28 Jul

Getting Back into the Job Market

Posted by in Graduate Jobs in Kenya at July 28, 2012

By Angela Wahome,
So, you’re in the job market, for the first time in a while. Maybe you’ve had a stable career and have just been laid off or had a compelling reason to quit. Maybe you’ve been concentrating on family or school and are now looking to resume your career or you want to earn some extra money.
Regardless of your reasons for being out of the job market, here are three common misconceptions that employers may have about job seekers and some information on how to combat them.

1.Nail down your motivation- First, you need to determine what you want to do. Be sure that you are seeking positions that interests you and that will motivate you. This is one major factor that should dictate your approach to the job search. Try to determine what you are worth; be flexible however, in case the company will not be able to match your old salary.

2. You’re overqualified- If you’ve been in school earning an advanced degree, or have held a higher-paying position than the one you are applying for, employers might think your aspirations lie somewhere else and you will quit as soon as you get the job you are qualified for. Show them they are wrong, by pointing to the other areas of your resume, other than salary and education, which make you a perfect fit for the opening. Our experience has been that it helps to make sure your employers know that they won’t have to match your old salary in order to hire you.
3.You’re obsolete- Being out of the job market for awhile, or working in an industry that is slow to adapt to new technology, might invite the charge that you just won’t be able to adjust to a modern workplace. Dispel this by talking to employers about your ability to learn and your desire to take on new challenges. Reading up on the company or the industry prior to the interview can’t hurt either. On your CV and in your interview put your newest, most cutting-edge knowledge and training first.

4.You’re lazy- This is not something that any employer should ever assume about an applicant who has been out of work for a long time, especially in this economy. However, if your resume has large gaps of time without employment, an HR manager might wonder if you spent that time watching on the couch. Prove them wrong by talking about the projects, civic, and volunteer activities you got involved in while unable to find work and tell them how the skills you acquired during this period of self-directed time, make you an even stronger candidate for the position. Ideally, don’t focus on the past, instead focus on the benefits you can bring to an employer in the future.

5.Market yourself to the employer- Finally, you need to remember that self-promotion is one key to landing the position that you want. That is not easy for most of us to do, but it is necessary when we are applying or interviewing for a position. No one can sell you better than you can. No one knows you better than you do. If you don’t believe in yourself, how can we expect the person doing the hiring to believe in you? You need to exude confidence in your skills and abilities. You need to communicate that you have something to offer the organization that the other candidates cannot. Others may have more degrees than you, but you bring years of experience about how a business operates – things that cannot be learned in a classroom.

Angela is a Recruitment Officer. Corporate Staffing Services. email: angela@corporatestaffing.co.ke. Web address. www.corporatestaffing.co.ke