Career Advice - For Job-Seekers

Sincerely speaking the planet we are living-in today changes so much and Jobs change so much as well. So because of demographics and globalization, Market might be running so short for those getting back to the job-market after a while being out of job-market. Although there are many vacancies out there and people in transition are finding Jobs and many are getting through. Though there are some difficulties in moving back into employment for certain parts of the population and in certain sectors as well. Above all, it takes longer time to find a job and even much longer to find the right job nowadays.

So many people who want to solve their career problems are so fond of doing this electronically, sending their CV in the internet....but can you imagine how many candidates are doing this? Millions of candidates! So, this idea could be hopeless for many job seekers...people could use the computers in the evening connecting and contacts but during the day don’t sit down behind the screen. Get out there and talk to people one-on-one. This is a simple principle and I would suggest you doing this on a day by day basis. At this point, you would need to have conversation with people you readily know and trust so well, I mean people who are doing the Jobs that you find so interesting and letting that curiosity carry you through to the Marketplace and later you will develop your networking skills and by so doing you would have the opportunity in front of important decision maker.

The smarter job seeker do things differently, they have to be more thoughtful and more creative and they should have the capacity to reshape the rules in their direction. In the first instance, they do thing carefully and slowly, they focus on people, and they try to find out what people are doing and how they got to the line of work they are in. This is a natural curiosity that could move people falling forward in their career advance.

Here are some other steps to get back to marketplace: Be very smart to frame your present situation. Always be optimistic and develop an ‘’objective, short, and hopeful message that shows you’re not a victim and you’re not stuck,’’ when talking to the recruiters just try to be simple and tell them ‘’my company went through an extensive restructuring...And I think this is a chance for me to rethink my career. Always keep your mindset with positivity: As you start to think about what your future may hold, it is common to ‘’feel disappointed and depressed about your job prospect, the solution is to bring positive-minded people around you, people who could help and encourage you to move ahead. Family and close friends would be meaningful this time. Explore opportunities: Make sure your social media profile is updated and get in touch with former colleagues and friends who work for organization that interest you. Think about the head-hunter you know and try if it is worthwhile

for you to join a professional association with an exploratory mindset...’’The language people use to describe success’’ should always be reflected in ‘’your LinkedIn profile’’ Maintain excellent state of well-being: ‘’Take good care of yourself’’... be sure you are eating well and maintaining diet, exercising and having good sleeps. Your spirit must be up and your energy high. Always check out your budget and the state of your financial situation in order to have perfect control over spendthrift. And more importantly, ‘’be kind to yourself and people.

Some guides to be always remembered during this time: Do • Evaluate your financial situation and assessing your household budget from time to time. • Always try to be simple and optimistic when explaining and sharing your lay-off to any one and most especially to the potential employers and contacts. • Always mix up with positive people who could help you falling forward and not backward. Don’t • Never talk to recruiters when you are still emotionally baffled. • Never go rushing to the job Market. • Never give up your well-being.

Case Study #1 Showing your trustworthiness could bring you victory at this moment of your life Less than a decade ago, I was coaching some executives in one company and on certain occasions, the director of the HR of this company used to ask me to interview the candidates to be hired in English language. Ok... normally as I used to do in that company, I started interviewing this lady on phone and by e-mail. She seemed to be very intelligent and competent for that job and she’s good at speaking in English language but the last interview had to be one-on-one and she was already awaiting me in the meeting-room. The conversation started as soon as I got into the meeting-room and during the chat I could see and observe she was really prepared for this job…It was our first one- on-one meeting and we really got along very well.

Then suddenly something I’ve never expected just happened. She said: Mr. Habib…I just want you to know this from me!

And I said: What is it?

And she continued: Almost two years back, my dad was giving me a ride to my job and unfortunately we had a serious accident that caused my father’s death and I stayed in the hospital for more than six months because of the injury I sustained in my head during the accident and since then I’ve been home on medication and there had been no episode since then. But I just wanted you to know about my condition directly from me, in case there is any question. I was totally speechless and overwhelmed in that instant and to be sincere I’ve never been in such a situation before that time. We talked about her brain-wave for few minutes. Then I stood up and went to the rest-room but a question just came to my senses when I was returning back to the meeting-room ‘’why did she tell me this?’’ And immediately I had a reply to that question – ‘’She was showing her trustworthiness’’. So when I got back to the meeting-room, I thanked her for her guts to make herself vulnerable and I thanked her for her integrity.

After this situation, I went straight to the boardroom and told the executives what happened and they asked me my opinion and I told them that the candidate is being trustworthy. 98% of job candidate will never make themselves vulnerable the way she did… At the end she got the job and today she's not only a core member of the team, she's a manager.