You Are Going to Need a Job

If for no other reason then to be able to buy beer.

Unless you are independently wealthy, you are going to need a job, or maybe several jobs, in order to support  yourself.  Your parents can help, if they are able, but you'll feel really accomplished when you can take care of yourself.  And, parental help should not go on indefinitely.  More on that later.

This post will focus on steps for securing employment, but for those of you who are fortunate to be employed, a word of advice:  Keep your job.  It doesn't matter if …

• you don't like your boss, 
• the work is boring, 
• you didn't go to college for this type of job,
• the hours are long,
• you don't like the people with whom you work,
• the pay is bad,
• etc., etc., etc.

It's irresponsible to leave a job, especially one with benefits, if you don't have another job waiting for you.  If you don't like your job and/or need to make more money, then you should take steps to get a new job, but please, don't give up your income if you don't have a way to replace it.  It's definitely easier to find new employment if you are already employed, and you don't want to find yourself with big gaps of unaccounted time in your resume.  When you do resign from a job always do so on good terms and give adequate notice.  More on that later.

When considering a job opportunity don't just consider the salary, you must consider all of the benefits that make up your total package.  Do not dismiss the value of company subsidized health benefits and retirement savings programs.  And, even if it's not your dream job, and it probably won't be, if it gives you experience that's worth something too.

Now is as good a time as any to introduce two themes that will pop up throughout this blog:  Know Yourself and Ask For Help.

Know Yourself.  Don't set yourself up for failure.  Don't pursue opportunities that are an obvious misfit for your personality, interests, skills and education.  For example, if you hate math and are a creative, laid-back type person then working at a conservative financial services company that requires you to be in a suit and tie and at your desk from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. is probably not a good fit for you.  However, it does seem like a good choice if you are Type A, very focused, don't mind long hours, and want a career in Finance.

A word of caution: Don't limit your job search to only those positions that are an obvious fit for your degree.  For example, an English major can do very well in a financial type training program since they are probably good communicators and writers and can learn the other skills required for a specific job.  You may also discover you like a field that you previously had no interest in and may decide to pursue a graduate degree in that field.

There are online quizzes you can take that guide you through a series of questions about yourself and then give you suggestions for good career fits.  You can also just ask your family and friends, the people who know you best, what they think you are good at, what special skills you have, how they see you, etc., but don't let that be the end of it because your family and friends may not be able to translate your skills to certain professions.  For example,  If you are outgoing with a fun personality those closest to you may not be able to see you in a serious work environment, but those skills would make for an effective sales person or someone who interfaces with customers.

This leads us to another important theme Ask for Help.  Ask everyone you know, who has acquired experience and wisdom and whom you respect, for help.  If your parents have sheltered, fed, clothed and educated you then that's probably a good place to start.  They also know you pretty well, but if that's not an option for you, or where you want to start, then ask other mature, responsible adults for advice.  People are generally willing to help and to share their experiences, so ask your professors, friends' parents, coaches, advisors, really, anyone who seems to have their act together.  If you are still in college then by all means take advantage of the Career Counseling services offered by your school.  Colleges want to help you get a job so that they can boast high employment statistics for their graduates on their websites.

Remember, if someone helps you get an interview, and maybe eventually a job, do not embarrass them. Don't be a no show, don't be late and don't cancel an appointment at the last minute.  That's bad form.  You should know that all interactions between yourself and a prospective employer will probably be reported back to the person who referred you and helped you get the opportunity.  So behave maturely.

Wait a minute!

I can't believe I got to the end of this post without mentioning that you need to CLEAN UP your social media profiles.  Unless you would be comfortable with your prospective or current employer reading your Facebook posts and viewing your photos, change your profile name before you start sending out resumes.  And, don't make the new profile name your first and middle name because that's a trick employers have already figured out.  Even if your profile is squeaky clean it's good to keep your work and personal life separate.  We'll talk about keeping work and personal life separate in a future post.

Now let's get a job.  Stayed tuned for the next post about how to Put Together Your Resume.