Job Hunting: Should You Lower Your Expectations

Are you in need of a job? If you are currently unemployed you may even consider yourself to be desperate for a new job. If you are, you may end up wondering if you should lower your expectations, to make it easier to find a job right away. If so, you are definitely not alone.

When it comes to determining whether or not you should lower your expectations, when hunting for a job, there are a number of important factors that need to be taken into consideration. One of those factors is your need for a job. For instance, do you have a family to support? Do you have rent, mortgage, or car payments that need to be made? If you do, your need for a job may actually be quite high, especially if you are not receiving money from your state’s unemployment fund. If your survival depends on having a job, you may need to lower your expectations, even just temporarily.

Another factor that needs to be examined, when determining whether or not you should lower your expectations, when hunting for a job, is your expectations. For instance, are they reasonable? Are you interested in working as a doctor? If you are, do you have a degree in medicine? If not, you expectations are not only too high, but they are unreasonable. The first step in not being required to lower your expectations, when searching for a job, is making sure that your expectations are reasonable. For instance, if you worked as a retail cashier for a while and attended business school, you may want to think about trying to acquire a job as a retail store manager. This type of goal is one that is just right, as it isn’t too unrealistic.

It is also advised that you examine the current job forecast for the industry that you would like to work in. In keeping with the above mentioned example of a retail store manager, if the retail industry isn’t doing too well, there is a good chance that not as many new retail stores will open up in or around your area. This may limit the number of retail store manger jobs that are available. In this case, you may need to lower your expectations or just change them, to include something different.

Of course, what you need to remember is that if you do need to lower your expectations, when hunting for a job, especially if your survival depends on it, it doesn’t have to be permanent. For instance, if you are required to take a job as a retail store cashier, but you are actually qualified to work as a school teacher, your retail store job doesn’t have to last forever. When working and making a little bit of money, possibly enough to help your family or pay your bills, you can continue on by searching for teaching opportunities. If you keep after your goal long enough, you should be able to find an opportunity that you are more than qualified for. If and when that time comes, you could choose to give up the job that caused you to lower your expectations.

Although you may not necessarily want to take a job that you may consider to be beneath you, there may come a time in life when you have to. If and when that time comes, it is important that you remember that nothing has to be permanent or forever etched in stone.

Questions to Ask During a Job Interview

Have you recently been contacted for a job interview? If so, you may be pretty excited. When it comes to getting a new job or starting a new career, an interview is the first step towards success. The only problem is that many interviewees end up making costly mistakes during their interviews. One of those mistakes is by not asking any questions. You are advised against doing this. Not asking any questions during a job interview gives the impression that you are not a leader, just a follower. That is not the type of impression that you want to make.

When it comes to asking questions during a job interview, you may be wondering what type of questions you should ask. Before examining the type of questions that you should ask, it may be best to focus on the type of questions that you shouldn’t ask. For one, you are advised against asking about the pay or raises, like when they kick in. Salary is something that should be brought up by the interviewer. If and when salary is discussed, you may want to ask about raises, but it is advised that you refrain from doing so, at least right away.

In keeping with questions that you should not ask, many employers give their job applicants information about their company, like a company brochure or a link to their online website. You are advised to thoroughly examine all of the information given to you, whether that information be online or in print. This will prevent you from asking questions that you should already know the answers to. Asking a question about the history of the company, when you were already given detailed history information, gives the impression that you did not read through the materials given to you. This is not the type of first impression that you want to make.

Now that you know some of the questions that you do not want to ask during a job interview, you may want to focus on some of the questions that you can ask, or at least ones that are considered “safe,” to ask. One of those questions is about the average workday or workweek. For instance, ask if you were hired for the job, what would your workdays or workweeks be like? What type of tasks would you be required to complete?

Another question that you may want to ask during a job interview is about the company’s future? Are there any plans for expansion? How does the company rate against the competition? These are interesting questions that show that you want to work for a successful company, one that will be around for a long period of time. Asking about the stability of a company gives a good impression of yourself, as it often means that you are also looking for stability.

You may also want to ask the interviewer some personal questions, but do not go too personal. Trying asking them about how they like working for their company. Ask about when they started working for the company and what level did they start at. If they advanced, ask if it was relatively easy to do? Does the company in question tend to promote from the inside up or do they hire new employees? This may get you on a personal level with the interviewer, which tends to make your interview more memorable.

The above mentioned questions are just a few of the many that you may want to ask an interviewer during a job interview. In all honesty, you are advised to use your best judgment when asking questions, but it is important that you do ask at least some.

Career Fair Job Hunting Tips

Are you looking to find a new job or a new career? If you are, you may want to give career fairs a try, as they are a great way to not only find available jobs, but also acquire them.

As you likely already know, career fairs are large events where multiple employers come in search of qualified employees. In most cases, career fairs are held in public places, such as shopping malls or hotel lobbies. They are also often free to attend. While career fairs do vary, most employers are able to set up small booths, where they can display information about their company and the type of employees that they are looking for. Most employer booths have a company representative who is able to discuss their company’s opportunities and accept resumes.

Although career fairs are a great way to find new employment opportunities, most individuals are unprepared for them. What many do not realize is that some employers actually interview and hire candidates right on the spot! For that reasons, you need to do more than just attend a career fair; it is something that you need to prepare for. To make the most out of career fairs, you will want to keep some of the below mentioned tips in mind.

Perhaps, the most important tip to remember is to bring copies of your resume with you; the more the better. Although you may not be interested in apply for every opportunity found at a career fair, you should enter into a career fair thinking that you would. If you are able to get an estimated number of how many employers would be attending the career fair in question, you are advised to bring that number of resume copies. Should you not handout all of your resume copies, you can save them and use them at a later date. Career fairs are not only used to educate you on local employment opportunities, but they are also designed to help you find and get a job.

Another tip that you should keep in mind is your appearance. Since many career fair employer participants give interviews on the spot, you may want to be prepared for one, in the physical sense. Wearing a pair or jeans or sweat pants will not make a good impression, but a simple pants suit or dress will work wonders. Many times, the employer representatives at a career fair are the ones who in charge of the company’s hiring. Taking a few extra minutes to “fix yourself up,” before you walk out the door is a great way to make a good impression at a career fair.

As previously mentioned, many career fair employer participants end up giving interviews on the spot. In fact, some actually hire new employees right on the spot as well. That is why it is extremely important that you prepare for an interview, just in case. In addition to dressing the part, you also want to make sure that you know how an interview works, namely the questions that you should ask or the responses that you should give. If you haven’t had an interview in some time, it may be a good idea to refresh your memory. You can do this by asking a friend or a family member to give you a sample interview. Practice is the best way to make a good impression during an interview, even if it is an unexpected one at a career fair.

Another tip that is worth mentioning is going to career fairs alone. Most career fairs are scheduled during the daytime, often during the week. If you are a parent, you should make other arrangements for your child, as you don’t want to be remembered as the applicant who brought their child along. In terms of friends, you may also want to bring a friend along with you for moral support. You are also advised against doing this. If you have a friend is who also job hunting, you can attend together, but be sure to go your separate ways. Employers are less likely to give you an interview if they see you are accompanied by a guest and a partner may unintentionally effect which employers you stop and see.

By keeping the above mentioned tips in mind, you should be able to make the most out a career fair. These tips may increase your chances of walking away from a career fair with a new job.

Applying to Places Not Hiring: A Wise Move or Not?

Are you in desperate need of a job? If you are currently unemployed or if you truly think that your current job is making you “crazy,” you may be. When it comes to finding a new job, especially in a hurry, there are many individuals who think that the more job applications they fill out or the more resumes they submit, the better their chances of finding a new job are. But, what about the employers who are currently not hiring? If you are wondering whether or not you should fill out a job application or submit your resume to a place that isn’t hiring, you are not alone.

When it comes to determining whether or not you should submit a job application or drop off your resume to a place that isn’t hiring, there are a number of important factors that need to be taken into consideration. Perhaps, the most important factor is if you know for sure they are not hiring. When it comes to filling out job applications, there are many applicants who try and determine, upfront, whether or not there are any positions available. If you happen to stop by a local business or call to ask about hiring and get a negative response, you may not want to submit an application anyways, especially if you gave your name. This tends to create a bad impression; an impression that states that you don’t necessarily listen to what you are being told.

Now, there is a difference between knowing in advance that a business isn’t hiring versus being told as soon as you go to turn in your job application or your resume. If you are told when you are submitting your resume or job application, it is advised that you ask about the future? Does the company representative that you are speaking with think that they will be doing any hiring in the future? If so, you may want to think about asking them to hang on to your job application or your resume for future use. In some states, employers are required to save all job applications and resumes for about a year. Of course, if the business in question later advertises the fact that they are hiring, you are advised against automatically assuming that your resume is still on file. You may want to call, just to make sure.

One of the few downsides to applying to places that aren’t necessarily hiring at the current moment is the timing. As it was previously mentioned, many employers are required to save any job applications or resumes that they receive for a period of time, like a year. This is nice because some employers decide to not even advertise the fact that they are hiring, instead many just go through the resumes or job applications that they accumulated overtime. The only problem is the overtime part. You may have submitted your application eight months ago and only end up getting a response now. If you are like many job seekers, you should be able to find a job in as little as a few weeks, sometimes a month or two at the most. That means that by the time your application or resume gets noticed, it may already end up being too late.

As a reminder, the decision as to whether or not you want to apply at a place that isn’t hiring is yours to make, but it is advised that you proceed with caution when doing so. If you are told that applications are not being accepted at the current time, even just to hang on to, you are advised to cut your loses and move on. The last thing that you want to do is create a scene or try to convince an employer to hang on to your application, as you may end up creating a bad name for yourself; one that may haunt you, you resume, or your job application for years to come.
 
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