"A guide for anyone seeking employment in Medford Oregon"
This online guide is for anyone seeking employment in Medford Oregon. Although it won't get you a job, it will help you develop a plan, sell your skills to Medford Oregon employers, and shorten your period of unemployment. It addresses some of the challenges you may experience in Medford Oregon job seeking and provides tips on new and effective job search techniques.
In the past few years, the entire process of looking for work in Medford Oregon has changed. There is now increased competition for jobs in Medford Oregon, making the application and interviewing process more complicated and difficult. To be successful in seeking employment, job hunters in Medford Oregon must be aware of the following trends.
HOW THE JOB MARKET HAS CHANGEDIN MEDFORD OREGON
lifelong employment with one organization is less common
workers are required to learn new skills as technologies change
most new jobs are in services and information
organizations are slimming down to smaller staff/work teams
there is a marked increase in temporary employment
job security is considered 3-7 years with the same employer
the average age of workers is rising
Job hunting can be frustrating, yet it can also be a challenging and rewarding experience. It requires knowledge, energy, and commitment.
Unemployment often means more than losing your job. You may experience emotional and financial stress as a result of it. Worse, unemployment may influence relationships with family and friends. The longer unemployment lasts, the greater the stress may become.
TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND STRESS...
DON'T BLAME YOURSELF.
Losing a job is like any other loss. You may feel responsible even though the closing, layoff, or separation was not your fault.
ADJUST YOUR LIFE STYLE.
You may have to live on a reduced income for a while. Decide, with your family, what adjustments need to be made.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY.
Regular sleep, meals and exercise are very important.
COMMUNICATE.
Discuss the situation. You don't have to carry the burden alone. Your family and friends are your support system.
CREATE A SCHEDULE.
Organize your day around the work of finding a job, but set limits. Evenings and weekends should be for relaxation and recreation.
START YOUR NEW JOB IN MEDFORD OREGON.
Looking for a job is a full-time job and the most important thing you can do right now. You are most attractive to other employers when you are first laid off.
Ask anyone who has recently lost a job in Medford Oregon if he/she plans to remain unemployed for a long time and most will answer, "OF COURSE NOT!" Ask if he/she is seriously looking for another job and most will answer, "CERTAINLY!"
Although more than 1,000,000 new job openings occur each month, many job hunters find themselves unable to reconnect quickly. They are qualified and jobs are available. What's the problem?
Those less than apparent reasons that hinder reemployment have little to do with either the job hunter's skills or the labor market. Most are a result of the job hunter's behaviors.
Consider:
At least 40% turn off prospective employers by presenting themselves poorly in appearance and manners.
Approximately 42% are qualified but have difficulty tapping the "hidden job market." This is formally known as Frictional Unemployment.
More than 80% cannot identify or describe their skills and abilities.
Approximately 85% of the long term unemployed do not spend enough time looking for a job. In fact, the majority devote fewer than five hours a week to the job search.
Approximately 90% cannot answer difficult questions during interviews.
We all know that very few people deliberately sabotage their own efforts. Avoiding job search pitfalls is often a simple matter of recognizing them. Now that you know the problems of those who remain unemployed, make sure you don't fall victim to the same mistakes. You must...
present yourself professionally and positively
learn new methods for tapping the "Hidden Job Market"
learn to describe your skills and abilities
approach your job search as if it were a full-time job
learn to anticipate difficult questions and have your responses prepared
Employers in Medford Oregon are people, too, and their jobs often depend on who they hire. Since profit is the bottom line for business, employers in Medford Oregon must ask themselves, "Can this job applicant make or save money for my company?" The decision to hire one person instead of another often hinges on the answer.
To convince an employer that hiring you is a wise investment, you must meet his expectations. While you may not be sure of the specific expectations of an employer, it's not difficult to conclude that, in general, most employers are looking for the same basic characteristics.
For instance, imagine that you are about to hire an assistant, someone to help you look for a job. Consider that this employee will:
be with you eight hours a day
represent you to potential employers
be paid from your future earnings
What kinds of information/impressions will you be looking for during the interview that will help you choose among several applicants? Write down the characteristics you consider important to your hiring decision.
Now choose the three you consider crucial to your final decision.
Compare your hiring criteria to that most frequently cited by employers when asked, "During an interview, what characteristics influence your final decision?"
1. APPEARANCE - Does his/her appearance convey pride in himself/herself and his/her ability to do the job?
Dress - Is his/her attire at least one step above what one would wear on the job?
Grooming & Hygiene - Does he/she project a clean, neat image from head to toe?
Manner - Is his/her behavior/attitude polite, friendly, confident?
Paperwork - Is his/her application and/or résumé neat and complete?
2. DEPENDABILITY - Can he/she be counted on to do the job?
Attendance - Will he/she be at work regularly?
Punctuality - Will he/she report to work on time and return from lunch and breaks on time? Will he/she complete duties timely?
Reliability - Will he/she accept responsibility, follow rules, and learn as much as possible about the job?
3. SKILLS - Does he/she possess the skills or the potential abilities to learn and perform the job? Is he/she willing to learn new skills? Does he/she have experience or related experience?
Are your expectations very different? Although priorities may differ, all employers want basically the same thing..a dependable, neat person who possesses the skills to make or save money for their business. Successful job hunters know that the title, responsibility and years of experience on their last job means less to new employers than their proven ability to "do the job in Medford Oregon."
"If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you're there?"
It's unfortunate that many of us, when we are uncertain, have a tendency to do nothing at all. Just getting started may be the most difficult thing to do when you are unsure of your goals.
Remember...if you can't tell an employer the type of job you want, he can't image how you can help his business. People who ask for "anything" usually end up with nothing.
A good beginning is to decide what you are interested in doing. The Georgia Department of Labor has several assessment tools that can help you identify your interests. You can match these interests to jobs you're qualified to do. If you are unsure of your job goal(s), ask about these assessment tools.
Once you've identified jobs that interest you, you're ready to gather information about those jobs. Following are resources available to find information about the jobs that interest you:
America's Career InfoNet
O*NET Online - Occupational Information Network
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)
The following documents are available by contacting your local GDOL Career Center.
Guide for Occupational Exploration
Georgia Career Information System
As you read about the jobs that interest you, ask yourself the following:
What skills are needed for the job?
Does the job always require experience or special training? If so, can I meet the requirements?
Is this type of job available in my area? If not, am I willing to relocate?
What are the hours/days/shifts normally required for this job? Does my schedule permit this flexibility?
What is the average wage for this job locally? Is it the same range as my previous job? If lower, does it afford higher future earnings?
With a little research, you can begin to match your interests and skills to the requirements of jobs (remember the Skills Triangle?). Talking with someone who knows the local labor market will help you narrow your focus.
Resumes
There are as many "best" résumés as there are people who are willing to advise you. So if you expect the following pages to produce the perfect résumé, you are likely to be disappointed. For résumés, there is no one size/shape that fits all. Each must fit the individual for whom it is tailored.
Perhaps, the easiest way to begin tailoring your résumé is to recognize what a résumé is not.
A résumé is NOT...a three-volume biography, an advertisement, or an artistic event.
Major employers consider an average of 245 résumés for every interview granted. At best, a résumé will get you past the initial screening...and into the interview. At worst, it will provide information that will screen you out.
TYPES OF RÉSUMÉS FOR YOUR MEDFORD OREGON JOB SEARCH
Regardless of the type of résumé you choose, the presentation of your experience, skills, and abilities must support a specific job objective (remember Chapter 5, Establishing Goals). If you have more than one job objective, you will probably need a résumé especially prepared for each.
Using the skills you developed in Chapters 4 and 5, you should be able to begin your résumé by:
stating your job objective/goal clearly and concisely, and describing your experience, transferable and job content skills either in chronological or functional groupings.When you've completed that portion of your résumé, the hardest part is over. The remainder consists of facts:
name
address
phone number(s)
noteworthy achievements/accomplishments
education
Although there are many types of résumés, the most commonly used are the chronological, functional, and combination. Your first step is to decide which of the résumés types will best describe your skills and abilities.
TYPE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES CHRONOLOGICAL
Spells out your work history starting with the most recent employer. Specifies employer names and job titles. Describes duties for each job.
Emphasizes continuity and career growth. Is easy to follow. Preferred by most employers.
Fails to group abilities/skills.
Points out any gaps in employment.
Points out any lack of work experience.
FUNCTIONAL
Clusters experience under major skill areas rather than listing experience under each job. Points out major strengths and abilities.
Is organized to strongly support objective.
Highlights strong points and accomplishments.Is flexible. Eliminates repetition of duties. Is useful for changing careers.
Is often viewed as a way to hide gaps or lack of experience. Is more difficult to prepare.
COMBINATION
Combines elements of both the chronological and functional résumé. It begins with a brief objective, then lists specific skills relevant to the objective, followed by employment history.
Allows writer to avoid listing months and years worked at each job.
Is often not as orderly as other résumés and may be harder to follow.
HELPFUL HINTS For Writing Your MEDFORD OREGON JOBS Résumé
WRITE IT YOURSELF! - You will be better prepared for interviews.
BE RELEVANT! - Everything must directly relate to your job objective.
USE ACTION VERBS! - (See samples in this chapter)
BE POSITIVE! - Emphasize your accomplishments.
BE SPECIFIC! - Document your abilities.
BE ACCURATE! - You will be expected to perform as described.
BE BRIEF! - Use short sentences and action words. Use only one to two pages.
MAKE IT ERROR-FREE! - Have someone check your spelling and grammar.
MAKE IT LOOK GOOD! - Use fine grade paper and laser quality printing.
Résumé Types and Example
IN READING OVER THE RÉSUMÉS, DID YOU NOTICE...
none were more than one page long. Most employers will not take the time to read lengthy résumés.
none provided irrelevant details such as hobbies, height, weight, health, marital status/children. If a fact is not job related, it is not only useless, it may be dangerous.
job/skills descriptions were concise; action verbs were used; information was well organized. Most employers are looking FOR something. If that something is not easy to find and understand, the résumé may be discarded.
all résumés were neat, spell checked, professionally typed, attractively presented and easy to read. Fancy type, exotic paper; photos and other "artistic expression" is overkill and not necessary. the strongest skills and abilities appeared immediately after the objective. references were not listed, but offered upon request. Offering to furnish references is optional.
NOTE: References are people who have favorable opinions of you and who can attest to your work ethic, job content, transferable or self management skills. Remember to contact your references before you supply their names. References are normally not contacted by the employer until after the interview - just prior to the hiring decision.
AVOID RÉSUMÉ MISTAKES
Don't have a résumé longer than two pages. (One is best.)
Don't attach documents. (Diplomas, recommendation letters, transcripts, etc.)
Don't use odd sized paper. (Use standard 8 1/2 by 11.)
Don't include personal irrelevancies.
Don't use complete sentences. (Use action phrases.)
Don't include pictures.
Don't list education first. (unless a recent graduate with limited experience.)
Don't forget accomplishments.
SCANNABLE RÉSUMÉS
Computer technology has rewritten the rules of the job search game to include a new type of résumé. This résumé is the scannable résumé. Just as its name suggests, it is read by résumé scanning software.
How does the scannable résumé differ from traditional résumés? Here are the basic differences:
No frills. Scannable résumés are plain and simple. Use limited boldface, no italic or script text. Limit use of vertical and horizonal lines, no underlining, no special pictures or graphics, and no highlighting or shading.
Use of keywords. Probably the most important difference is that nouns are used keywords instead of the action verbs that liven up so many résumés. Computers search résumés for key-words, not verbs, in an effort to identify which candidate has the background and experience that best fits with the job requirements.
Changes in standard résumé production. For the purpose of making the résumé more "scanner friendly," changes need to be made.
Here are the most basic ones:
Certain fonts are now better than others, including the Helvetica and Arial series.
The use of industry jargon and abbreviations should now be played up instead of avoided.
Résumés should not be folded or stapled.
Telephone area codes should not be placed in brackets.
COVER LETTERS
Once you have created the perfect résumé (for you), the next challenge is getting to the person who makes hiring decisions. The best tool is the cover letter:
A good cover letter....
is addressed to a person (not "to whom it may concern")
personalizes your résumé to a particular employer (and demonstrates that you know something about the employer's business) begins with a strong opening statement (to capture interest)
is short (to hold interest) emphasizes your value as a potential employee (by stressing your skills and accomplishments) enumerates how you meet the job requirements specified, when responding to an ad or job announcement asks for an interview (and leaves the door open for you to recontact the employer)
Since the first sentence is usually the most difficult, we'll get you started with some samples of opening statements and an example of a complete letter.
You will see from my attached résumé that I am skilled in __________ and could be an asset to XYZ Company.
If you are looking for an employee who ________, I believe you will be interested in the attached résumé.
Can you use a ___(job title)___ with the ability to ___(skills)___? I have these talents.
If XYZ Company is on the lookout for a good (job title), you may be interested in my skills and achievements.
My enclosed résumé shows the skills and abilities I can bring to your business.
The cover letter should meet the standards of your résumé...neat, concise, grammatically sound and words correctly spelled.