Put your best shoe forward
The first thing an interviewer will notice about you is your appearance.
For the ladies, keep your hair away from your face. You may wear make-up but remember that anything in excess is always a bad thing. For clothing, make it clean and well-pressed. You may wear a pantsuit or a skirt as long as it’s not too short, too tight, or too flowy. Be careful not to ruin hosiery.
For the men, be sure that your hair is well-trimmed and your face is clean shaven. Please be sure that you smell clean though. Wear a clean and well-pressed suit.
For both, no jewelry except wedding rings. Polish your shoes if they need it. No perfume, cologne, or strong aftershave.
Cover it up!
One of the rudest things that you can do when sending your resume to prospective companies, is to not attach a cover letter to it. The cover letter is a form of self-introduction, and sending a plain resume is like a figurative slap in the face. A well worded and well thought-out cover letter can give you plus points with the HR personnel assessing your application. Be sure that your letter is straight to the point. You should sound confident and make clear your strong drive and motivation. Add here your references to prove your credibility. Most importantly, don’t forget to let the best of your personality shine through.
Time Management and Job Hunting
Adopting a schedule when looking for a job will lessen the pressure and the stress. Here are a few ideas to take into account:
• Take time off to plan – what to do and when to do it.
• Do not over-commit yourself – working hours is different from job hunting hours. You have fixed hours and daily routine jobs when working.
• When you reach your scheduled time, stop and take time to relax, preparing yourself for another day of “work searchingâ€.
• Prioritize your activities.
• Determine your high and low periods and schedule your time to make the most out of them.
Unemployment and job hunting stress is a given but when you arrange your time, it can be minimized.
Pressure with Job Hunting
Finding a job is harder than being employed and working. The demands of job search search are overblown by the unrest we experience, humiliation, lack of self-confidence, financial pressure, fear, anger, depression and anxiety. To lower the stress and lessen worries when looking for a job, planning and arranging your time can help a lot. When we have limited time, we are pushed to do more because we know that we have to meet a deadline and we will regret the consequences if we fail to do so. Having unlimited time relaxes us and no pressure is exerted to do the job at once.
Developing Your Skills
A skilled person will be able to find a job in many fields if he has worked hard to develop his potential. The experience he has tucked under his hat will be his most important asset. Getting skilled in many fields can be done by: willingness to do more than what you’re paid to do; reliability, or being there when you’re needed; honesty in all his dealings; getting along fine with supervisors and co-employees; eagerness to learn and exhibits enthusiasm for his work; and knowing the company’s customers and treating them with respect. Make sure that you leave an employer on good terms, for your future reference.
Getting a Job
One of the reasons for not getting the job is because you don’t have the experience. But the question is how somebody can have that experience if no one could give him the chance to have one. Other people are lucky, they have some connections, like a brother has a friend who needs someone for his company; or an uncle knew somebody from this company. If you are one of the ‘unlucky’ people, find a way to beat the system. Invest time in acquiring new skills, or offer to work for free as an apprentice to gain that needed experience. It is possible that people will see your potential, and hire you as a regular employee.
Networking and You
Success at networking comes by matching its principles to a person’s character and personality. There is no exact approach that can fit everyone, and if you are uncomfortable doing it then don’t. However, if you intend to do well, here are some points to get you started:
Know what you want.
Assess your skills, capabilities, interests and goals.
Explain your objectives and purpose when inviting someone to meet with you.
Give in return a part of your time to offer help to people you have contacted.
Follow up leads, when a person offers a would-be contact, don’t hang back.
As a whole, networking has a number of advantages.
Year-End Job Hunting
It is thought that job searching during year end is the worst time to do so, but contrary to that, it is considered to be the best time because:
• There is less competition – most job searches stop looking these months so you face fewer contenders. Employers don’t stop advertising their positions at this period and with less applicants your chances increases.
• More hiring this season – retail companies have higher demands for their products and services so they need people to fill temporary positions.
• Shorter time for interview schedule – being a slow time and with less pressure on the job, hiring managers have time to review resumes.
Job Hunting – People over 40 & Experienced
Most companies are not keen on hiring people who have reached their 40s mark because of pre-conceived ideas: older people have less energy; higher health and life insurance premiums; higher pay expectations; not inclined to learn new technology. Previously, age bias has been directed to people approaching retirement age. But more recently, with the dawn of new technology, globalization and revolutionized workplace, the concept has targeted even people in their 40s and to compete with their younger counterparts they accept lower positions or a reduction in their previous salary. People in this age group try to overcome this obstacle by being determined, dedicated & adopting a positive attitude.
W-2
A tax statement that an employer gives his employee at the end of the year is called the W-2. The list includes the employee’s gross salaries, taxes withheld, insurance payments, and other transactions that transpired between them. A company sends the record of the employee’s income taxes to the IRS and has made payments for a portion of the social security tax. The W-2 is referred to by the employee when he files his taxes for the previous year. Any income received from additional paid work should be added when paying taxes. Computation of taxes will determine if the employee either has to pa an additional amount or receive a refund.