The Place Of Preparation In The Pursuit Of Your Dream Job

For readers who have followed my blog for quite some time, you will observe I have written a couple of posts about job hunting over the last few years, providing job seekers with the requisite resources that will come handy in the pursuit of their dream jobs. Unemployed graduates have been of major concern to me since I have found myself in this situation time and again, and never found it funny. My focus in this post is to drum home the absolute necessity for thorough preparation when job hunting. It was Benjamin Franklin who aptly noted, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

           

Scores of unemployed graduates are focused on submitting job applications and getting invited for job interviews with hopes of landing their dream jobs. This is well and good. However, there is also the tendency to while away time while on a job hunting drive. Many unemployed graduates simply hope that their efforts at landing jobs will one day pay off; they will receive a job offer some day. 

            

Some are crippled by a sense of frustration, disappointment, failure, shame and hopelessness in the face of exerting considerable amounts of efforts with nothing to show. There are also those who wile away time watching television, socializing and basically engaging in a variety of entertaining activities. For these two classes of people, many opportunities may pass by without their notice and for those that come to their notice, their lack of preparation disqualify them. Talk of the job seeker who has submitted a couple of job applications and who get shortlisted for an interview but simply flops as a consequence of a lack of preparation prior to the interview.

            

Think also of the job seeker who successfully sails through the recruitment process and is offered his or her dream job but is fired within the probation period because of unsatisfactory performance. You certainly do not want to be found in any of these unpalatable circumstances. An incisive mind once noted, “Success happens when opportunity meets preparation.” I will be sharing briefly on two major fronts of preparation unemployed graduates should consider while in pursuit of their dream jobs.

Continually prepare for interviews

As a job seeker on a job hunting drive, one of your preoccupations ought to be ensuring that you are adequately prepared for job interviews. It is great to commence making preparations upon receiving an invitation for a job interview and by all means, do so. However, it is even greater and better to be in perpetual readiness for job interviews. You perhaps might have had occasions where you were invited for an interview on short notice and consequently had to make some kind of preparation with alacrity for such an ‘impromptu’ interview. There is a way ill-preparedness affects your confidence level and delivery - performance at interviews and you certainly don`t want to blow your opportunity to make a positive first impression on your interviewees.

            

There have been occasions where I ironed my attire in anticipation of an invitation to a job interview. You should have your necessary documentation such as CVs and photocopies of your certificates ready and neatly packaged. Work on building your confidence and sharpening your interviewee skills. Get online and download videos, audios and PDF`s on the subject matter of job interviews. While your colleagues are whiling away time, consume these materials, learning and practicing. Research and read around the kinds of your jobs you have applied for and the kinds of jobs you desire to have. Google searches will be helpful in this regard. Acquaint yourself adequately with the content of your CV.

            

Attend relevant seminars, conferences, and workshops. And where you have the funds, enroll for relevant short certificate courses. These will not only broaden your knowledge and sharpen your skill-set but will also give you an added advantage - enrich your CV, thus making you more competitive.

           
Upon being shortlisted for a job interview, it will also serve you well to research about the company that seeks to recruit you and the job description of the vacancy you seek to fill. These may come handy in the course of the interview.

Continually prepare for your appointment            

For some, as soon as the interview is over, their minds go to sleep. In other words, preparation comes to a halt. They simply wait in hopes of being offered the job for which they interviewed. That is a mistake. Preparation must continue. Wondering what you ought to prepare about at this stage? Well, you definitely need to access as much information as you can about the job. Do a Google search about the role and access videos of same at places such as Youtube. Many people have imbibed a variety of skills and competencies through these avenues.

Some have learned to code while others have learned certain recipes that have made a marked difference in their chosen fields. Of course, you will most likely be given some amount of orientation and training upon receiving a job offer but it will be to your credit and in your best interest to do personal preparation for your new role. The bottom line is this: prepare for your role in anticipation of being offered the role. The reality is that every professional ought to be committed to continual learning; life-long learning is critical for excellence at your place of work.

Written by Daniel Dela Dunoo

(Freelance writer/editor, blogger & published author)

Email: dudelda3@yahoo.com / danieldeladunoo@gmail.com

Blog: http://danieldeladunoo.blogspot.com / http://theroyalwordsmithgh.wordpress.com