sake trying to promote himself, or only to cause undue stress onto workers. If the boss is doing this for purposes that are within their control, then you know that you have a problem on your hands.
To begin, now that you know you have a problem and want something to do about it, you need to make sure that this does not affect your job performance. You already know that you have a manager who has questionable ethics in leadership, so before you take the steps of letting his or her missteps known, you need to be sure that you stay ahead of any retaliation that could come from management. What you need to do is set boundaries that are clear and easy to understand. If it is known that you have boundaries and they are clearly stated you have a stronger case in your favor. In times like this, it is important that you step up and assume your role as a leader. This does not necessarily mean that you will become the manager over night, but it is important that in a time where the actual manager does not have the managerial skills that are needed for the task at hand, it becomes your time to step up. In addition to this, as a way of risk prevention you need to know how to identify your bosses triggers. In my experience working, I had a boss who would get angry for example, when she was interrupted on her smoke breaks. What I learned from that was when one of my coworkers needed something from her during that time, I would try to offer up some other alternative to solve their problems. One of the most challenging problems while working is hostility from management, and in this blog I provided some solutions for that problem.