How to Get a Job Fast

11/15/2013

Overview

In today's unpredictable economy, the idea of job security with any company would seem to be a thing of the past. Large company layoffs, golden handshakes, mergers, leveraged buyouts, company acquisitions and similar business moves have left people of all ages out of a job.

While there may be some compensation upon being let go from the firm you work for, this money won't last forever. Or, if eligible for unemployment benefits, this also has a finite period of time attached to the check. Sooner or later, job hunting will be necessary.

But it's not only the individuals who have been turned out of jobs whom this booklet can help. How happy are you in the business you're in? Do you long to do something else with your career? If so, you're not alone. You have plenty of company in wanting to change your goals and focus in life.

Perhaps you've just turned 40 and realize that you're into the second half of a working career you've never really liked. Studies have shown that working in a job because you have to, not because you like it, can have some effect on an individual's life span. Why take years off your life when you don't have to?

The problem for most people in these situations is that they're not sure where to start. They've either been tossed into this situation unexpectedly and are trying to make decisions on the run, or they know that they at least have a paycheck, so they postpone thinking about trying to focus in on a job hunt for something they truly like to do.

Well, cheer up! This booklet will help you refocus, identify the skills you have, narrow down the type of work you like to do and give you a number of outlets to gather information from in prospects of landing that job that will carry you contentedly into your retirement years. The best news is that this doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out process. You can label your transferable skills and acquire helpful data within a few days! It's not a year or two effort we're talking about.

The secret is knowing where to look, what to ask and how to narrow down the type of job you'd not only enjoy, but be pretty good at, too! So much of this is understanding what makes you tick! Who better to identify this than you? This booklet will give you some pointers in doing it, but it will be up to you to take the time to really analyze what it is you like and want to do. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will give you the power to change your life!

Identifying Your Skills

What are you good at?

Have you ever thought about it? In a truly critical, analytical way? Have you actually sat down and listed your skills and capabilities?

This may seem basic, but it's not. Even if you've attempted to start a list, it is very likely you didn't go far enough or deep enough and thus missed a few outlets for your skills that might very well unlock the key to your career future.

The following exercise can help you truly identify the skills you currently use (or may not use) and this will set the stage to see if they're transferable to another industry.

There are three major categories of skill identification. You deal with people, things and information everyday. In each category, this requires a skill or combination of several skills. You might not even realize the extent of your ability in an area. You probably know what you're not good at or what you don't like doing, but pinpointing exact skills is not necessarily easy.

People

Let's divide your skills at dealing with people into working with individuals and working with groups.

Individuals: In working with individuals singly, are you good at:

Groups: In working with organizations, companies or associations, are you good at:

Think carefully about each of these items. Answer fairly and honestly. There's no reason to try and fool anyone. This is not a personality test! You're simply attempting to frame your likes and dislikes about dealing with individuals, singly or in groups.

Compile your list of definite yes and no answers and write them down. Keep them handy for future reference.

Things

There are, essentially, six major categories of working with various things. These things are identified as objects (tools, instruments), equipment and machinery or vehicles, materials like cloth, wood and clay, your body, buildings or homes and raising or growing things.

Objects: Do you have specific skills in dealing with food, tools, instruments or the like in:

Equipment: Are you good at working with some type of machinery or vehicle in:

Materials: What is your skill level with items such as clay, jewelry, metal, wood, stone and cloth as far as:

Your Body: Are you good at using:

Buildings: Do you have a particular affinity and capability for:

Raising or Growing: Are you able to successfully:

This is the hands-on category. Do you have manual skills and, if so, what specifically can you do well? More importantly, do you enjoy it? Many people have turned hobbies they love into full-time, paying work. List the skills you have as associated with any of these categories. Also list the things you dislike doing, too. Finding that job you love is as much avoidance of things you dislike as things you love to do.

Information

The final category in this part of the evaluation process is seeing how good you are and how much you enjoy working with ideas, concepts, information, specific data and technology. There are four categories to concern yourself with. Do you like creating, storing, managing or putting this information to good use?

Creating: Are you particularly good at:

Storing: Once you've assembled the information, are you good at:

Managing: You must do something with the data or information you've assembled and stored. Are you good at:

Using The Data: Once you've decided to use the information, are you good at:

At this point, you should total up your positives and the negatives (what you don't like or aren't very good at) in this category. You now have three categories and you should combine the lists of advantages and disadvantages to see what your strong suits are. You may find that you like observing people and taking this information and writing a script and then putting it on video or film. This comes from seriously analyzing each of these categories and finding a consistency in what you love and what you're good at. Your next step would be to look at more specifics rather than generalities.

Specifics: It's time to look at items you specifically like to work with. The following list should help you check yes or no to a number of things. Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete list and you should add your own thoughts of items you either like or dislike to make it more complete. Remember, this is your list, your career, your life, so make it as close to what fits you as possible. We're merely giving you suggestions to help your frame of reference.

Office Products:

Clothing:

Household Goods:

Material:

Electronic:

Financial:

Recreation:

Transportation:

Medical:

Equipment:

Miscellaneous:

Your list should be fairly complete. If you've followed your true nature, you should begin to see a pattern (similarities indicating the type of work you were destined to do). If your interest is in film and cameras and film making, that will be clear as you review your likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses from these lists. Now you need to refine and focus.

Cutting Down the Territory

First, let's look at specific knowledge you might possess. Run through the following list, add to it and list the knowledge you currently have. Second, go through the list again and identify the knowledge you would like to have. This will give you two current snapshots: what you know now and what you'd like to know in the future. The latter will define your future educational goals. It may be in areas you believe you'd enjoy if only you had a little more education. No problem. It may be that a little more learning is needed to advance into what you truly want to do. There's no reason you can't take classes in those specific disciplines. There's no reason you can't work at an entry-level position in that industry and learn as you go. Often, a company may pay for your future education if it is in the skill areas of their field. So list the desires as well as your current expertise.

List all of the fields you like in priority, arranged by most knowledge of and likes. List the fields you are interested in and believe you'd like, but need more training and education. Keep these lists handy and separate.

Now, it's time to decide location. Are you tired of where you live? Would you like to live somewhere else? Is this the town you grew up in but have never seen any other place? Have you gone somewhere on vacation and thought about how great it would be to live there?

Part of cutting down the territory and focusing your job search efforts is to select the area you'd like to practice your skills and talent and apply them to a wage paying job. There's not much progress made if you find work you like but you still dislike everything else about your living situation. Finding a good job also means finding it in the location you like best.

So, get out to the library and consult a couple of publications like Places Rated Almanac and identify your top five places to live. Narrow down an area and list specific towns. Then, find out the number for the local Chamber of Commerce and see how you can get more information about the place itself and the businesses located in the area that are in the field(s) you've narrowed down for yourself. These local chambers are glad to send out information and would be equally happy to see you move in and become a member of the community. There are lots of wonderful places to live in this country. Take advantage of it!

You say you're interested in Arizona? Where? Phoenix? Tucson? Kingman? Bullhead City? Pick an area and start to accumulate information. If it's possible to visit, by all means get out and see it.

Now you have areas and locations and lists of businesses in those areas. Now's the time to narrow it down. Select the top two areas and hone in on finding work.

Update your resume. There are dozens of books out there on this subject. Craft it the way the experts suggest. Do it by skills if that tells more about you than where you've actually worked. Find out about local schooling programs in your chosen locations in the event you need further education in the areas you want to do more with.

Don't move to a place that doesn't have jobs in the areas you like and are good at or in which you intend to improve your skills.

Finally, begin to make contacts with personnel. Find out if there are local job hotlines and other employment identification features. Certainly make contact with specific businesses that you've already identified as possibilities.

As you start to accumulate your information with which to narrow down the territory in terms of location, skills and interest, there are a number of resources you can tap, (the majority of which are either free or have a nominal cost to obtain the information that can help you decide your future).

Temporary Work

There are more than 10,000 temporary employment offices around the country, and these agencies provide individual workers and services to thousands of businesses every day. With the cost of employee benefits rising dramatically in the last few years, employers have become far more interested in the temporary worker.

This is a great place to work for a while as you're learning a new field. You're paid by the temporary service and you may work at a job for one day, one week or one month or longer. It all depends on the job and the amount of work associated with it. You may be helping a company get a big mailing program done. Or you may come in to help with office duties due to extended illnesses or vacations. It may be a temporary overload situation that needs workers. Some of the temporary agencies specialize; others are more general and recruit all types of workers. You don't have to be tied down to a regular job. You don't have the pressure normally associated with full-time work. You can work locally or you can sign on to travel for free and earn money at the same time!

If you've made up your mind to move to a new location, but don't yet have a job, the temporary agency may be the place for you to start while you're looking or working on your education. Don't overlook the value of a temporary agency.

Free Career and Job Opportunity Information

There is plenty of assistance out there in the marketplace to obtain information about careers and finding jobs and similar data. You are often only a phone call away from obtaining details of specific fields of your interest. One of the problems with job assessment and reevaluation is that once you know what you want to do and where you want to go, you run out of ideas for information search.

Your dream may be to start your own business. All of the indications from the tests you've taken point to a specific career. You don't want to work for anyone. You believe you have the determination and desire to succeed. All you need to know is where and how to get started.

There are ample opportunities for both personal and financial assistance from the Small Business Administration. A loan program called the "Low Documentation" plan has a simplified procedure for applying for $50,000 or less in SBA loans to get that venture off the ground. These loans are now often underwritten by large banks as well as some of the traditional small banks the SBA has long favored.

If launching your own business has long been your dream--and you have the idea and the ambition to make it happen--there has never been a better time to go into business for yourself.

Good luck!

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