| Careers Advice
Choosing the right Career
10 things to consider
Can I make a career out of my hobby? Of course you can, if you like the outdoors and are already a keen gardener, how wonderful to be doing that job all of the time. Equally the same analogy applies to the other categories in the land-based industries. We should all take a moment to make sure we are happy in our careers, after all this is not a dress rehearsal.
Is it easy to choose the right career? One of the major decisions in our lives, akin to buying a house and choosing a partner. Take time, think about what you are most happy doing. Volunteer to get a taste of it, investigate the appropriate training. And if you do decide you have made the wrong choice, remember many skills learnt on one career path can be transferred to another.
Have I chosen the wrong career? Well if you have, all that it requires to get to where you want to be is some decisive action and training. Life experience and skills learnt in other professions are being recognised by employers more and more.
Should I let another person choose a career for me? No matter how well someone knows you, they surely cannot make this important decision for you and Careers Advisers sometimes give advise of what they think you are capable of achieving, rather than what you know you are capable of achieving.
Is the salary offered the most important factor? Whilst we all need to earn to live, high salaries don’t give you job satisfaction, they just help buy things to take your mind of the job situation. Achieving the right balance for you is what you should aim for.
Is taking advise from the best seller list a good choice? Only if you have the ability to predict the future. Articles and listings of the next best thing are produced to give people ideas and are a useful tool for that purpose, you know what you are good at and what you are not. Use your own judgement to decide.
How can I learn about a job without actually doing it? This is easily done, these days with people blogging about anything and everything, find someone blogging about the career you are looking at. Talk to people already doing the job and volunteer to help.
Are you under pressure from parents and friends to choose a career? It can be hard to choose what you want to do, but try by writing down what you are good at, leave out the watching TV and eating burgers bit. You will be more confident pitching for a job that involves skills you feel are within you already. Write down your long term aims, where you see yourself in 10 years and how you anticipate achieving those goals.
Should I follow in my parents footsteps? Only follow a career path chosen by family and friends if you feel it would suit you. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another no matter how closely related. If someone you know is following a career path that interests you, look at it closely, use it as a tool for in depth information and advise.
If I change careers will my existing skills be wasted? Many things we learn in one careers can easily be adapted for new situations. Man Management, IT, Customer Care, these are all good examples of transferable skills.
Networking, the benefits and how to do it
Networking is something that we are told is an effective tool for promoting virtually anything including ourselves. How do you go about it when you don’t know who to network with?
Firstly, you need to decide exactly which job you think would suit you. Its important to have a good starting point, this means that when you do find people to network with, you can talk with a genuine interest and passion.
Next, tell anyone who will listen what your plans are, family, friends, the milkman, neighbours. Ask if they know anyone who is currently involved in a similar role and who they are working for, try to get their contact details.
Arrange to meet with the person who is working in a similar role, talk through your plans, ask how they started out. They may not be involved in recruitment for their company, but by showing initiative you start to gather information that will lead you to the Human Resources Department. The person you are speaking with may know the HR Manager and be able to put your name forward for any training schemes or trainee positions.
Target a few companies that you feel you would like to work for, try to establish connections with people already working for the company. They don’t need to be involved in recruitment. Browse the internet to identify contacts, find out as much as you can about them using Google, Bing, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other similar social or business networking sites. Draft a short and friendly email explaining what you are looking for.
Once this connection has been established you can ask if he/she will put forward your details to the Human Resources Department making sure you get the HR Dept contact details so that you can also email them. If a colleague within your own organisation is putting forward someone as a potential employee, the HR Manager will give your email much more attention than it would otherwise receive.
The thing to remember about networking is you need to make it happen, don’t sit around waiting for opportunity to knock it rarely does. If you think that the person you have contacted cant help you, remember a few months down the line, their position may have changed and they might be able to do something for you so keep the contact.
Getting Recruiters Attention
With the constant economic upheaval and general disquiet in todays job market many jobseekers rush CV’s out. Simple details can be missed during this rush and when there are many candidates applying for the same vacancy you need to ensure you stand out. Here are some ideas to get recruiters attention.
Make is easy for them to contact you.
Recruiters like to have several different methods of contact, so put in land-line, mobile phone numbers, email and postal addresses. Double check to make sure you are entering the correct details, it could loose you the opportunity of a lifetime. Have a simple and effective email address: YourName@Hotmail.com is better than jumpingjoeiscrazy@hotmail.com
When responding to employers emails make sure you include the original message string so that the employers know which appointment they gave you and when they have asked you to attend an interview.
Make sure your full contact details are displayed on your CV and are correct, don’t make them hunt around to find them, they may go off the idea of interviewing you.
Be Ready
As Employers make use of CV databases more and more these days, you need to assume that every time your phone rings it could be a potential employer. Answer politely and awake as many small business owners will call late in the evening or early in the morning.
When attending an interview be polite to the Receptionist and the Security staff. Don’t arrive too early or late. Don’t talk to yourself while waiting for the interviewer. In other words don’t do anything that might make employers question your suitability as a candidate.
Keep it positive. If asked why do you want to leave your present employer, it is better to say ‘It’s a small company and I can go as far as I can’, not ‘They are stifling my growth and don’t trust me as a self starter’.
Whilst its good to have a salary guide in your head, remember to look at the bigger picture, is there more scope for promotion, does the package include Private Health Care, or a car. Remember once they have decided you are the best candidate and offered you a position you can do a bit of negotiating.
Keep your CV Fresh
Make sure your CV has a logical name and the name appears up to date. Joescv2007.doc or joesupdatedcv.com probably wont help you. By naming your CV jsmithlandscapeforeman.doc you are telling the potential employer both your name and current position before he even starts to read your CV.
When asked questions about hypothetical situations in an interview try and use the S.T.A.R. technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to tell the story of how you have handled a similar situation before.
Differentiate between your achievements and those of you plus a team. By saying that you completely re designed Hyde Park and finished the job on time and on budget sound boastful. It is better to say that you worked with several others on the design and that a team of 12 landscapers headed by you worked to bring the project in on time and on budget. Emphasis the specific problems you encountered and how you overcame them.
When the interviewer asks 'Do you have any questions?' have some ready. Check over the Do you have any questions information sheet for suggestions.
Make sure the people named as references are aware that you have used them, ask their permission in advance so that when the employer calls to ask about you they are ready for that call. It is also helpful to let your referees know the job you are applying for so that they have some idea of the questions they will be asked about you.
Write a thank you note, even if you do not get the job this time, you may have been their second choice and their first choice candidate might not work out. They will also remember you for the future.
Follow these simple steps to help you get noticed. Employers appreciate candidates who are prepared and it tells them you understand the needs of their company and you can offer solutions.
Do You Have Any Questions?
When being interviewed, this is the question the interviewer asks towards the end of the interview and is possibly the most difficult to answer. Your response to this question shows more insight into your approach to work and your character that you realise. We have some positive responses for you to try.
There is new legislation in the pipeline for our industry. Have you any systems in place to cope with these changes?
This will demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of your chosen industry. However, be prepared for the interviewer to respond with a question such as ‘No we have no systems in place as yet, what do you suggest?’
Who will I report to and what is the current management structure?
It is important to know where you fit in and is a key factor towards negotiating your salary.
You said that the current system will be upgraded. When do you anticipate this change happening?
This shows you are genuinely interested in the role you have applied for, that you have been listening to the interviewer and that you are looking at how the business is running.
Is there an opportunity for expansion within this role?
This question shows are interested in driving the business forward and that you want to succeed. These are great points to highlight.
If applicable to the vacancy you have applied for. Can you tell me the current structure of the team I will be managing?
This demonstrates you are looking at the balance of the current team and the importance of teamwork.
Here are some questions you should try and avoid.
How long do I have to work before getting a holiday?
You are not showing an interest in the position and are already keen to get away from it.
I have forgotten what you said about the team structure. Can you tell me again?
This is one of the worse questions to ask. All the interviewer has learnt is you don’t listen and therefore are unlikely to follow instructions when doing your job.
How much will I get paid?
It is always best to wait until you have been offered the job before discussing salary. The only time you should mention this during the interview is if the interviewer themselves have brought up the subject of pay.
Do I have to work any overtime?
This is a difficult one. You can come across as someone unwilling to work extra hours, but phrased correctly can come across as you the employee just wanting to find out what is expected of you. |