Practical tips for job searching & the Likeability Factor - Part 6 - You nailed it...or not..but it doesn't end there / Conclusion
Posted on 26 July 2019
Congratulations! You got the job. Now don't blow it!
Finally, your hard work has paid off. You aced the interview and got offered the job. This is the 1st step in a long career that awaits you but there are still many things to consider.
Going forward
Probation can be a stressful time. Make sure you apply yourself. Follow all lawful instructions, meet deadlines, ask for assistance where necessary. This period can also be the opportunity you need to showcase who you are and what you can do. Work hard, stay away from office politics and don’t get drunk at company functions. Be discrete, helpful and friendly. Get that likeability factor high.
Be enthusiastic, learn, upskill and respectful to your bosses and co-workers. If you have a problem, talk to your supervision or HR department.
As you start your career, you are going to find things you love and hate at work. Try and stick it out for 18 months, but not less than a year. That applies to all your roles. That way you will not be perceived as a job hopper. More unconscious bias, but companies do not like investing in staff that are not likely to stay. Sometimes the situation is intolerable, and things do not improve even after you have spoken to your supervisor, but then state this as a reason for leaving on your CV without bad mouthing the company or the people who work there. Own up to your own responsibility too as to why it did not work out. Not necessarily on your CV, but certainly to yourself. Be aware that your responsibility in why it did not work out will more than likely be part of your reference too.
References are important in your career. Do a good job, that way you will build good references.
Company image
You are very much an ambassador for your company, and your personal life can impact on their brand. All you need to do is look on Facebook to see the number of people who were let go for making inappropriate comments, had videos going viral of thoughtless deeds, to see just how real this is. Always keep this in the back of your mind. Even if you don’t say on your profile who you work for, there are people with the skills able to find you, so be discrete
If you did not get the job.....NEVER GIVE UP!
There is a lot of competition out there so your aim is to stand out. You may not have the marks or experience that make a company knock down your door, but they don’t know who you are, your ambition, your ability. The fact that you were not hired could just be that some companies are academic snobs and you did not make the grade. If you should have been hired, but weren’t, that is something you can work with and improve on. It could be about your presentation or experience but it also could be that someone else stood out more than you did. Someone got that job, it just wasn’t you. Go back to the beginning of this guide and start again, following all of the tips and advice given. As previously mentioned, every NO brings you closer to that YES. YOU are not a failure, you just have some difficult odds stacked up against you but the tide has to turn in your favour.
Conclusion
As you have found out, job searching is tough. Now assist others. Also, don't get complacent. Nothing is secure or guaranteed. Keep improving your skills, keep learning new ones.
Selecting recruiters
There are many of us, but not all have the same ethics. Read any contract a recruiting company wants you to sign. Some would like to claim any recruitment fee, lost due to you not showing up or making the grade, from YOU!
Never ever pay any recruiter for finding you a job. Our fee is paid by the company we source for, once we place you. Recruiters charging applicants a fee are chancers and it is also against the law.
Google the recruiter. You will soon identify the good ones
Add them on LinkedIn and follow their posts. Again, the bad ones will make themselves known.
If working with a recruiter, just know that they are doing the best they can. They are marketing you, but there is stiff competition out there, so they won’t always be successful.
As you rise through the ranks, don’t become arrogant. Stay humble and polite. Remember this journey you have just been on. Recruiters will hound you as your experience grows. Don’t be rude. They are just doing their job and trying to earn an honest (mostly) living.
Always maintain your integrity and be mature
If a recruiter has been working with you, be upfront about what you want. So many candidates work with us, go through the process, then after they have received an offer they disappear into the sunset. Not cool! Let the recruiter know you are no longer interested. A mature recruiter will appreciate your honesty.
Pay it forward!
I have spent many hours putting this together because I see so many heartbreaking posts about people battling to find jobs. Share this blog so that others in the same situation can also benefit.
Other ways you can assist
Share job posts on LinkedIn and Facebook
Forward mails you receive regarding opportunities to people
and MY payback? Please refer your friends and colleagues who work within our industry to ME when they start mumbling about finding another job and remember me when you are head of a company one day and need staff :)
Be kind. Be thoughtful and never forget how difficult this journey can be. Karma is taking notes
I would also like to know your success stories. If you have found a job based on what you read /followed in this guide, please do let me know so that I can celebrate with you! Tag me on Facebook or LinkedIn. You can also mail me on info@studio29.co.za
Facebook page Studio 29 - Specialist Recruitment
Studio 29 company page on LinkedIn Studio 29 - Specialist Recruiters
Finally
Not all of the information here is mine. I have tried to write it in my own voice, based on my experience but some of the stuff was just too good to mash it up.
All the very best. I wish you a very successful career!!
Who am I?
My name is Anita Rainier-Pope and I have been recruiting since 2007. My company, Studio 29, is a recruitment boutique in Cape Town, working for clients all over SA. (To know more, see the home page). It has been a long, and sometimes difficult journey, with many highs and some spectacular lows but I love helping people. My greatest joy is when someone lands their perfect job. I wasn't always the one who landed them that job, but I did advise and guide at some point during the process. While I do need to earn a living, a priority is helping where I can, so often I will send a candidate on their way armed with information they need to continue their job search. I have also placed many people in their perfect roles or put them one step closer to their long term goals, and this makes it all worthwhile.
I put together these blogs because of all the desperate job seekers who post about the difficulties they encounter trying to find a job and how their hope was dying. I hope it helps someone!
Have you caught up with the previous related posts?
Part 1 - Practical Ideas for job searching & the Likeability Factor - Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - Practical Ideas for job searching & the Likeability Factor - Part 2 - Preparing your Brand
Part 3 - Practical Ideas for job searching & the Likeability Factor - Part 3 - Preparing your CV
Part 4 - Practical Ideas for job searching & the Likeability Factor - Part 4 - Things you need to know
Part 5 - Practical Ideas for job searching & the Likeability Factor - Part 5 - You have been invited to an Interview