Chin Diesel
Power of Love
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2011
- Messages
- 32,651
- Reaction Score
- 99,101
A couple of different theads on here from new graduates. Congratulations. Now stop being a mooch, and start earning paychecks and paying taxes.
Some free advice on job hunting and starting your career.
First off, it’s okay to feel nervous about the process. And, it is a process. There are plenty of jobs out there, some are better than others. You are going to have to work at earning the best career opportunities. It’s okay if you have some levels of anxiety. Utilize it as positive stress.
If you don’t know this already, networking is still the best way to get in to the interview room and get a job.
You can go to job fairs, apply blindly online, walk in and hand a resume to a receptionist, etc. but nothing beats a personal recommendation. There are a few reasons why this is true.
If you are not already aware of this, hiring a person is expensive and time consuming. There are usually several layers of the process from resume parsing, interviewing and background checks for many jobs. Each of these take up man hours and each have costs.
As expensive as it is to hire someone, firing someone can be even more expensive. There is documentation of poor performance, probable losses in productivity and a gaggle of HR and legal involved before you can be fired.
With those two considerations in mind, companies look to mitigate the risk of wasting time on a poor choice to hire, then investing time in the firing process.
In order to get a personal recommendation, you need to know people. If you are fortunate enough to have close family or friends relevant to your job search, congratulations. Use them.
If not, you have a couple of options. My personal advice is to find an activity you care about in your community and volunteer. I know you think I’m nuts. How in the heck are you supposed to volunteer your time when you are trying to find an income generating job?
A couple of counterpoints on that. First, you will be amazed at the variety of people who are part of the volunteer organization. It’s a huge networking opportunity. Secondly, when you put your volunteer efforts on your resume, it shows the manager/interviewer that you have some passion and also that you see the world bigger than yourself. It also provides references for the quality of your work and attitude.
If you make it to the interview, congratulations. Getting an interview usually means you have the qualifications for the job. Remember my earlier point. Hiring costs time and money. Very few companies have the spare manpower and cash to interview unqualified candidates. The interview is going to focus a bit on your skills. See if what you wrote down on your resume can be verified. Might even include some aptitude tests. Mostly though, the interview is about your soft people skills. What kind of fit will you be in the organization. Remember the point about firing someone? It is expensive and time consuming to rid someone who isn’t a good fit and can be lowering productivity.
Be humble in the interview but know your worth. Research, research, research. Have several questions ready. You can scan the internet for hundreds of websites with advice on what types of questions to ask and what types of questions you can be expected to ask.
If you get a job offer. Great. Research, research, research. Again. Know your worth within the industry and know how local wage scales vary from the national level. Consider tax implications and quality of life. Chances are you are going to compromise on some of this at first, so prioritize your desires.
When you start work, be an asset to your manager/supervisor. You are new to the organization and to your career field. No task is beneath you or too menial for you to do. Treat every task as an opportunity to grow. You have to earn respect and responsibility. Latch on to a mentor. And then pick their brains.
Finally, paychecks. Start your retirements savings right off the bat so you never see the money. Don’t worry about new cars, upgrading your cell phone, gaming system and home theater. Save money by eating in rather than dining out. Learn to live within a budget.
Above all else, have fun. It can be a wild, crazy ride and there’s a good chance you will experience disappointment and rejection before acceptance.
Some free advice on job hunting and starting your career.
First off, it’s okay to feel nervous about the process. And, it is a process. There are plenty of jobs out there, some are better than others. You are going to have to work at earning the best career opportunities. It’s okay if you have some levels of anxiety. Utilize it as positive stress.
If you don’t know this already, networking is still the best way to get in to the interview room and get a job.
You can go to job fairs, apply blindly online, walk in and hand a resume to a receptionist, etc. but nothing beats a personal recommendation. There are a few reasons why this is true.
If you are not already aware of this, hiring a person is expensive and time consuming. There are usually several layers of the process from resume parsing, interviewing and background checks for many jobs. Each of these take up man hours and each have costs.
As expensive as it is to hire someone, firing someone can be even more expensive. There is documentation of poor performance, probable losses in productivity and a gaggle of HR and legal involved before you can be fired.
With those two considerations in mind, companies look to mitigate the risk of wasting time on a poor choice to hire, then investing time in the firing process.
In order to get a personal recommendation, you need to know people. If you are fortunate enough to have close family or friends relevant to your job search, congratulations. Use them.
If not, you have a couple of options. My personal advice is to find an activity you care about in your community and volunteer. I know you think I’m nuts. How in the heck are you supposed to volunteer your time when you are trying to find an income generating job?
A couple of counterpoints on that. First, you will be amazed at the variety of people who are part of the volunteer organization. It’s a huge networking opportunity. Secondly, when you put your volunteer efforts on your resume, it shows the manager/interviewer that you have some passion and also that you see the world bigger than yourself. It also provides references for the quality of your work and attitude.
If you make it to the interview, congratulations. Getting an interview usually means you have the qualifications for the job. Remember my earlier point. Hiring costs time and money. Very few companies have the spare manpower and cash to interview unqualified candidates. The interview is going to focus a bit on your skills. See if what you wrote down on your resume can be verified. Might even include some aptitude tests. Mostly though, the interview is about your soft people skills. What kind of fit will you be in the organization. Remember the point about firing someone? It is expensive and time consuming to rid someone who isn’t a good fit and can be lowering productivity.
Be humble in the interview but know your worth. Research, research, research. Have several questions ready. You can scan the internet for hundreds of websites with advice on what types of questions to ask and what types of questions you can be expected to ask.
If you get a job offer. Great. Research, research, research. Again. Know your worth within the industry and know how local wage scales vary from the national level. Consider tax implications and quality of life. Chances are you are going to compromise on some of this at first, so prioritize your desires.
When you start work, be an asset to your manager/supervisor. You are new to the organization and to your career field. No task is beneath you or too menial for you to do. Treat every task as an opportunity to grow. You have to earn respect and responsibility. Latch on to a mentor. And then pick their brains.
Finally, paychecks. Start your retirements savings right off the bat so you never see the money. Don’t worry about new cars, upgrading your cell phone, gaming system and home theater. Save money by eating in rather than dining out. Learn to live within a budget.
Above all else, have fun. It can be a wild, crazy ride and there’s a good chance you will experience disappointment and rejection before acceptance.
