Doing Your Own Thing

As a follow on to my last blog ‘What is Your Passion?’, I want to refer you to my previous blogs about entrepreneurship.  These blogs are posted in this Internet site and are grouped in my book, Getting Jobs by Glyn Jordan.  

Below is a list of the blogs starting on page 201:

Doing What You Love

Working at Home and/or at the Office

Thought about Driving a Truck?

Independent Contractor or Employee? Some Clarification

Put Up Your Own Shingle!

How to Succeed in the Age of Going Solo

Positive Hiring Signs – Real Estate Opportunities!

Self-Employment Could Be the Answer

Home-Based Work Websites

You Can Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)!

Consider Being a Personal Virtual Assistant

Noncompetition Agreements

Jump-Start Your Entrepreneurship

Working-at-Home Websites

Suggestions for a Home Based Business

More Discussions Focused on Home-Based Businesses’ Websites

Make a Job of Your Avocation!

The book is available in the Kindle version on http://www.amazon.com for $2.99.  I think that the information provided will be worth your investment of time and money! 

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com  if you have found any of my blogs helpful to your career pursuits.  

Thanks, Glyn!

What is Your Passion?

Often you hear job counselors tell job seekers to go with your    passion as they search for employment.  Merriam-Webster.com  states that passion is “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something”.

Many opinions can be found about a job seeker’s passion including this advice:

When you're asked what you're passionate about during a job interview it's a good opportunity to share what is important in your life. It's also an opportunity to show your dedication and what's important to you.

Your response doesn't need to be work focused, but do be sure that what you share isn't something that could potentially cut into your working hours.

For example, you don't want to say that you're a mountain climber with the goal of climbing Mountain Everest or that you're getting ready for the Tour de France or looking to spend the winter skiing in Aspen.  http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewquestionsanswers/qt/passionate.htm

I personally think that it is most important that you actually have a passion.  Frequently when I ask job seekers what they can do, the answers are often “I can do anything.”

Hiring companies are seeking applicants who can have the skills and experience to accomplish defined tasks.  I understand that people in need of a job will be willing to do almost any job, but hiring companies recognize this simple fact as well.

My suggestion is that you do some soul searching and discover what you are passionate about and develop a list of jobs that will meet you passion.  Finally, focus you job search of these targeted jobs.

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com your opinions about how your passion was important to finding your job.

Thanks, Glyn!

Is Your Track Record Important?

People in the recruiting business frequently say that the best predictor of the future is the past.  Consequently, when employers are reviewing candidates for open positions their first question is what qualifications and experience does a job applicant have.  When you are in Las Vegas and take a seat at a black jack table, the dealer asks what are you bring to the table.

Previous accomplishments are indicators to the hiring organization about the applicant’s performance in his/her previous positions.  For recent graduates, grades, student activities and elected offices may provide a picture of a qualified job seeker.

When I counsel job seekers, I typically ask them if they have work references.  All too frequently clients say that they lost their last job for attendance or some other nonperformance issues.  While such backgrounds do not mean that an applicant will not be hired; work history can be a barrier to employment.

What is my message today?  Your previous job experience and qualifications are important to future employment.  Your past follows you throughout life; therefore, I recommend that that you always do you best and consider your job as a personal asset!

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com your opinions about the importance of a personal track record.

Thanks, Glyn!

When Looking for a Job Go With Your Strengths!

My experience is that you enjoy the activities in which you are best.  So when you are seeking a job why not seek a job that uses your strengths?

I have found that I enjoy teaching so I have spent over fifty years as a college professor primarily at night schools.  I can certainly relate to individuals seeking more education while working full-time.   Further, since my technical skills were only mediocre and I enjoyed meeting and interacting with people, I became a salesman.

So my suggestion to job seekers is that they identify their strengths and then correlate the skills with available jobs.  They may find that they require additional training to hone their skills.  Hopefully such training will improve your strengths and job qualifications. 

One approach to use in defining strengths is to take an instrument such as Myers-Briggs (http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/take-the-mbti-instrument/).   Another technique is to complete a personal SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis (http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1049.aspx.).

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com if you have found your job by capitalizing on your strengths.

Thanks, Glyn!

Carpe diem

During any day we waste a lot of water, energy, leftovers from uneaten meals; however, our biggest waste is the waste of our own time.  As a job seeker, what you definitely do not want to waste is a job opportunity.

One thing we know is that job opportunities have expiration dates.  When a potential job lead comes your way, immediate response may be the key to becoming employed.  Perhaps you are waiting for that perfect job while ignoring other job leads.  An old saying is that “good things come to those that wait”; however, patience alone will not get you employed.

My suggestion to you as you enjoy your Labor Day is that you not waste a job opportunity by ignoring it.  Perhaps you will land a job that will be a stepping stone to your ultimate job goal.   

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com your suggestions of ways that job seekers can avoid wasting their opportunities.

Thanks, Glyn!

Is it Time to Return for Education and Training?

September is approaching and many individuals are entering or returning to school.  I think that education and training of any sort are important to obtaining and maintaining employment.

As new technologies using the Internet such as social media: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, become commonplace, even experienced workers must continue to refresh their skills in order to remain relevant.  All jobs within organizations are undergoing changes to accommodate advancing tools and systems.  

There are many opportunities to improve your skills.  For example using the following Internet search arguments you will find the many organizations to provide you the education and training that will lead to your employment:

Technical schools (your location), e.g., technical school Dallas

Technical schools (your industry focus), e.g., technical school auto mechanic

Junior colleges (your location), e.g., junior colleges Dallas

Online schools (your major subject or degree), e.g., online schools - engineering, business, accounting, nursing, education

Universities (your major subject or degree), e.g., science, engineering, English

In addition, many schools advertise their offerings online, in TV commercials, and the print media.  Further, many organizations provide finance aid programs to assist in paying for tuition, books, and fees.

I urge anyone wanting to improve your chances of gaining meaningful and employment to consider upgrading yours skills through education and training programs.

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com if believe that education and training could enhance your employment prospects.

Thanks, Glyn!

Suggestions for Cover Letters

An article in the August 18, 2013, edition of The Dallas Morning News by Cliff Garinn on page 1J, “Resume Reboot – Cover Letters as Professional Conversations”, provides suggestions for job seekers if they prepare a cover letter for their resume.

I personally do not know how important cover letters really are.  Many hiring organizations scan submitted resumes for computer selection prior to forwarding the resume to a human being.  

However, I think that a follow-up letter sent to the interviewer at the hiring organization after an in-person interview is very important.

If a cover letter is prepared, here of some of the articles suggestions:

1.   Free of typographical and grammatical errors

2.   No longer than one page

3.   Three or four concise paragraphs

4.   Addresses the hiring organization’s specific concerns

5.   Introduces the attached resume

Please comment in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com your suggestions for cover letters.  Do you think that a cover letter is really needed? 

Thanks, Glyn!