Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted
career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview
in the current issue of QuintZine,
our biweekly newsletter. Here is one such interview.
Carla Barrett is the owner of Career Designs, a career and job development firm based in Northern California.
Q:
Obviously, researching companies can be a very time-consuming process.
What advice do you have for streamlining the process or getting the most
bang for your buck, in other words, the most information in the least amount of time?
A:
The quickest way to get started is by researching the company Web site.
Most large and many small companies now have their own website with lots
of information on what they do, how they got started, and what their goals are.
You can find most companies online by typing their name into a search engine.
You can also use a Gateway site like The
Riley Guide. This guide, put together by Margaret F. Dikel, is one of the best sites
for doing research on companies. A section called Targeting and Researching Employers
offers business directories, stock market information, and company reports. If you are
not able to find a Web site for a particular company, you can call them and request an
information packet on their products and services. [Editor’s note: See also our
Quintessential Directory of
Company Career Centers and
Quintessential
Careers Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries.]
Q:
Is company research all about the Internet exclusively these days?
Or are there still valuable print resources that have not been supplanted
by the Internet?
A:
One of the best ways to really get the inside scoop is through a process called The
Information Interview. An information interview is an interview that you initiate
and in which you ask the questions. The information interview is a low-key, informal
experience that is probably your most valuable tool when making decisions about
your career. Information interviewing is one of the best ways to gain knowledge
about a particular job or career field by talking to people who do the work in which
you might be interested. To learn more about this process go to
Informational Interview Guide.
[Editor’s note: See also our
Quintessential
Careers Informational Interviewing Tutorial.]
Q:
What’s the biggest mistake job-seekers make that your advice could correct or prevent?
A:
It’s difficult to pin it down to just one mistake, so I will name the three
that are at the top of my list of biggest mistakes you can make in the job hunt.
Don’t bother to research the company they are applying to. This is the
No. 1 pet peeve of most companies. Most companies today have a Web
site where you can learn more about them. Take the time to know what their
mission statement is, how they got started, and what their goals are.
Put only a few hours into your job search each week. The job hunt should
be considered a full-time job. The amount of time you spend looking for a job
is proportionate to the time it takes to find a job. The average amount of time it
takes to find a job is three months. If you are spending only two or three hours
a week in the job hunt, three months may change to six months before you know it.
Have an unclear idea what you really want to do. The “I will do anything!”
mentality is likely to keep you from getting a job. Employers want to hire people
who know what they want and how they can benefit the company.
Q:
What’s the best way for job-seekers to figure out what career will give them the
greatest happiness? Which assessment tools would you recommend if any, and
what techniques do you use for really getting at a client’s/student’s career passion?
A:
The best method for discovering your ideal career path is through story-telling (a
method developed by Richard Bolles in his book What Color Is Your Parachute).
In this method, you have the career explorer think of a time when he or she was doing
something he or she really enjoyed and where there was an accomplishment. The career
explorer tells his or her story to another person, usually a career advisor, who then writes
down the skills they heard the person use in the story. After telling at least seven of these
stories, the career explorer has a clearer picture of favorite skills and how he or she can
use these skills in an enjoyable career.
If the job-seeker wants to use career assessment tools, I recommend taking at least three
tests. Some of the most popular tests are the Self-Directed Search (SDS), Meyers and
Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Strong Interest Inventory, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter,
and the Career Occupational Preference System (COPS).
Q:
Opinions differ on the extent to which the economy is recovering, and the
employment picture seems to change from day to day. From your observations
and experience, just how tough is the job market today? How can job-seekers
achieve success and stand out from the crowd in such a competitive market?
A:
Today’s job market is tough, but even in a down market there are always jobs.
The job-seeker will need to take a more creative approach to finding a job. Job-seekers
need to use tools and tactics that make them stand out from the crowd. One way to do
this is by creating a Career Portfolio with at least five examples of how they have used
their skills. This approach has been used for years by artists, musicians and writers.
Types of things to include are, letters of recommendation, certifications, awards for
excellence, and samples of their work.
Carla Barrett is the owner of Career
Designs, a career and job development firm
offering services in Northern California. Carla’s focus has been on training in state-of-the-art
methods for coaching individuals toward success and fulfillment in their careers. She
personally trained with Richard N. Bolles, author of the best-selling career guidance book
What Color Is Your Parachute? As a native of the Redding area, she teaches
career exploration classes at colleges, high schools and various learning centers in Shasta
County. Her most recent project was a survey conducted with some of Shasta County’s
largest employers. The survey addressed the question, “What drives employer’s hiring
decisions?” Read
one of Barrett's articles on the Redding Employment site.
