What it all boils down to...
Although I agree that ambition, references, job history and interview skills are all important obstacles to tackle before a job seeker is able to land a job, I think that some are harder to accomplish than others. Interview skills can be improved and showing ambition and drive can be conveyed by thinking of an answer before hand, but it may take a lot more work to fix a bad job history or try to make connections with people in order to gain better references.There is definitely a difference between a bad job history and no job history. Although it seems like everyone I know has had a part-time job sometime or another, there are people who are entering the job market in their early twenties. If I were an employer, I would much rather hire someone who has no actual work experience, but was involved in community service, over an applicant who hopped around from one job to another or was fired.
I think that references go hand in hand with job history. All of my references are past employers, so because I have a solid job history, I have good references to use from my previous jobs. But if you are struggling to find good job references, my suggestion would be to look reevaluate people you know, or try to join clubs or interest groups that could connect you to someone in your industry. So my advice to people entering the job field is that you should always be careful about your job history because although three months in one job felt like forever to you, to your next employer, it looks like you can't stick to your commitments.
Posted by Suzanne on 11/17/2008 05:00:00 PM
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1 Comments:
It is SO key that you never leave a job on bad terms; those references are invaluable as you seek employment later on in life. I have never quite understood the method of quitting a job when someone storms out after causing a scene and throwing out more curse words than most people hear in a rap song. The connections we make at our current jobs are ones that can always stand to benefit us in the future, and it is vital to remember that when times get tough and you put your two weeks notice in. Though you may hope to never see that boss again, their honest opinion can make or break your future hiring potential.