Ina Teves, Organizational Development Consultant

Ina Teves is an organizational development consultant with a change management firm dedicated to making a difference wherever it goes by journeying with the client through the entire process of organizational transformation. Email your questions to ina.b.teves@gmail.com.

Tips

In recent weeks, many letter-writers have asked for advice on how to improve their chances at landing a job.  Here are some tips:

1. Prepare a clean, accurate, and well-organized curriculum vitae (CV). Your resumé should present very clearly what you can do. Do not use those ready-made biodata forms that you could buy at the bookstore.  Prepare your own. A good CV would include the following headings: Employment History (from most recent going backwards), Education, Professional Qualifications, and Awards.  You may also include, in brief, in your employment history, any special projects you have been part of.  For example, you were part of a productivity improvement team. You don’t need to include your photo, your previous salary, and your references. You could provide these on request.  Also, tailor fit your CV for the job your are applying by emphasizing those traits that would interest the interviewer. A good source for CV formats and more tips is: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/cvadvice/a/cvadvice.htm
2. Try different ways of searching for a job.  You could try an online job search forum like this one. Another venue is the job fair.  When I graduated from college, job fairs were conducted only by universities.  Now, job fairs are organized by local governments and by job search organizations.  Local governments also have an office called PISO that coordinates with employers in their area.  You might also want to try a headhunter or an executive search company and submit your resumé to them. More and more companies also are posting career opportunities on their website.  There also are the classified ads.
3. Know what job you want or at least, know the industry you want to apply with.  The problem with accepting just any job is that no one wants to hire just any person.  Recruitment officers always have a specific person in mind when hiring – no matter how small the job.  At the back of their heads they are asking: “Can this person do the job?  If he can do the job, can he fit in? If he has no experience, will his previous experience enable him to learn the new skills on the job?  Will this person want to work with us?”  Sometimes looking for the right job is like looking for a spouse.  We tend to focus on looking for the right one instead of being the right one.
4. Prepare for your job interview.  Job interviews are like theatre. Dress like you mean business- not like you’re going to a party or to school. Get a good night’s rest.  Eat a good breakfast.  Arrive on time and alone. Please don’t arrive with a friend who’s not applying – or your mom. Don’t take coffee or anything that makes you jumpy. Rehearse likely questions and answers in your head. Rehearse the way you greet the person interviewing you, the way you shake hands, the way you stand and the way you sit. Try answering some of the interview questions on this site: http://www.nhlink.net/employme/frequent.htm
5. Show you are interested in the organization and in the job.  Prepare some questions of your own.  What is the job like? What department is involved? Do they have a brochure about the company, its history and its products? Many companies now have websites.  You might want to check them out before going to your interview.
6. Write a thank you letter.  One way to stand out from among the many job searches is to write a formal thank you letter to the interviewer and send it the day after the interview. There are many good sample letters on the web.
7. If in the meantime, you could not find work, enroll in short courses or seminars to boost your knowledge.  You might find people in those seminars who might need someone like you. Get involved also in community activities in your church or your barangay or your alma mater. This not only helps you gain experience, but expands your network. Show that you are a committed person who sees the task through.  Someone is bound to sit up and take note.

Good luck favors the well-prepared!

All the best,