Career Consulting & Leadership Coaching
with Dr. Rita Carey

Coach's Columns at a Glance:

• Perhaps it's a Matter of Style
• Is There a Federal Job in Your Future?
• Women in Leadership: the Other Side of the Gift
• After Downsizing - Beyond Layoff
• Test Your Job Search Savvy
• Looking for a Job While Employed
• Job Seekers Need Industry Infomation When Choosing Training

Test Your Job Search Savvy

If you haven't looked for a position in a while, you may want to test your knowledge about getting work by taking the quiz below:
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1. Most people find a job through ads in the newspaper. (True or False)
2. At least 90% of the jobs that are filled go to those with the best skills and experience. (True or False)
3. On average, people change jobs three times during their working life. (True or False)
4. It makes sense to take a temporary job while looking for a full-time job. (True or False)
5. The most likely place to find a job today is in a large company. (True or False)
6. When an interviewer asks about past employers, jobseekers should explain why they did not like a previous company or supervisor. (True or False)

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How Job Search Savvy Are You?

1. If you indicated that the first statement is true OR false, you could be right. If you are seeking an entry level job, you will find an abundance of jobs in the newspaper. So, the answer would be "true." However, for the more experienced, professional seeking work, the answer is False. The experienced professional relies on networking for gaining access to the most desirable opportunities. While positions may be advertised in newspapers and professional publications, in a highly competitive market, a personal referral will open the door to the interview. Some positions will be advertised "in house" only and referrals will come from current employees. See an upcoming column on building a network - the right way.

2. If you answered "false" to this question, you are absolutely right. Employee selection is not a science, and the job often goes to the person who makes the best impression. Dressing right, interviewing well, expressing enthusiasm and energy often persuade the interviewer, even when skills are not well developed. JoAnn Miller-Johnson, FutureWorks Career Center in Springfield, MA, works with hundreds of companies. She states that employers look for people who can be counted on to support the organization's goals; who can demonstrate creativity and critical thinking skills and can work effectively in a team.

3. The answer to this question varies with age. For people entering the workforce in the last 15 years, it is more likely that they will change jobs five to eight times and change from one career to another up to three times in their lifetimes. Charles Handy, author of "The Age of Unreason" (Harvard Business School Press, 1990) believes that that a lifetime career at one organization will not be a viable alternative for many people in the future. The reasons: work will be competencies- based and not job based; people will work longer due to better health and have a need for income over a longer period of time; and workplaces will be constantly undergoing change.

4. If you answered "True" to this question, right again! Temporary assignments give you a chance to learn about companies and for them to learn about you. It's a "try before you buy" for both parties. For professionals, this may mean contracting as a free agent with an organization. One of the fastest growing types of employment today is the Free Agent profession.

5. As unlikely as it may seem, the answer is "False." The majority of companies employ fewer than 500 people and most job openings are created by those companies.

6. Knowing the correct response to this statement can make the difference between getting the job and not getting the job. It is almost guaranteed that negative statements about a previous employer will get your resume filed in the "do not consider" category. No matter how negative an experience you had in your previous employment, no matter how demanding, unreasonable or incompetent your previous boss was, the interview is not the place to talk about it. Find a true but neutral statement to discuss the reason for leaving your job.

Dr. Rita Carey, has assisted dozens of organizations and thousands of individuals through a broad array of transitions - from individual career changes to change management strategies for entire corporations. For biographical information on Dr. Carey, please click here