Take Advantage of the Time Between Jobs
The latest Challenger report of quarterly job search times indicates that during the last quarter of 2008, it took job seekers about 3.0 months to find a new position. It is an ample amount of time to conduct professional self-improvement.
BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER
By taking a proactive stance to increase marketable skills, a candidate will increase opportunities for securing a satisfying position. From taking a computer language course at a local community college to starting an MBA program online at a high-profile university, job seekers will increase their marketability simply by being enrolled.
Improving your ability to get hired, especially in an economy such as this one, is tantamount to landing the next job offer. Human resource executives notice which candidates have taken it upon themselves to update their skills through education. Companies want employees who have the zeal to be life-long learners.
Stay in tune with the latest trends
Also, going back to or restarting school, no matter the level, keeps a person in tune with the latest trends in a particular field of study, especially in a technical area. For example, certain computer languages that were widely used in the early 1990s have all but disappeared and therefore are of no use to a job candidate on a resume. That is important for job seekers who are returning to the job market after several years’ absence, no matter what the reason. However, by brushing up on general computer skills, a job seeker will not be embarrassed should technical questions arise during an interview.
The cost of further education is a concern. However, in some cases, after a person has obtained desired employment, the employer may even pay for all or part of an employee’s continuing education, if there is something to be gained by both parties.
Another good use of time during the off-hours of the job search is to list all transferable experiences gained at former positions. Be specific and be ready to discuss these experiences at the next interview.
Many job seekers fail to focus on the array of experiences they have acquired. Experiences gained at a former position can be transferred to fit certain qualifications potential employers are requesting.
What special projects were you successful at in past jobs?
A good place to start is to think of special projects that were successful at past jobs. Simply ask, “What did I learn as a result of the project, and what new skills did I acquire along the way?” Write down all of the answers, using detail.
Training experiences at a former job are rich with transferable skills. Let us say that an employee was asked by a former employer to take a particular software training class so that he or she could install that software and train an entire department. The experience then becomes a marketable skill. The entire experience only may have lasted a month or six weeks. Nevertheless, it could show a hiring executive that the candidate can handle responsibility, and lead a group of co-workers toward something positive for the company. Also, the candidate, in this case, related to the interviewer that his former employer had so much confidence in him that he was selected from several prospects to take the training session and lead a team of employees to advance the company’s goals in an ever-changing economic climate.
Create a web of contacts. And remember to listen
Ideally, a contact might know of a job opening at his or her place of employment or at an affiliate. Meet the contact in person versus communication by phone or e-mail. The contact will respond more favorably to an in-person plea for help.
Since the contact is away from the workday pressures of an office environment, he or she is more apt to focus and lend more time. When speaking with a contact, be a good listener. Think of the contact as an expert. Be sure to find out about new and upcoming trends in the field. This is especially important for a job seeker who has designs on shifting careers.
Other information that should be drawn from a contact, especially if the contact is an old friend, is names and phone numbers of colleagues who would be receptive to a phone call. Soon enough, a job seeker will have created a “web” of contacts. Another good use of time at night is to do volunteer work. Nothing but positives can come out of such an undertaking, especially if a leadership role is taken. Also, job leads can come from meeting like-minded people in the volunteer organization.
By helping others you can help yourself
For example, organizing a concert in conjunction with a local park district would show a potential employer organizational and leadership skills. Enlisting a group of people to serve a meal to those less fortunate would also be a valued experience. Best of all, volunteer work builds self-esteem — vital to one’s own ability to succeed, particularly in the all-important job interview.
John A. Challenger is chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the global outplacement consultancy that pioneered outplacement as an employer-paid benefit in the 1960s. Challenger is a recognized thought leader on workplace, labor, and economic issues.
The Job Hunt: Take Full Advantage of the Interval Between Jobs © 2009, Challenger, Gray & Christmas;
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