Be Mindful

It’s a stressful time for everyone.  This situation that we find ourselves in is completely unprecedented, and the unknown the future holds just amplified that stress.  It is so hard to not completely panic and be crippled by anxiety, but you have to stay mindful and keep focused. 

If you are a job seeker, it is especially important that you stay mindful and focus on your goals.  Often job seekers appear to be procrastinating about getting their CV together, applying for jobs,  and the process in general, when in reality, they are just overwhelmed by the process.  It’s scary, and if you lose perspective, it can be hard to know where to even start!

Here are a few things that may help you gain some control over the situation:

Mourn the loss

People resist change because they are mourning the loss of what was.  It’s okay to mourn.  It’s okay to look back on a job you loved, or a dream you have let go of.  The second you acknowledge that you are mourning the loss of what could have been, or was, you are able to start moving forward and embrace the opportunity that today holds. 

Start looking for joy

I am a big fan of gratitude journals.  But these can get boring and a little stale if you are not feeling very grateful at the moment.  Try looking at things differently and look for joy.  The joy you feel waking up to the sound of rain or the birds chirping.  The joy you feel having the time to watch TV or read a book.  The joy of a hug from a loved one.  And if it does not bring you joy- like scrolling through social media feeds about the state of the world- stop!  Focusing on joy or gratitude slowly makes you more positive, and positivity attracts more positivity.

Set yourself goals and hold yourself accountable

The job-seeking process can be broken down into a number of little steps, which approached systematically, makes the whole process a lot more manageable.  Furthermore, it’s a constantly evolving process- so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get it right the first time.    You will do a CV, and then get feedback on it and need to add information.  You will not be shortlisted for a job, and then know the way you apply needs to change.  You will mess up answering an interview question, and then know how better to approach it the next time. 

Focusing on “getting the job” is getting ahead of yourself.  Focus rather on what kind of job you want, and then putting a cv together, then loading your details onto job portals, and then searching and applying for jobs, and then….

Make a list (write it down!) of what you need to do, then set yourself a goal for today, this week, this month.  Maybe today you are going to call someone and bounce ideas off them as to what job you should apply for (you don’t need to know the exact job title).  Then tomorrow draw up a CV- it’s as simple as data capturing your details info a template, and then reviewing it.  Maybe set yourself the goal of loading your CV onto a job portal every day.  Break the process down into bite-size pieces, and just look at the next piece, not the end goal. 

Activity attracts activity, and you will find that as soon as you start moving the process forward, things will start to fall into place.

Manage your time and skills

There are things that we cannot control, but there are plenty of more things that we can control.  You can control your time, and schedule time into your day to be still: exercise, look for a job, and improve your skills.  There are so many free resources out there at the moment, that you get to chose if you leave this time of being at home with new skills… or waste your days away.  When you are asked at your next interview, “What did you take away from the COVID19 shutdown?” or “How did you manage your time during the shutdown?” – how will you answer?

Here are just a few of the many resources available to you:

www.udemy.com  
www.coursera.org  
www.getsmarter.com  
www.udacity.com  
www.skillshare.com

https://thehollisco.com/pages/next90

There are also some great YouTube channels, podcasts and books to read or listen to.  If you have stumbled across a great site- set us know, so we can share it with other job seekers. 

Keep perspective

This will pass- it always does.  Times are tough, and they may get tougher… or they may not. And next year will most definitely bring a new set of achievements and problems; as will the following- that’s life.  Worrying about what will happen at the end of the month, or next month, does nothing to help you, it just makes you anxious and overwhelmed.  There may be retrenchments and jobs lost, but that does not mean that you will be unemployed or lose your job.  As long as there is a country and people living in it, there will be jobs.  If you want one of those jobs, you need to be present in this moment, and embrace this exciting new time as an opportunity.

Keep an eye out on our social media accounts (@resource_recruitment) and our website (www.2r.co.za) for more newsletters that will be coming out, on how to figure out what jobs you should apply for; how to draw up a CV; tips on getting the most out of job portals; your LinkedIn Profile; and so much more! 

 

How to avoid an employment scam

It was recently brought to our attention that one of our candidates had been victim to one of the latest recruitment scams. In light of this we wanted to inform you of the ways to recognise these scams and how to prevent it from happening to you.

 

  1. You are offered the position outright without ever having gone for an interview or having spoken to a person on the phone. If you receive an email that says you have been offered the job with a start date- but no company name or profile, this is a red flag. No company will realistically employ you off your CV alone, never having met you.

 

  1. There is a monetary transfer involved. In South Africa it is prohibited by law to charge someone to find them a job. The second that someone asks you for money, without ever having met you, we would advise you to think twice!  This includes payment of registration fees or background checks.  

 

  1. Look at the email address and website – are they legitimate? The one way of telling if it is a fake site or address, is to look critically at the email or website address- not just the display name that they are using. If they have used a made-up company name or number, Google them and do some research. Does the website look roughly put together and not professional? When you search their details do multiple sites come up referring to them or is it just the one site that they have created? If it is genuine company they will have a footprint and presence on the web.

 

  1. What do the documents they send you look like? Are they professional with a letterhead and logo? If not, I would start to question it. If they have provided you with contact details try and get hold of them and ask to speak to their HR department. If there are only cell phone numbers provided, see if you can get a landline number.

 

  1. They refer you to a second party that will do the background checks. There is a new scam were they refer you to a second party for background checks, but the second party is part of the scam, and once you pay your money, the job and company cease to exist. 

 

  1. Lastly, if you have fallen victim to one of these scams – don’t beat yourself up or feel ashamed, they are designed in such a way that they know how to get money out of you. By targeting job seekers, they know that their target market is one that is desperate and it is in this desperation that we sometimes don’t always make the most rational decisions – it’s part of being human. The best thing you can do going forward is to speak up and to make people around you aware of how you were scammed. Alert people to the names of the companies who scammed you so you can bring more awareness to how these scammers are operating.

 

If you have ever been scammed by a fake recruitment agency, get in touch- we want to hear your story: chrissi@2r.co.za . Also, feel free to let us know if you have any other hints and tips you can pass on – the more light we shed on this subject the better. 

 

Article by Chrissi Preuss, Psychology (Hons.) – February 2020

 

PUTTING FIRST THINGS FIRST

Habit 3: Putting First things First

In the first habit we discussed the importance of taking responsibility for your life and what happens to you.  The second habit looked at leadership- accessing your right brain and creating a mental picture of what you want for your life.  The third habit is about management of that vision, and making it a reality. 

 

We often tell job seekers that looking for a job, is a job in itself. 

 

There are four generations of time management:-

  1. To do lists and tasks
  2. Diaries and planners
  3. Goal setting
  4. Prioritizing

 

If you want more time to spend on the important things in life and achieving your goals, then you need to take control of your life and start scheduling in what is important.  If you are not proactive and take control of your activities, your activities start controlling you, and you will spend most of your time in crisis management, and less time in planning and making your goals a reality.

 

  1. Have a look at all the aspects of looking for a job:-
  • Creating a vision or mission statement for what kind of job you want (habit 2)
  • Drawing up a professional CV
  • Getting your CV to potential employers
  • Succeeding in interviews
  • Taking control of the feedback
  1. Next, set at least one goal for the week ahead for each aspect that you have listed as important:-
  • Creating a vision or mission statement for what kind of job you want (habit 2)
    1. Draw up a list of all the things you liked and disliked about your last/ current job
    2. Do a behavioural profile to determine what jobs you are best suited to
  • Drawing up a professional CV
    1. Re-type your old, hard copy CV in a document that is easy to edit and update
    2. Get a professional photo to put on your CV
  • Getting your CV to potential employers
    1. Send your CV to three employment agencies
    2. Load your CV onto one job portal
  • Succeeding in interviews
    1. Research three commonly asked interview questions, and write down answers
  • Taking control of the feedback process.
    1. Follow up with two companies that you have sent your CV to
  1. Finally, schedule the goals that you have set for yourself into the week ahead. Make them a priority.  When you are offered a less important way to spend your time, act with integrity towards yourself, and honour your commitment to yourself. 

Make sure to schedule some time in your week to uplift yourself and work on yourself.  People get too wrapped up in achieving goals and ticking items off their to- do list, that they forget that it is important to spend time on yourself and your spirit. 

You can apply the above method to any role that you play in your life.  If you are a parent, and it is important to spend quality time with your children, schedule to read them a bedtime story, and make it a priority.  If you want to get healthier, schedule to take a walk twice this week at lunch time and make it a priority.  Honour your word to yourself. 

 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

 

(inspired by “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. 

 

START WITH THE END IN MIND

“The Second Habit of Highly Effective Job Seekers” is “Start with the End in Mind”.

 

Too many people come into an interview, and they have no idea what they want to do, or what they are good at.  They just know that they want another job, and all the bad things that they want to avoid, and how much money they need to earn.  People will never employ you because you “can do the job”, they will employ you because “you want to do the job”.  They want to employ staff that are focused, motivated and know where they are heading.

 

This is not to say that you need to know the exact title of the job that you will get, but you do have to know your strengths and weaknesses, what you are passionate about and the values you live by.  Blindly going into the job market, accepting any job, because superficially it looks good or the salary is right, will result in you being back on the job market a year later. 

 

Before you start looking for a job, imagine yourself at your Retirement Party.  What will you want people to say about you?  Will you have clients there, and what will they say?  Will have you staff that you have trained and mentored- will they miss you?  What will they say your greatest accomplishments will be?  What legacy will you leave behind?  

 

The Second Habit states that all things are created twice- once mentally, and then again physically.  When you build a house, mentally you will draw up plans, and then physically you build the house.  This is true to all aspects of your life.  The first creation happens either by design or default.  Either you can intentionally plan how you want your life to go- dream it up- or you fall at the mercy of other people who will plan your role in it. 

 

Before you can start being the primary creator of your life, try and take a step back and get some perspective.  Examine your life and how you feel about all aspects of it.  The left side of the brain is about words, planning and action, and the right side is about creating and dreaming, but not very good at words.  To access the right side of the brain, start writing.  Write a list of what you have liked and disliked about previous positions, companies and organizations; and about subjects at school and extra murals or projects, if you are still at school.  List any activity, private or professional; paid or voluntary, that inspires and motives you.  Keep a note pad with you and as soon as a thought comes to mind, add it to the list.  Put all your ideas to paper, and then start refining them, until you have a “picture” of the kind of position you will work for.  Not the title, but actual day to day duties, the purpose of the job, the feelings it will make you feel. 

 

(And just to catch you before you get started… your mission statement will never be about money.  Money is a reward for a job done well; a job will never be well done, purely for the money.  Studies have shown that while a lack of money may contribute to unhappiness, abundance of money does not increase happiness or job satisfaction.)

 

As soon as you have created this initial creation of your future, you will feel inspired and motivated, and it will come across in interviews.  You will become that person who knows what they want to do, even if they don’t know what it’s called. 

 

If you keep focusing on the end and staying true to the person that you want to be, you will see your career grow and develop (and the money will follow if that is important to you).  If you focus on climbing the corporate ladder for the sake of it, you may just find that you have put that ladder against the wrong wall, and you are climbing away from your end goal, no towards it.

 

(inspired by “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. 

 

Be Proactive

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers

 

The first motivational or self-help book that I read, over 20 years ago, was “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, and it changed my life.  Not only did it turn me into an avid reader of books that would grow my heart and mind, but it also changed the way that I looked at business. 

 

This month, I started a weekly program of going through these seven habits with my amazing team at RESOURCE recruitment, and it occurred to me, that this is something that every job seeker needs to know too!  So each week I will post a blog on “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers”.

 

HABIT ONE: BE PROACTIVE

Do you ever catch yourself day dreaming; or snap at someone, and know that your behaviour is not right, and possibly you need to walk away until your mood improves?  This is because as humans, we are “self-aware”.  This means we are aware of our thoughts and feelings.  This is a powerful concept because it means that we are not our thoughts or our feelings, and we are not slaves to them either.  We have the freedom to choose how we react to the stimuli around us, and the ability to control our emotions and moods. 

 

Being proactive is more than taking initiative, it is about taking responsibility- for our “ability” to “respond”.

 

Highly proactive people take RESPONSIBILITY for their actions and their lives.  They don’t blame circumstances, other people, economic conditions or other people’s opinions.  Proactive people are grateful people.

 

YOUR WORDS HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

As a job seeker, the first thing that you need to watch is your speech- both what you say to others, and what you say to yourself!  Words have a way of being a self-fulfilling prophecy.  When you are constantly saying that there are no jobs out there, and you will never get the salary you want- this is exactly what you get.  Reactive people also tend to turn “words” into “feeling”.  Instead of saying they are “unemployed” in a way that they are now open to new opportunities, have time to help in community projects and are available immediately; they say it in a way that it is an excuse, a title, a description of the sum total of who they are- a victim of circumstance.  If you are unemployed- do you say it like you are proactive, or reactive?

For the next week, listen to your language, and that of the people that are around you.  As recruiters, we are extremely aware of proactive and reactive language in interviews.  Reactive applicants come into the interview with every excuse why jobs have not worked out, why they have not been able to find another job, why they are looking for another job.  Their excuses are all about the country, the economy, race, age… everything that they have no control over.  Proactive people come into the interview and they focus on what they have to offer- their skills, experience and opportunities they see around themselves.  They turn “If only…” into “I will”; “There’s nothing I can do about it.” into “Let’s look at alternatives.”; “I will have to take what I can get”, into “Give me an opportunity and I can grow the position.” 

People like positive, proactive, responsible people- so guess who gets the job?

 

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

The next part of this chapter, that I love and apply every day, is “The Circle of Control and The Circle of Concern”.  Everything in life falls into two circles or categories- those things that we can change, and those things that we cannot.  Whichever circle you focus on, grows.  In the Circle of Concern, we have everything that happened in the past and may happen in the future- you can be concerned about these, but you have no control.  Other areas of “concern” are what is happening on social media; other peoples driving skills in the mornings traffic; the outcome of the political elections and the state of the government; which companies are retrenching; the economy and rising cost of living….  Focusing on these areas will get more areas of concern to focus on, and your problems will appear to grow!

In the “Circle of Influence” you have everything that is in your life today.  You have control over what books your read; free online courses that you can study to increase your skills; how you spend your free time; the people you surround yourself with; who you vote for; what you spend your money on; what you say; how well your CV is put together and how many people who you have sent it to.  And when you focus on your “Circle of Control” you get more in control of your life!

 

MAKE A COMMITMENT TO BE MORE PROACTIVE

Its easy to say that you need to be proactive, speak positively and only focus on the parts of life you can control, but its hard to keep that up when the realities of life can be overwhelming.  Like all things, proactivity is a skill that needs to be learnt and practised.  Start each day my making a promise or commitment to yourself to do something- a little things at first and keep that promise.  Maybe make the commitment that you will update your CV on a job portal; or review your CV; or send your CV to three people; or read five pages of an uplifting book; or maybe just get out of bed by 8am and go for a walk.  Make yourself a promise everyday for 30 days, and keep it, and you will be shocked at the shift in your life at the end of 30 days

 

Sometimes, the biggest change comes from the smallest of actions.  Give it a try!

 

What do you want to Become?

“Now I think it’s one of the most unless questions an adult can ask a child-What do you want to become when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you 
become something and that’s the end.”
Michelle Obama, Becoming

 

I interview 18-25 years olds all the time, and few know where they fit in this world.  Many feel ashamed and are apologetic when they cannot tell us what job they want.  For their whole schooling they have been told what to do, when to do it and how to do it; and then suddenly they are supposed to know what to do with the rest of their lives.  Few adults share with them that they are not in the fields today, that they thought they would be in when they entered the job market.  To make matters worse, the façade their peers present on social media is that they have it all figured out already.  The pressure to go out there, find a career and make their parents proud, and still fit into your new world, is unfair and cruel.

 

You are not expected to know what you want to do with the rest of your life TODAY!

 

When I was 20, I was told the careers that would exist in 20 years’ time, had not even been thought of.  Little did I know the rapid developments that would take place due to the growth in technology.

*Cell phones as we know when were not freely available 25 years ago.

*Google was founded 20 years ago, in 1998.

*WhatsApp was only founded 10 years ago in 2009.

(Take a moment to think about how different your job would be without Google and a cell phone!)

 

Twenty years ago no one was recruiting for e-Marketing Managers, SEO Specialists, Bloggers, Communication Listeners, Big Data Specialists, Data Miners,  Cloud Engineers, etc.  Management was all about how to manage the “millennial”, and now they are the “leaders”!

 

The talk now is all about A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) and how computers and robots will start taking our jobs!  And again, its hard to get out minds around it, but in some form or another, it’s happening.  Generation Z are entering their working world, with their own set of management issues, and changing the way we advertise and run our businesses.  Fewer Generation Z ( born after 1995) will go into formal tertiary education, when they can learn via correspondence and teach themselves off YouTube, which will have a further impact on the expectations of employers.

 

And in the middle of all this uncertainty and change, school leavers and graduates are expected to enter the working world and be a success… yet we don’t tell them we are not 100% sure what that looks like!

 

So, as a Recruitment Manager, what advice do I give these 18-25 year olds entering the working world?

 

RESOURCE recruitment is passionate about working with young adults- mentoring and grooming them, supporting them, and giving them a few reality checks from time to time, as well!

 

The first thing that we do in the interview, is break the myth that they need to know the “job title” that they are applying for.  Gen Z are the generation best equipped to learn and grow on the job, with their ability to multitask and learn online.  What companies are looking for today, are people who want to work; are bright and proactive; who go the extra mile.  The old saying “Employ for Attitude, Train for Skill” has never been more applicable.

 

But that does not answer the questions of what job you should be applying for.  This is where those job seekers that have worked part time; had hobbies they were passionate about; or who got involved in extracurricular activities at school/ tertiary education, will have an advantage.  Get a pen and paper and make a list about what you liked and disliked (write it down!), where you excelled and where you battled.  Think of times you shone and were praised, and why.  Dealing with customer service, client relationships and complaints is basically the same as a waitress or in a trainee sales coordination role.  Taking photos of sports at school/ fashion, and managing a social media page, is not vastly different from doing the same for an events company.  Loving studying, making study notes, making your own notes from lectures (that your friends all asked for copies of), shows an organized and systematic mind that will be great in an administration role.

 

Above all things, be open to all opportunities.  If you think that it may interest you, apply for the job.  If you are offered an interview, go for it.  It’s an opportunity to learn about different jobs.  And if you are offered the job, and it ticks 75% of the boxes, go for it!  Give it all you have, and give it at least 3-6 months.

 

Your first few jobs will probably not be glamorous or exciting.  They are your first jobs after all.  What will make them glamorous and exciting, is YOU.  Volunteer to get involved in projects, assist where you see gaps, ask questions and keep positive, take pride in your work.  One of the biggest weaknesses of Gen Z’s is their lack of focus (due to living in such a fast paced, technology driven world), which often looks like laziness or lack of work ethic.  So put your phone away, literally put a bounce in your step and a smile on your face, and know that you still have a lot of learn, and all good things take time.

 

Good luck, and know that this is just the start of your career, not the end.  No one has any idea what the end looks like.  The only thing that you have to have figured out today, is your work ethic and attitude!  If you take the first step forward, life has a way of taking you where you need to be.  If you sit at home waiting for life to happen, or expect friends and family to find your a job, you won’t go anywhere fast!