[jsfg_cinti] Get out of your own way in job search

Listserver command info can be found at the end of this file.
_______________________________________________

http://chicagotribune.com/classified/jobs/chi-010717theextramile.story

Get out of your own way in job search
Carol Kleiman
Tribune Jobs Columnist

Why, in a tight employment market, are you having so much trouble finding a
job? Though I often point to insensitive hiring officers as barriers to
employment, there may also be another problem: You.

"Being unemployed still carries a stigma and that may carry over to the job
search," said James F. Fitzgerald, president of his own outplacement and
executive coaching firm in Oakbrook Terrace. "You have to overcome the
inertia and get yourself going." Fitzgerald, who has been in human resources
since 1967 and has a master's degree in industrial relations, has changed
jobs several times over his career. He admits he felt frightened in 1995
when he left his last job. "You have to face up to the reality of looking
for a job and not be traumatized by the prospect," said Fitzgerald, who
started his firm the next year.

Fitzgerald says other barriers include:

Handling rejection: "You have to go through a lot of interviews before you
get a job offer." Getting organized: "Approach your job hunt as a problem to
be solved." Making contacts: "Talk to employers, professional colleagues and
friends. Something will come of it." Being persistent: "Keep on looking. The
percentages eventually will work in your favor." Taking control: "You have
to be the one who makes things happen." Another obstacle is not doing your
homework. "If you don't do your homework, you might not know about mergers
and acquisitions, how they impact the company, how the culture might have
changed and what the new requirements are for the position," said Octavio
Mateo, assistant vice president of strategic staffing at Citibank in
Chicago, now a division of Citigroup, headquartered in New York. Mateo, who
has a master's degree in public administration and has 10 years experience
in human resources, did his homework for his own most recent job search.

"I learned that Citibank had broken away from traditional banking to become
proactive in meeting our clients' financial needs and presented myself with
that in mind." Hired by the bank in 1996, Mateo says he "did a lot of leg
work and used the Internet, particularly corporate Web sites" to do learn
all he could. 

"Find out as much as you can about the company--and don't lose your
confidence," he advises.

Copyright ? 2001, Chicago Tribune

-- jsfg_cinti@xxxxxxxxxxxxx: The Internet Mailing List for the Cincinnati 
JSFG --

Post to: jsfg_cinti@xxxxxxxxxxxxx  (include your real name and email 
address)

- You can unsubscribe from the list by sending email to 
jsfg_cinti-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. 

Web archive: http://www.freelists.org/archives/jsfg_cinti 

Questions to:  jsfg@xxxxxxx

Other related posts: