Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the March 12, 2001 issue of QuintZine.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, "America may
be witnessing another historic transformation of the
workplace. In the pre-industrial world, workers lived
in isolation, usually on farms, and had little contact
with one another. The Industrial Revolution brought people
into central locations -- factories for most workers --
to work in a strict top-down hierarchy. The Information Age
may return workers to their homes, and yet connect them via
modern technology to 'the virtual office.'" The Labor Dept.
isn't calling this phenomenon "telecommuting" anymore;
now it's "telework." Read the full a report on
Telework
and the New Workplace of the 21st Century.
To understand the importance of networking, it's
helpful to examine how people get their jobs.
The U.S. Department of Labor says that only about 5
percent of people obtain jobs through the "open" job
market -- consisting primarily of help-wanted ads on
the Internet and in print publications. Another 24
percent obtain jobs through contacting companies
directly -- the cold-contact method of job-hunting.
Twenty-three percent obtain jobs through such means
as employment agencies, college career-services offices
and executive-search firms. The remaining 48 percent --
nearly half of all jobhunters, obtain their jobs
through referrals -- that is word of mouth. How do
they get referrals and find out about jobs through
word of mouth? By networking. See a
graphic representation
of how people get their jobs.
Diana LeGere, of Executive Final Copy, has a
piece of career advice that we have certainly tried
to impress upon those we counsel: "Ask not what the
company can do for you, ask what you can do for the
company. Remember the prospective employer is buying you.
Companies make quite an investment over the years in terms
of benefits, wages and company rewards. Choosing the wrong
candidate will result in lost salaries, and an unfilled
job, funds spent on employment ads, recruiters and
time lost pursuing the unfavorable task of interviewing
are to name a few. Therefore, they care more about meeting
their needs than yours.
Ideally, you want a match that suits you both. So,
keep your needs in mind. However, for the sake of
landing the job, focus on how you will benefit the
company. Inquire about their concerns and prepare
to offer solid logical solutions to their issues.
You may have been able to recognize some problems
during your initial research of the company.
Why not arrive with knowledge of the employer's
corporate issues and a plan to glide through them
for positive results? This gesture will clearly
define problem-solving and teamwork skills.
The more you can do for the company, the better
candidate you will be to join the firm's team."
-- This Q Tip courtesy of Diana C. LeGere
president of Executive Final Copy and the
employment coordinator for Greenbacks Bringing
Hope Foundation in Salt Lake City, UT.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, "America may
be witnessing another historic transformation of the
workplace. In the pre-industrial world, workers lived
in isolation, usually on farms, and had little contact
with one another. The Industrial Revolution brought people
into central locations -- factories for most workers --
to work in a strict top-down hierarchy. The Information Age
may return workers to their homes, and yet connect them via
modern technology to 'the virtual office.'" The Labor Dept.
isn't calling this phenomenon "telecommuting" anymore;
now it's "telework." Read the full a report on
