Job Search Tips

First Impressions

Getting the Most from your Job Search Efforts

Thank You Notes in Job Search

Practice makes Perfect

The Hardest Step

Job Search THANKSgiving

Filling the Gaps in Your Employment Record

Attitude

Planning - To Succeed

Tune up Your Resume

Preparing for the Interview

Open Ended Questions  Online Job Hunting

 

 Finding the Right Employer                           

 Let’s explore a few ideas on how to locate employers that need your skills, that ‘Right’ employer for you.

A most important first step is to identify the skills you have.  If you haven’t created a resume, that’s the place to start.  Think about the tasks you were responsible for in your previous jobs.  Listing the job title is fine, but be clear on what you actually did, and what your responsibilities were.  Skill-based resumes are particularly good if you are young, have a brief work history, or are re-entering the job market after a number of years.

If you need help identifying your skills, you can speak with a Career Counselor at the One-Stop Job center, or check one of many internet–based programs that list core job responsibilities and skills required for most jobs.  One such site is: http://online.onetcenter.org/   This will bring up the  “O*NET” website, which can be used to:

  • Find out which jobs fit with your interests, skills, and experience;
  • Explore career fields, using the latest available labor market data;
  • Research what it will take to get your dream job; and/or
  • Find out what it will take in experience, education and training to be competitive in over 950 occupations.

 

The “Snapshot” feature on this website will help you to identify the skills you may have, based upon the jobs you have held.  After reviewing this feature, you may want to search for occupations that use the skills you already posses.  Use the “Skills Search” to do this.

Once you have determined several occupations that use the skills you possess, it’s time to look for employers who hire in those occupations.  You can look in the Yellow Pages” if the occupation is fairly focused such as auto mechanics, painters or plumbers.  If your skills can be used in multiple occupations, such as clerical skills, sales, counseling or maintenance, you may want to identify employers that hire in these occupations.  A good website to explore is http://www.usworks.com/centralvalley/   Click on the JTO logo to find employers in Kings County.    On the next screen, click on the circle for “Employers.  (This will save you from unnecessary registration steps.)  Simply select an occupation, and then search for ‘Employers’.   You can select a particular City or expand your search to surrounding Counties or the Central Valley if you wish. What you will find is a listing of employers that hire in that occupation, their address, phone number, and even driving directions.  Use this tool to expand the list of employers that need your skills.  Among those is likely to be the ‘Right’ employer for you.

There are several face-to-face as well as technology-based ways to identify skills that are transferable to other occupations and to find employers that need your skills.  The internet-savvy can explore from the comfort of their home. 

If you need more assistance, contact us, or call us at (559) 585-3532.

 

 

Job Search Tips

First Impressions

Finding the Right Employer

Getting the Most from your Job Search Efforts

Thank You Notes in Job Search

Practice makes Perfect

The Hardest Step

Job Search THANKSgiving

Filling the Gaps in Your Employment Record

Attitude

Planning - To Succeed

Tune up Your Resume

Preparing for the Interview

 Online Job Hunting
Open Ended Questions

The purpose of a job interview is to find the most qualified person for the job. Finding that person involves evaluating not only their skills, but also their ability to respond and react to customers, fellow workers and worksite management.

One of the best ways for employers to evaluate how a person thinks and reacts is by asking open-ended questions. By asking the same questions to all applicants, the employer can evaluate each applicant against the others, and find the person with the best combination of technical and interpersonal skills. Open-ended questions allow the employer to see how applicants think, and how they process information. Some jobs require quick decisions, while others require patience before action.

It is helpful to think about why certain questions are asked. That way, you can provide the desired information, even if the question is asked in an awkward or confusing manner. As you read the questions below, think of both why this question would be asked (what is the employer trying to find out), and how you would respond to the question:

  1. Which supervisors have you found easiest to work with and which have been most difficult?
    This is to judge your adaptability. Start by discussing the management skills of your favorite supervisor. Chances are, they were clear in their direction and allowed you to provide input. In addressing the ‘Most Difficult’ supervisor, be careful to discuss only the actions or skills of the person, and not the person themselves. Say something like, "I, and other employees felt their direction was not clear. However, I asked questions when I was not sure." Never criticize the person with a comment like, "I just didn’t like her. She was rude to everyone." If you are openly critical of others, why wouldn’t the employer assume you will also be critical of them?
  2. What did you like best and least about your previous job?
    This question helps to determine how you view work. Is work there to make you happy, or do you understand that you are there to do the job? Discuss work tasks rather than your previous co-workers. Say something like," I liked the variety of work, and that I was busy all the time."
  3. Give me an example of a time you did more than what was required in your job.
    This question addresses initiative. Discuss when you went above and beyond in your job. Talk about awards you received, or a team effort that was recognized by your employer. Perfect attendance can be mentioned here, adding that you feel perfect attendance should be expected, not considered an exception.
  4. Give me an example of a time you found it necessary to make an exception to the rules in order to get something done.
    This question addresses your integrity and ethics. When challenged, will you do the right thing, or the easy thing? Describe how you handled a personal or professional dilemma in the past. The "right" answer may be that you did not make an exception. If you find yourself justifying a wrong, the employer will see it was still a wrong.
  5. What was the best decision you ever made? What were the alternatives? How did you go about making it?
    This question will address your judgment. How do you approach situations? Do you gather information first, or do you shoot first and ask questions later?

You may want to practice your answers out loud while looking in a mirror to see how you look and sound. Another tip is to record your answers by video camera or tape recorder and then play it back and see what the employer sees.

There are, of course, thousands of questions that can be asked of you in an interview. It’s important not only to answer the question asked, but to also understand what the employer is trying to find out about you. The better you are at figuring out what the employer wants, the more likely you’ll be the one hired!

For help with all aspects of your job search, drop by the One-Stop Job Center at 124 N. Irwin Street in Downtown Hanford.

If you need more assistance, contact us, or call us at (559) 585-3532.