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Job-seeking tips backed by actual
research
What's this?
DEAR READERS: Save for some personal anecdotes, there is often
little research to back up most career advice. Dr. Richard H.
Price's words of wisdom are different. For the last 20 years,
he's interviewed thousands of jobseekers to learn what does and
doesn't work (no pun intended). Price is a professor of
psychology and a research professor in the Institute for Social
Research at the University of Michigan.
Why is his research so important? Job loss is a tremendously
ego-busting trauma, which can linger long after the job loss
itself. Getting back on your feet takes planning and direction,
which is why I recently interviewed him on some important
revelations about jobseekers.
WW: What is the most surprising finding in your research with
jobseekers?
PRICE:Nobody taught us how to really search for a job while we
were in school. And yet, with a ray of hope about job prospects
and an inventory of their marketable skills, jobseekers should
feel more optimistic about the job search process.
WW:What are some of the biggest obstacles for the average
jobseeker to overcome?
PRICE:Planning for the setbacks that will inevitably occur in a
job search; economic strain; a cascade of other stressors that
come from being short of money; marital and family stress;
feeling like you are the only one in that spot; depression and
despair; uncertainty about staying in the same line of work or
not; knowing how to approach prospective employers, etc.
WW: Have you found any differences between people who were laid
off or who were fired?
PRICE: Not really. Often it is difficult for the person to even
know whether he has been laid off or fired. Employers much
prefer to do a layoff rather than a confrontation and
firing.
WW: What is the key to overcoming unemployment?
PRICE: No single key, but the crucial ingredients include:
using job information from your personal social network, doing
an inventory of your marketable skills (you have many more than
you think); do information interviews with lots of potential
employers - not asking for a job, but learning as much as you
can about the potential employer and planning for setbacks.
Everyone experiences some "no's" before the "yes."
WW: If you had a magic wand, based on your research, what would
you change?
PRICE:All job search programs would involve genuine social
support from skillful trainers, active learning and
role-playing, practical tips and always-positive
encouragement.
Unemployed people seeking jobs are often fragile and need
positive genuine support as well as tried-and-true techniques
for the search.
WW: Have you identified any differences between people who are
successful and who are not successful at getting a job?
PRICE:Yes, people who can give concrete, specific past examples
of how they overcame a workplace challenge when being
interviewed (by a potential employer) - who are also upbeat,
confident and know their marketable skills - are most
successful.
Almost everyone who's ever lost a job knows that it's a blow to
your self-worth.
The trick is to make sure you're armed with a fallback plan to
survive unemployment, an inventory of your personal skills,
and, as Dr. Price says, a good positive outlook when
interviewing with a future employer, who's looking for a
go-getter, not a sad sack.
by Dr. Richard H. Price - 2007
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Source:
http://www3.kitsapsun.com/news/2005/apr/13/job-seeking-tips-backed-by-actual-research/?printer=1/
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