How to Find a Job: When There Are No Jobs (Book 1) a Necessary Job Search and Career Planning Guide for Today's Job Market (Find a Job Series) (13 page)

You now know the specific parameters your boss likes to use when considering an individual for a raise. Prior to this conversation you may have only been able to guess what his criteria for a raise might be. You may not have really considered what his thoughts were on the subject and only focused on what you wanted, versus what was important to him. Remember, a successful negotiation should always be thought of as a long-term solution and can never be just one sided. Let’s assume this will not be the last raise you may want or think you deserve. It is important to the success of all future negotiations that you and your boss feel good about the negotiation. You want to feel comfortable speaking with your boss at a later date regarding other raises, benefits, etc. And, you want your boss to feel good about giving you a raise.

Prior to any negotiation, it is important to realize that you have power in the negotiation. Just because you are negotiating with your boss, who seemingly has a great deal of power, you must realize that you also have power and are a valuable asset to your company. However, don’t use your power as a manipulative tool to coerce your boss into giving you a raise. Rather use it to give you confidence to start the negotiations in a positive way, so all parties may be successful.

College, I Graduated, Now What?

“I
’ve just graduated from college and spent four or more years of my life to get a degree, now what?” I think this may be a familiar statement to those of you who have graduated from college. I can certainly remember myself uttering these exact words, “Now What?” 

Shortly after I graduated from Western Illinois University, I was painting a house for a customer of mine when a buddy asked me, “When are you going to get a real job?” What he didn’t realize was that I had started my own painting business in addition to the self-defense academy I had started a few years prior. I had founded and succeeded in two separate businesses while in college to help pay my expenses. Upon graduating, I maintained those businesses while I looked for a “real job” as the ignoramus had indicated.

My advice to all college graduates searching for their first career related position is to continue to work until you can find a job related to your chosen field. In addition, you may want to consider starting a small business as it relates to your career interests. Your own business will sustain you financially and help you to establish yourself in your desired career. Your small business may grow into a much larger business and you may decide to develop it as your career path. Both approaches, whether you work for someone or start a small business, will keep you in the work force and may lead you to an employer in your career field.

As part of your job search strategy, inform as many individuals as you know that you are looking for a career related position. Give each person with whom you speak a copy of your resume and explain to them the type of position you are seeking. For example, during a conversation with your boss’s wife, you discover that she is a Senior Programmer at JEM Computer, Inc. She indicates that her company is in the market for an Associate Programmer. Bingo! A job search can be that simple, but you must be observant and receptive to all potential job opportunities.  The more contacts you make during your job search the better your chances are for securing a career related position. The process of networking and landing your first job reminds me of a quote by the great hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, who said, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." Apply this principle to your job search as you strive to make as many contacts as possible and you will be successful.

Many college graduates assume that a job will be waiting for them when they graduate and that a minimal amount of effort is required to secure their perfect job. This is a mistaken and dangerous assumption and can lead to several months of unnecessary job searching and unemployment. Most college graduates have spent two or more years obtaining a specific degree in their field of study. A great number of college graduates will never work in their chosen field because most have never been taught how to properly and effectively conduct a job search.

Discovering and landing a first job related to your career interests is not an easy task. The process is further complicated if you have accumulated several bills associated with your college education. Further, you may not want to, or simply cannot live with your parents during your job search. As a result, you may be faced with trying to find a job quickly. You may think that almost any job where someone is willing to give you an opportunity will suffice. It is very important not to panic at this point of your job search. You may be tempted due to your circumstances, to make quick and possibly rash decisions without taking into consideration your true career aspirations.

In order to have a long-term successful career, you must focus on your chosen career path and your interests. Do not, under any circumstances, accept a job just for the money. It may seem like a good idea at the time because of your financial circumstances, but it is a huge career trap where you may never be able to escape or recover. Many people are unhappy with their current jobs because they started a career path where money was the main need or attraction. Many individuals have become caught in a job where they have little or no interest in the work they are doing.

When they finally decide to pursue a position related to their original career interests, they are often faced with statements from employers such as, “I can see that you studied this field in college, but unfortunately all of your job experience is in an area unrelated to ours. We are sorry, but at this level we are looking for someone with specific experience rather than an educational background.” This scenario is unfortunate but occurs frequently. Does this mean that the individual in this example will never find a position in their desired career field? No, but it will be more difficult to secure such a position. The job search process in this case will take a great deal of research and perseverance.

Your long-term future is significantly more important than your immediate and present situation. If you find yourself in a desperate financial state after graduation but are committed to working in your desired career, you may want to consider working in your chosen field on a part time basis until a full time position becomes available. 

I can’t dispute that finances can be a major problem to overcome when looking for your first job. Having personally experienced financial difficulties, I now realize that they are almost always temporary and should not jeopardize your entire life as it relates to your career path. I remember while in college being forced to eat spaghetti for an entire week using a borrowed can of tomato sauce and some oregano from the school cafeteria. During a difficult time between student loans, I miscalculated how much money I had available and was forced to make ten dollars last for an entire week. It was a terrible but humbling experience and I will never forget it. However, it was also temporary. I survived the ordeal and eventually prospered. Besides, it was only a week of spaghetti and I suppose the degree of pain during this financial crisis was lessened due to the fact that I am part Italian and love spaghetti.

My advice regarding finances is to pursue your interests with enthusiasm and look to the future as your guide to long-term satisfaction. If you have chosen your career path you will be doing what you want to do and not something someone else wants you to do. It is the path of least resistance and a path to life’s longevity through personal satisfaction. Do not let your temporary money troubles cloud your decision making process that may affect you the rest of your life.

Start and Succeed in Your Own Business

B
y now you may have discovered and decided upon the type of career you want to pursue. Deciding on a specific career is the first step towards succeeding in a business of your own. Making the decision to either start a business or purchase an already operating company is a personal choice. Any business that you decide on should involve something you want to do in order to satisfy your interests and not something you do simply for profit. If you fall into the trap of starting a business with the sole purpose of making money and have little or no interest for that type of work, you may become disenchanted with your business and it may ultimately fail.

Planning is Key to Your Business Success

A business plan is similar in format to a story you may write. It must have a purpose and a theme to be successful. A business plan does not need to be a complex 100 plus page document but rather a concise description of how you plan to get from point “A,” the idea and planning stage, to point “B,” the act of actually starting and succeeding in your business. Your business plan can be as simple as a one-page description explaining the purpose of the business as well as the financial path to get you to where you want to go. Your analysis of pertinent financial information should be concise and as accurate as possible. Careful research in the area of finances is imperative at this point of the planning process. Determine exactly what your expenses will be and formulate how much survival time you have according to your accumulation of capital. Your capital is the amount of money you have to start and run your business for a specific amount of time. It is important to the success of your business that you know the amount of time you have in relation to business expenses and your available capital.

I believe planning to be one of my greatest personal strengths that has enabled me to succeed in six separate businesses over a period of several years. A thorough amount of planning is extremely important if your business is going to succeed. However, a balance must exist between too much planning and not enough or inadequate planning. Neither too much or too little is proper planning. Too much planning can lead to talking yourself out of a great idea where too little or insufficient planning can lead to a failed business venture. Take your time to do the proper amount of research and business planning, but don’t overdo it.  It could lead to what is known as paralysis from analysis, and your business may never leave the planning stages.

How much planning is enough? The overall complexity of the business itself will help to guide you and will allow you and your advisors to do the proper amount and type of planning. Certain types of businesses due to their nature will require more thorough research and planning than others. Service type businesses typically do not require as much capital versus that of a manufacturing type business and thus may take less planning time and financial analysis. It may be wise to talk with several experts in your chosen field, conduct research on the Internet and seek out books and other pertinent information regarding business planning. The Small Business Association or SBA provides free advice and consultation from various business experts to individuals who own small businesses or want to start a business. The SBA also has several informational guides also free of charge on how to start a business and write a business plan.

I would highly recommend that you also consult with a good attorney and an accountant where each specializes in working with small businesses. I cannot over emphasize the vital importance of using quality advisors with whom you are comfortable at this stage of your business planning. It is much better to properly set up the business in its correct legal format in the beginning than to have to correct errors due to the incompetence of a poor advisor at a later date.

Check with your local chamber of commerce and other business owners for recommendations of business attorneys and accountants that specialize in the area of small business. Plan to interview several until you feel confident with their abilities and are comfortable with them. Do not feel embarrassed to discuss their fee structure. If you think their fees are too high, ask them how much flexibility they may have regarding their fee structure. Most attorneys or accountants I have worked with are flexible with their fees because they want your business and are usually small business owners themselves. If you like the advisors you have chosen indicate to them you would like to use their services on a trial basis, and would ask them to reduce their fees until your business is profitable. Remind them that you are not yet a fortune 500 company, but you have every intention of growing and will make every effort to refer business to them.

Use your advisors’ expertise to assist you in determining the proper business format that suits your specific needs. You will need to decide whether your business should function as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. In my experience, an attorney is the best and most qualified person to set up a corporation or partnership, as these are legal entities. Your accountant can assist you with explaining federal and state tax laws and any ramifications specific to each business format, whether you decide to structure your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation.

Do not allow yourself to be intimidated by any of your advisors including your attorney, accountant or banker. Each of these individuals is in business to make money and serve you, the customer. If at any time you think your needs are not being properly served and are uncomfortable with an advisor, do not hesitate to search out someone else. Remember, you are their customer and their business, like yours, will not survive without loyal, repeat customers.

Thus far I have focused on planning, its importance and how proper planning will help you prevent problems from occurring with your business. However, as you may have surmised, planning is not a cure-all and will not prevent all problems you will encounter with your business. It is important to accept the fact that problems can strike a business at any time. An individual may make a decision not to start a business because they are not confident in their ability to handle inevitable problems. This is a common fear that almost all business owners share. Fear of this kind must be overcome or you will never start a business of your own. As previously indicated, the assembly of a strong group of advisors, including an attorney, accountant and banker will assist you with most business problems you may encounter.