One out of 10 Americans is unemployed, and millions are languishing in jobs they don't like. The typical approach: Send a resume, hopefully get an interview, and passively answer questions while the interviewer reads your resume.
But there is much more to finding a job, and those who understand key tactics dramatically improve their chances of not simply landing a job, but getting one they really want.
"Many people rely almost solely on their resume to do the talking,'" says Jim Beqaj. "They allow themselves to be defined by a piece of paper and answers to standard questions and have no real plan to sell themselves, or to ensure they're even looking for the right job for them. Despite the economy, people are getting jobs, good jobs, every day, and there's a reason why some do, and others don't, and credentials and experience are only part of the reason."
Beqaj has developed a simple yet insightful job search IQ test that identifies exactly how prepared you are as job-seeker, and assesses your plan to find an employer who is the perfect fit for you.
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for each question, with 10 being "Absolutely!" and 1 "Not at all."
1. Careful and honest assessment of your strongest and weakest areas is essential in both searching for the right job and performing well in interviews. A personal balance sheet helps you find common denominators in the things you enjoy most and least and clearly identifies your strengths is a must. Are you able to easily articulate your "good at" list and do you have solid evidence to back up it up?
2. Getting a job is great, but finding one that doesn't match your personality ultimately leads to unhappiness. Do you have a plan to find a company and people where your personality type will be a good fit?
3. There is no such thing as a job without conflicts. Satisfaction and happiness with a job can be greatly affected by the manner in which you prefer to handle conflicts, and the way others resolve conflicts. Do you really know your preferred style of resolving conflicts?
4. Figuring out whether a company and job is right for you is determined by assessing whether a company is made up of people with whom you're compatible and a company culture in which you will thrive. Are you prepared to interview the interviewer by asking questions that will provide the information you need to determine this?
5. Revealing who you really are in an interviewer; your passions, strengths, attitude and personality will impress an interviewer and also help determine whether a job is really right for you.
Do you have a personal infomercial' - your compelling pitch and presentation that sells you and makes you irresistible to an employer?
6. Passion, enthusiasm, and energy can trump experience. Most employers ultimately want people who love what they do and exude a positive, compelling, and powerful attitude, brimming with passion. Are you prepared to present yourself in a manner that will overcome any potential shortfalls in experience and put you at the top of the list of applicants?
7. Sending resumes out blindly to a general category of businesses in your field or matching your college degree is a mistake. Narrowing your list of companies to ones with the highest probability of success in terms of where you are both wanted and needed saves time, reduces frustration, and makes you a well-oiled job-seeking machine. Have you identified your Target Rich Environment' - companies who want you and need you, with the type of work, people and culture in which you will excel?
How do you rate on the job search IQ test?
If you scored between:
o 55 to 70 - Congratulations! Odds are you will land an ideal job with a company that best fits you!
o 40 to 54 - You're in a good position. A few tweaks to your approach and additional ammunition and you're good to go!
o 30 to 53 - Well, you're in a better position than some job seekers but your search system needs a lot if improvement.
o 15 to 29 - Revamp your approach immediately! The odds of landing the right job at the right company for you are not good.
o 0 to 14 - Warning! Warning! Warning! Change your entire approach to your job search. You may get some type of job, but it will not be the right one for you!
Visit www.beqajinternational.com/perfectemployer to watch helpful videos related to each of the questions.
Jim Beqaj began his career in investment banking in 1977 with the investment banking firm Wood Gundy and at age 37, ended up president of CIBC Wood Gundy after WG was purchased by CIBC. He subsequently worked as vice chairman of the Bank of Montreal and co-founded an Internet-based IPO company, Baystreetdirect.com. In 2002 he founded Beqaj International, Inc, providing recruiting, coaching, and business consulting services. How to Hire the Right Employer is available for purchase at all major online bookselling outlets. Beqaj's web site is
beqajinternational.com and his blog is at jimbeqaj.blogspot.com/
Current Issue - May 2024