drawing of booksModule 1 – Unit 3:  Reading & Vocabulary

Organizing Your Job Search

Think About It  

How do you usually organize your job search when you begin to look for a job? How can you organize your time when looking for a job?

Read the article below and answer the questions that follow .

Successful Job Searching

Choosing Your Career
According to Marty Nemko, a well-known career expert, most people are happy with their jobs if:

  • they can use their best abilities.
  • their job isn’t too easy or too difficult.
  • they like their co-workers and their boss.
  • they are satisfied with their salary.
  • they have a work schedule that suits them.
  • they don’t have a long commute.

He suggests that people looking for work consider these criteria when choosing a job, especially if they are older than twenty.

Organizing Your Job Search
Once you know your job goal, you can get started looking for work. Here are some tips for a successful job search:

Set weekly schedules. Organize your days like normal work days. Decide how much time you will need each week to do the following tasks.

    • find companies and job openings
      • do research about jobs
        • make contacts
        • follow up with contacts

        Schedule at least one task outside of your home every day. This will help you keep your energy level high and get you out into the community.

        Keep a job search notebook—on your computer or in an actual notebook. Record all of your activities, appointments, and your next steps. If you do this, you will be able to see your progress and keep track of your work.

 

Adapted from:
“A contrarian approach to finding career contentment”. www.martynemko.com/pub/articles/Nemko’srules.shmtl. Retriev ed 9/4/ 04.
Career Development eManual. www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca. Retriev ed 9/4/ 04.


Here is an example of a chart you can use to record your job search information:

Contact Name, Phone Number, & Address

Company Name, Address, Phone/FAX numbers, email address

Dates of Contact

Information You Learned

Follow- up Dates

         
         
         

Questions About Reading

Look over the reasons that people are happy with their jobs in the first part of the reading. Which reasons are most important to you? List the reasons below. Then r ank them in importance from 1- 6:   (1=the most important, 6=the least important).

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