Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
With many companies shifting financial priorities, laying off employees, and tightening their belts all around, it is imperative to be ready for anything, including the dreaded task of hunting down and securing a new job. Unfortunately, millions have already suffered consequences of the economy crunch and found themselves without a job.
Growing Responsibilities
Working women, just as our male counterparts, carry great responsibility to support ourselves, our families, and even our parents. Additionally, with an estimated 48% of jobs held by women, we are a major part of the world’s workforce and economic system. Losing a position could mean more than the need to downgrade lifestyle; it could result in financial devastation for some. The following post will give you some practical tips for making a job/career transition. This is also a good topic for comments. Please feel free to share any experiences that would be helpful for other readers.
Interview Prep
Whenever seeking a new job, you usually search for ones that fit your specific qualifications and talents. Sometimes, that task can be difficult to accomplish, especially if the market is tight as it is at the present. Basically, what that means is you pretty much need to have an edge over the competition if you expect to win the position. Yes, it is a competition; consider yourself an athlete who needs to prepare for the event.
Be In Tip-Top Shape
No star athlete ever went to the Super Bowl, Olympics, swim meet, softball game, or any other life-changing game without first scoping out the facility in which they are to compete and checking out the strength of their strongest competitors. Translate that to the game of job hunting. How can anyone expect to “win” if they don’t know what and who they are dealing with. At the very least, you should have some type of advance knowledge of the company and its working environment. If you want to be considered savvy, get to know the company’s history, products, markets, and financial performance.
I know it sounds like a lot of work; it is but worth every ounce of effort. Just think how impressed your interviewer will be when you ask intelligent questions and comment specifically on something great that the company has accomplished. On the other hand, you might even ask about problem areas of concern. Just make sure that you mention the positive contribution you will make that could stimulate good change.
Research Hints
You can actually contact the company’s public relations department and request copies of the last three years annual reports, product literature, financial performance statements, merger commentary, newspaper or magazine articles, and company newsletters. And, face it, with the world at your fingertips via the Internet, you can find anything. This is some down and dirty investigating that will give the edge you need to win over any interviewing VP or manager.
One thing that I always found helpful was interviewing the company’s present employees. It is your right to know, ahead of time, what the working environment is like before you accept a position. Just ask the Human Resources manager to set up several short meetings with any random employees. This will give you the 411 on any negative issues and hopefully a clue about the company’s work culture.
In Part II, we will take a look at resume preparation and follow-up techniques, two things that could make or break your chances to land the job.
Photo by http://boog2dan.deviantart.com/art/Job-Interview-88245353
