What Do You Like To Do?

www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip

by Megan Elliott, Career Coach

The first step to applying for a job isn’t necessarily the cover letter or the resume, or even looking for jobs …It’s figuring out what it is that you would like to do!  This can be tricky and really hard to do on your own.  Luckily, there are many websites dedicated to helping narrow your career interests and find a good fit for you.

Many of our Ticket Holders have never been employed and others have not been able to work for a while.  At ERS, we use the O*Net Interest Profiler to help Ticket Holders find jobs they would like to do.  We want to help you find a job that makes you excited to go to work.

There are other, less involved ways to figure out what you like doing, like this list from CareerBuilder.com.  Career Builder’s list is based on personality types.  While the list doesn't explain the education requirements for a particular career, it does give you a brief description of each personality category and lists the average salary.

Our career coaches prefer using the O*Net profiler, because it lists your interests and what they mean.  Each interest is then broken down into categories like education and training, so you can see what you need in order to obtain that type of work.

These two examples are not supposed to be the end-all-be-all of your job search, because if you find something that you are really interested in, and you meet the qualifications of it, why not apply for the job?  You never know what might happen. 

As always, your Career Coaches are here to help you every step of the way.  Give us a call today!

 

Your Job Search Checklist

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

So you’re finally ready to start working!  Great!  Let’s get started by creating a checklist, to make sure you don’t forget anything while you’re looking for a job.

□       What are you interested in doing?  One of the first steps of becoming a client of EmployReward Solutions is taking an interest profiler.  This helps your career coach determine what jobs to look for, and the results also help you figure out what you’re interested in too!  If you don’t like talking to people, waiting tables is probably not a job you’re going to enjoy.

□       Write that resume!  Take your time with it, customizing it for the job openings you’re finding that you’re interested in applying for.  Read the job description and use the keywords in the description.  

o     For example, the local Rooms to Go is looking for an office assistant.  The description says “This position will assist sales associates, customers, and managers in the processing of payments, finance applications, delivery questions as well as various other office duties as assigned.”  What are the words in that sentence that could make your objective statement stand out?

o     Try “I possess excellent time management and basic math skills, which would make me a great candidate for the position of office assistant with Rooms To Go.”  Using similar keywords will let a hiring manager or recruiter know that you read the description of the position.

 

□       A lot of jobs that are posted online require a cover letter, so it is best to write one of these as well. This will be a chance for you to explain any gaps in your work history as they show up on your resume, so you’ll want to reference your resume for those gaps.  Were you working for a construction company in 2008, and then you went on disability?  If you volunteered somewhere, this is a perfect place to explain your volunteer experience.

□       One of the most overlooked steps in applying for a job is preparing your references!  Who could be a good job reference for you?  Have you asked them to be a reference for you and prepared them?  You don’t have to include the names and contact information about your references on your resume (as a matter of fact, it is recommended that you not do this), but it is just good manners to let someone know they will be used as a reference on an application.

□       Practice your interviewing skills.  You can call your ERS career coach and set up a time to practice with one of us, or get a friend or a family member to practice with you.  By practicing with some common interview questions, you’ll get more comfortable with your responses.

Remember, you’re not going to get a response from every company you send your resume or application to, and that’s OK.  Focus on the next opening, and if you need any help, remember, we’re here for you every step of the way!

Community Service & Getting Employed

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

What is one of the biggest hurdles you face when you’re filling out job applications?  If you’re like a good number of our clients, it’s that you don’t have relevant job experience, or what you think is relevant job experience.  Have you thought about volunteering in your community?

Volunteering can be a scary thing to some of us.  We have our routines and the people we know, and we don’t want to step outside of them.  We’re scared of rejection by people we don’t know.

Here are some points to think about though:

·         You expand your network of individuals who may know about jobs in your community.  By showing your dedication to a community service project, they may feel motivated to help you find those jobs, or even to give you a recommendation!

 

·         Volunteering in your community allows you to learn job skills, like clerical work, food preparation, or even some construction skills.

·         By volunteering, you’re actually making yourself healthier!  According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the health benefits include increasing your ability to fight off heart disease and lowering the possibility of becoming depressed.

According to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, over twelve percent of people with disabilities were unemployed, and only 20.7 percent of people with disabilities participated in the labor force, versus 69.2 percent of people without disabilities, in November 2012.  In other words, more people with disabilities were out of a job and fewer people with disabilities who did have a job were actually a part of the labor force. 

If you are having trouble putting your resume together, we have a team of career coaches ready to take your call.  We can help you word your experience so that it presents you in the best way possible.  We want you to succeed!

To help you get started, why don’t you check out these organizations:

http://www.voa.org/ - Volunteers of America is a national program with opportunities in your area. Check out the website to see what they’ve got for you.

http://www.unitedway.org/ - Almost every community has a United Way office, why don’t you give them a call and ask what you can do to help out?

http://www.iparticipate.org/ - This is a great resource full of ideas contributed all over the nation, but localized for you.