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3 questions to find out if you really want a job

be strategic in your job search, do you really want a job, determining if you are hirable,
Do you really want to work?
I know a ton of people looking for work, but only a few who are really looking. 

Which kind of job seeker are you? 

Answering the following questions honestly can help you determine your level of commitment to your job search ... and ultimately, to finding a good job.


1) When did you decide to take a holiday break from job hunting?

a. Before Thanksgiving (After all, there’s so much to do!)
b. Early December (Nobody hires during the holidays, right?!)
c. Last week (Everyone is on vacation by now, so what’s the point?)
d. Take a break?! (Of course not! This is the time to look when everyone else has slacked off!)

Obviously the correct answer is d, but many seekers took a break starting as early as Thanksgiving thinking holiday job searching is a waste of time. But according to About.com, “If you buy into this myth, you are losing one of the better job searching seasons of the year … you enjoy reduced competition for jobs … and easier access to decision makers who are actually in the office. Hiring managers, with fresh goals for the new year, are eager to find people who can help them get the jump on goal accomplishment. If nothing else, many organizations interview in December for positions starting at the first of the year.”

If you took a holiday break, restart your search now, lest more diligent candidates get the jobs you want.

2) How do you respond to leads from friends for jobs you don’t want at their company?
a. Tell your friend why you don’t want the job.
b. Ignore the lead. (After all, your friend doesn’t really care if you don't follow up.)
c. Apply, but do the bare minimum to get it.
d. Thank your friend; ask him or her for more information about the position and company and why he/she thinks you are the right for the job. Then, if interested, apply for the job and ask your friend to give the hiring manager and recruiter a glowing recommendation about you. Or,if, after doing all this research, you are truly not interested, thank your friend, politely decline and then explain the type of job you do want.

D is of course the right answer, but I can’t tell you the number of times I have heard job seekers give responses like these to friends who provided them leads:

  • "I’d rather collect unemployment."
  • "It doesn’t sound like something I’d be interested in (but I don’t feel like finding out for sure.")
  • "I don’t know how to do every part of the job description (and have no plans to learn them any time soon.")
  • "I’d have to work long hours."
  • "I only want to do the kind of job I had before (even if it no longer exists.")

Think about these answers! If you have given such responses, do you think the same friend will be as willing to send you a job lead the next time? If you are just rejecting or ignoring leads, or just applying for such jobs without enlisting your friend’s referral and support, you could be missing out on good jobs … and your friend's future job leads.

3) When you come to realize you are unqualified for the jobs you seek, do you:

a. Continue to apply for the same jobs in the same way, hoping someone will eventually hire you despite your inadequacies?
b. Gripe and reminisce about the good old days when you were hirable?
c. Hope that jobs that no longer exist will come back?
d. Take classes, seek out online learning opportunities, ask knowledgeable friends to teach you, or shadow an expert so you can become marketable?

This should be an easy question to answer, but if you are like many job seekers I know, you are doing nothing with your free time to make yourself more hirable. Gain the knowledge on your own.

Are you really looking for a job? If so, have you convinced your friends you’re seriously searching? If they aren’t helping you now, it may be because they see the obvious signs that you aren’t really trying.

Share your thoughts via the Contact page and let me know if I can be of help to you. -- Kathy
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2 comments :

  1. People really want jobs, I don't think people should questions themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not everyone wants a job, there are slackers in this world.

    ReplyDelete

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