http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/06/11/if-i-can%e2%80%99t-do-that-then-i%e2%80%99m-worthless/ Fri, 24 May 2013 19:36:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/06/11/if-i-can%e2%80%99t-do-that-then-i%e2%80%99m-worthless/comment-page-1/#comment-46688 Welred Tue, 12 Jun 2012 22:58:31 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/?p=13059#comment-46688 Heather (and anyone else out there looking for a job): when you're looking for a job, you CANNOT rely on the computer. A tiny percentage of jobs are found online. The NUMBER ONE way to find a job is still personal contact. Yes, you should certainly spend some time searching and applying online, but that is NOT the best way to find a job. Once you're done with the computer search and it's only 10AM, GET YOURSELF OUT OF THE HOUSE and meet people. How? Join a club, go for a walk, play a sport, volunteer -- do anything to get in contact with other people. In particular, try to interact with other people in such a manner that they can form valid opinions about your character and qualities. THAT's what gets you a job -- when a decision-maker, or someone who knows the decision-maker -- can honestly say "yeah, I know Heather, I worked with her on a volunteer project and she was able to manage the entire project on her own and got it done on time and in great shape." Just playing sports is a great technique -- people get to see how you act in a competitive situation or a team situation and get to form opinions about how you might be to work with. One of the big advantages of these situations is that you don't have to self-identify as "unemployed" -- maybe you are, maybe you aren't. DO NOT immediately let everyone know you're unemployed and need a job. Rather, just engage in the activity and then, at some point -- probably if you're asked what you do -- THEN you tell people that you're unemployed. Now you have a group of people who like you and personally know you're qualities ready and willing to consider you or recommend you to others for a job. Yes, playing sports while you are unemployed is more likely to get you a job than spending all day on the computer. Employment is still primarily driven by personal connections and the computer will never replace that reality. Try it -- get out there and let people get to know you. This works. Good luck. Heather (and anyone else out there looking for a job): when you’re looking for a job, you CANNOT rely on the computer. A tiny percentage of jobs are found online. The NUMBER ONE way to find a job is still personal contact. Yes, you should certainly spend some time searching and applying online, but that is NOT the best way to find a job. Once you’re done with the computer search and it’s only 10AM, GET YOURSELF OUT OF THE HOUSE and meet people. How? Join a club, go for a walk, play a sport, volunteer — do anything to get in contact with other people. In particular, try to interact with other people in such a manner that they can form valid opinions about your character and qualities. THAT’s what gets you a job — when a decision-maker, or someone who knows the decision-maker — can honestly say “yeah, I know Heather, I worked with her on a volunteer project and she was able to manage the entire project on her own and got it done on time and in great shape.” Just playing sports is a great technique — people get to see how you act in a competitive situation or a team situation and get to form opinions about how you might be to work with. One of the big advantages of these situations is that you don’t have to self-identify as “unemployed” — maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. DO NOT immediately let everyone know you’re unemployed and need a job. Rather, just engage in the activity and then, at some point — probably if you’re asked what you do — THEN you tell people that you’re unemployed. Now you have a group of people who like you and personally know you’re qualities ready and willing to consider you or recommend you to others for a job. Yes, playing sports while you are unemployed is more likely to get you a job than spending all day on the computer. Employment is still primarily driven by personal connections and the computer will never replace that reality. Try it — get out there and let people get to know you. This works. Good luck.

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