Employment

By James Harvey Stout (deceased). This material is now in the public domain. The complete collection of Mr. Stout's writing is now at http://stout.mybravenet.com/public_html/h/ >

 

 

Jump to the following topics:

  1. Choosing a career.
  2. The resume.
  3. The job interview.
  4. Relations with people at the job site. 
  5. Promotions and raises.

Choosing a career. Some tips:

  1. For help in selecting a job field, we can use aptitude tests and employment counselors (at schools, state employment offices, and private agencies).
  2. To get a closeup view of the field, talk to people who are doing it -- and, if possible, spend some time at a job site, observing the operations (as a guest, a volunteer, or a temporary apprentice).
  3. We can consider for these factors in a career-field:
    • Salary potential (including benefits).
    • Day-to-day duties (i.e., the tasks which we will be doing, as compared to a glamorized idea regarding the career).
    • Job security (including the possibility that this career-field will not exist in the future).
    • Hours and days (which might not be 9-to-5, Monday through Friday).
    • Intellectual requirements (which might require the brain of a rocket scientist).
    • Physical demands (which might include heavy lifting, repetitive stresses, etc.).
    • Environment (e.g., outdoors, an office, solitude in a cubicle).
    • Potential for promotion and advancement.
    • Possibility for psychological rewards -- enjoyment, fulfillment, challenge, etc. If the job offers these qualities, we will be naturally motivated to succeed -- and we won't want to dump it all after a couple of years.

The resume. Some tips:

  1. Limit the length of the resume to one or two pages. We need to give enough information to attract attention -- but a wordy resume has two disadvantages:
    • Employers will be less likely to read it at all.
    • The excess information might contain something which causes the resume to be rejected.
  2. Choose the best kind of resume for your job field and your work history:
    • The "chronological resume" is a list of jobs in chronological order, starting with the most recent one and then going backward from there. The information includes the company name, job title, dates of employment (e.g., 5/14/95 to 6/18/96), and an explanation of our duties.
      • Advantages: It is simple to write.
      • Disadvantages: It clearly reveals:
        • Periods when we were not employed
        • Previous jobs which were unrelated to the one for which we want to apply.
    • The "functional resume" is a list of our skills, with a description of each. This kind of resume does not include dates of employment, and it might not include the names of the companies where we have worked.
      • Advantages:
        • It focuses on the skills which are relevant to the position which we are seeking.
        • It allows us to exclude jobs which were not relevant to this job, and jobs for which we would not receive a recommendation (perhaps because we were fired).
      • Disadvantages: Some employers are skeptical of this type of resume, because they know that we might be hiding information about previous jobs.
  3. Select the information for the resume:
    • Information to include: our name, address, phone number, foreign languages, military service, membership in professional associations, licenses, accreditation, and education (which is very important in a resume if we have little or no work experience, or if we have a master's degree or higher). In the description of our work experience, we mention:
      • The job title. For example, sales manager.
      • Explanation of the job. What were our responsibilities?
      • Accomplishments. For example, we increased sales by 400%.
    • Information to exclude: personal references, salary requirement, controversial data (such as membership in particular clubs or churches), our inadequacies, and particular information about previous jobs (salary, supervisor's name, or your reason for leaving).
  4. Consider the aesthetics of the resume. Use high-quality paper, a flawless photocopy, and a conservative appearance (white or off-white paper, with no illustrations or fancy borders).
  5. Use a cover letter. This one-page letter grabs the interest of the employer so that he or she will want to read the resume. Some tips for the cover letter:
    • Address the resume to a specific person at the company (not just the "Personnel Director"); if you don't know the name, call for that information.
    • Show some personality and confidence.
    • Say that you will call the employer within a few days for an interview.

The job interview. Some tips:

  1. Be knowledgeable about the company. At a minimum, we should have a basic awareness of the types of products or services which are offered by this company.
  2. Dress conservatively, and appropriately for this type of job.
  3. Be enthusiastic, and interested in the job.
  4. Be likable and friendly, with a firm handshake and warm eye contact. Make the interview pleasurable and engaging for the person. Employers hire people whom they (and the other employees) will enjoy being around.
  5. Say that you want the job, and ask for a definite decision that you have been hired. If the boss says that he or she will make a decision later, send a follow-up letter as soon as you get home; reiterate your interest, and add any other information about your qualifications.
  6. Don't ask about the salary until after you have been offered the position.

Relations with people at the job site.  

  1. The new job. Some tips:
    • Keep a low profile as you learn the skills, the conduct, and the "pecking order" (and other aspects of office politics).
    • Be friendly. But respect people's right to "check you out" before accepting you into the established order. And don't join a clique until you know which ones have influence and esteem within the company.
    • Be eager to learn. Prove that you will do your share of the work.
    • Be willing to accept a certain amount of "initiation" -- which might include menial tasks or teasing; these small indignities are tests to see whether we respect the status quo and its leaders. (However, we don't have to accept any type of "hazing" which is severe or prolonged.)
  2. Office politics. Office politics exists in every job in the form of power, competition for promotions (and the boss' favor), and information (and gossip) about other employees and the company. Regardless of your feelings regarding office politics:
    • Indicate respect for the power structure (the official one and the actual one); our ranking within it depends on our appearance of cooperation.
    • Be aware of the people who have power; they are the ones who advise and spend time with the boss.
    • Know the company's "culture" -- its values and rituals.
    • Stay abreast of office news and rumors by talking to peers, secretaries, and other sources.
  3. Relations with the boss. Some tips:
    • Learn about the boss' priorities and values regarding the job. For example, the boss might value perfectionism, or quickness, or competitiveness (or cooperation).
    • Learn about the boss' expectations regarding your personality. For example, some bosses demand strictly professional interactions; others are casual and friendly.
    • Learn about the boss' career goals. We are usually rewarded if we help the boss to succeed in his or her career.
    • Be aware of the boss' outside interests (hobbies, sports, etc.).
    • When there is a dispute with the boss, never speak about the problem to his or her boss (except in extremely serious matters, e.g., criminal activity).
  4. Social aspects of the job. This is not just for "fun"; adequate social skills are essential for success. We won't go far without support and cooperation from co-workers. Some tips:
    • Within a degree of leeway, follow the norms of attire, jargon, subjects of conversation, and casualness or formality of manner.
    • Use etiquette. And say "please" and "thank you."
    • Try to remember the names of people you meet; keep a written record, if necessary.
    • Don't act like you are better than anyone in skill, talent, or personal qualities.
    • Know the dividing lines among office friendships, office romances, and sexual harassment.
    • Realize that in most workplaces, employees (and their boss) seek a measure of "family atmosphere"; they want a feeling of belonging and acceptance, and they are willing to be sociable and warm in order to create that environment.
  5. Teamwork on the job. Bosses and co-workers appreciate "team players" -- people who contribute to the overall effort of the department or company. (Loners are generally distrusted, disliked -- and discharged.) However, even though we are team players, we know that our own career advancement is our ultimate (though secret) goal -- as it is for everyone else. To present yourself as a team player:
    • Be enthusiastically cooperative.
    • Express happiness for co-workers who achieve.
    • Give credit to "the team" whenever there is success. Paradoxically, our humility is rewarded: we receive credit for the success and also for our teamwork.

Promotions and raises. Some tips:

  1. Keep a weekly diary of your achievements (e.g., new skills, or an increase of productivity and profits).
  2. Have "visibility," so that the boss and other officials will know about your accomplishments:
    • Write a memo to the boss when you complete a particularly significant task.
    • Volunteer for high-profile projects which are likely to be successful.
  3. Let the boss know that your eventual goal is to achieve a higher position. (Otherwise, the boss might assume that you are content in your current position.)
  4. Prepare for the new position by acquiring the skills which would be required there. We can learn those skills in our current position, or in college classes.
  5. If you are unlikely to be promoted in your current department, consider transferring to a different department (or a different company.)
  6. Don't feel that you must seek advancement at all. There is nothing wrong with being satisfied in our current position and not desiring the increased responsibilities and pressure which would occur at a higher tier; for example, many salespeople enjoy sales work -- but their success is rewarded by a promotion to sales management, where they are unhappy because they can no longer do the sales work.

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