2. People who have gotten jobs in the past 15 years:
- 35% learned about the job from someone
- 30% contacted their present employer directly
- 14% answered a want ad
- 6% were referred by a private employment agency
- 5% were referred by a state employment agency
- 2% took civil service tests
- 8% other methods
When applying for a job I would take my Resume directly to the employer. These stats make sense because most people hear about jobs from friends who make be trying to get the same job. I think most teenagers go into the business that they want to work at and give the employer their resume personally.
3. Yes, the quote makes sense to me. The more leads there is for a job the more competition there is to actually get the job. When there is less leads there is less competition making it easier for the applicant to get the job.
4. Traditional search methods that do not work well:
- ads in newspapers- because the ad could be seen by quite possibly hundreds of people the competition for the job would be quite high and the chances for a single applicant becomes less and less.
- employers are looking for applicants that match their specialized field of the job- If you do not have a certain skill and they have many more Resumes to look through they will not spend the time and money to train you for the job.
- only 5-24 job seekers will get a job through employers- because of all the Resumes that are sent to the employer the job applicant has to all the skills and background that the employer wants exactly or else they would not get the job.
- Sending out Resumes- the chance off the applicant who sends their resume is 7%. I suppose the employer does not want to spend time to read all sent Resumes.
5. "A network is an informal group of people who have something in common." When you are looking for a job having a network can help your chances. They are like contacts, one person might know someone who could get you into a interview for a job you want.
6. Building a personal network is important, like I said in question 5, someone might know someone who can help you get the job you want.
7. People or groups that you can utilize in your personal network:
- family, friends, neighbours
- social acquaintances
- people you have worked with
- customers
- people who sold you or your company
- church
- parents of your children's friends
- trade groups
- alumni groups
- social club members
- health club members
- PTA members
- classmates
- teachers
- anybody you wrote a check to
- lawyer, real estate agent, accountant
- dry cleaner
- politician
- friends whom you served in the military
- volunteers
- parent's friends
- doctor
- dentist
- insurance agent, stock broker, travel agent
8. Networking is getting information that might help you get a job. To get introductions to companies that you may want a career in.
9. 6 rules for networking:
- get started - set up a meeting: This is probably to make sure the person will want to talk to you and listen to what you have to say. This makes sense because you have to meet the person to have them give you information.
- present yourself well: First impressions are important, if you show up and at like you are not listening to the person you are meeting they will not be happy to share their information with you. But if you acted politely and listens they will be happy to share.
- learn something: When you set up this appointment you are expecting to get information even when what they are saying might not be helpful to you now it could come in handy later on.
- get 2 referrals: Having people that know you and will back you up are important for building you network. Having people who know people who know you will help you expand your network.
- follow up on the referrals: If someone refers you, you should follow up on it as soon as possible because that shows you have interest. If the person took the time to refer you, it means they think you would do well in that that sort of job and if you do not follow up it is being slightly rude.
- send thank you notes: After someone has taken time to help you, it a nice gesture to send a card to thank them. It shows you appreciated their time.
10.
-Don't worry about having something clever to say. The person is not judging you over your small talk, they want to know if you are right for the job and that's all.
-Handling crowds. To make sure you do not barge into a private conversation between people use phrases like "May I join you or is this a private conversation."
-Help people remember your name. It's awkward for both you and the interviewer if they have to ask your name again. The interviewer can be listening to you perfectly, but your name may have slipped their mind. It is best if you repeat your name in the beginning of the interview and again later on.
-Spend at least 5 min. with everyone you meet. Five minutes is a nice amount of time that you can talk to someone without making them feel rushed or awkward because you are still talking to them.
-Spend 80% of the time listening. If you just yapper on and on and the interviewer cannot get a word in edgewise that is a bad sign. You should sit there and listen to them, this shows you are interested in what they are saying.
-Keep business card in a pocket. This is when they ask you for your card to contact you, but you have to spend 10 minutes rummaging through your purse or wallet looking for the card. If you can produce it promptly it shows you are efficient.
- Depart Gracefully. Make sure you know the status of the person you are talking to. If they are high up use a line like this, "I don't want to monopolize your time i know there are a lot of people here who want to speak to you." A good exit can be remembered and help you get a job.
I think some of these points can help people my age. Like depart gracefully, it is always good to be respectful to the interviewer, listening is a great way to show interest in the person. Another good point to follow is entering a group politely without seeming like you are barging in. Some of these points are a little bit beyond teenagers, I do not think many teens carry around business cards to promptly whip out to the interviewers.
