Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job Read Online Free PDF Page A

outcome.
    Another emotional obstacle new job-seekers often face is the feeling that they’re somehow essentially unqualified. You are valuable, and so are your work and time. If you don’t believe this, then you really need to stoplooking for a job and start looking for some self-confidence. Being a novice is nothing to be ashamed of; everyone has to start somewhere.
    A successful job hunt is the intersection of TWO searches: someone looking for the right job and someone looking for the right person to do a job. If you’re having trouble seeing your value in this equation, remind yourself that you are not looking for a favor or handout. In fact, once you’re in the right job, you’ll be the one doing the employer a favor. Yes, you heard me. You’re doing him a favor—even though he’s paying you. Of course, you should never act that way in an interview or at the office, but still: The employer has a job to get done and a problem to solve, and if you’re the right person for the job, you’re solving it. In short, you’re a hot commodity!
Value Your Inexperience
    It is true that recent graduates and young job seekers without extensive track records in the work world pose a certain risk to employers—but, especially in a troubled economy, the benefits may outweigh the risks.
    When you hear about widespread layoffs, keep in mind that many of the jobs cut are expensive, senior-level positions. At a difficult time when he’s likely to be short-staffed, a smart employer may leap at the chance to hire an ambitious, reliable, and enthusiastic young person at an entry-level salary.
    Even during flat-out hiring freezes, there are things you can do. Be proactive: Freelance, temporary, and part-time opportunities abound in bad economies. Be open-minded, too: You may have to consider options you wouldn’t have thought about in better times, even as temporary measures—sharing housing, moving home, relocating for better opportunities.
    Besides your youth, energy, and flexibility, you have another great asset: You’re cheap. (But please don’t tell your mother I said that …)
Act the Part
    When I moved to France for a job, I knew I wouldn’t understand everything, so I made an executive decision: I would say “yes” if asked a question to which I didn’t know the answer. I wanted to be positive. When I was confused, I did not hesitate or panic; I replied with a resounding
“OUI.”
True, I ended up with a savings account I didn’t discover for years and had a few other minor mishaps, but having an answer made me feel better. A friend without a sense of direction has a “take a left” policy, chosen for her political leanings. Whenever she isn’t sure whether to take a right or a left, she takes a left. Fifty percent of the time, she has to turn back, but she always feels in control and purposeful.
    DO YOU NEED FURTHER TRAINING?
    Do the jobs you’re interested in require skills or credentials you wish you had? Worry not. Through the network you develop, you’ll start getting them, or the equivalent—to the extent that it’s possible—through mentorships, internships, or volunteer opportunities. I mean, if you can’t sing, it’s nice to have a fantasy about being a rock star, but it isn’t going to happen. You can save it for karaoke night, start taking singing lessons, or decide to pursue a career on the business side of music.
    List the top three skills you need to do your fantasy job. Which ones, if any, do you already have? What do you need to do to develop the others? Can you afford to take time to do an internship or volunteer to get some of the skills and experience you need? If you can’t, figure out what you can do on nights and weekends: courses, seminars, volunteering.
    The lesson here is that no matter how unsure you feel, you’re going to act confident and decisive. When someone asks you what kind of job you’re looking for, you will not say, “I don’t really know, do you have any ideas?”