So You're Looking for a Job!

Regardless if this is your first time looking for a new job or the 100^th time, it never seems to get any easier and in a former position as a hiring Manager I have seen the same mistakes made over and over again. Here is a list of things you should remember when you go out into the workforce to make your mark and things you really should avoid. Please have your Pen ready to take out the following Notes.

Know your strength and weaknesses before you start looking.
Most of us are not in the position in the beginning to make too many demands when it comes to finding a job, but you don't have to put your-self into a position where work becomes a daily torture. Take a piece of paper and draw two columns on the page, then write all the things that interest you and you are good at in one column and all the things you dislike and are bad at in the other. If you for example are afraid of dogs and hate dealing with people, you shouldn't look for a job as a costumer representative or as a clerk in a Pet Store. If on the other hand you talent is cooking or you are great at building things, you may want to try finding a job as a Cook or in Construction. As you see, by finding the things you like and have strength in you have just narrowed your search down quiet at bit. Now make a list of jobs that fit your talents and interests. You may be surprised just how many items will be on this list when you are done.

Know your target pay rate.
This is not the dream pay rate, but the target pay rate. Write down all the bills you need to pay yourself on a monthly basis, include groceries, emergency money, if you smoke make sure to include money for cigarettes, savings and don't forget a little bit extra for yourself and your family if you have one. This is really important, if you don't you will soon hate working more then you normally would. You have to see something for yourself. Now take that amount, divide it by 4 and again by 40. The number is your target Rate per hour. Try to get as close to this Rate as possible on the minimum site and of course you can double it on the plus side if you have a chance.