Getting Started

I- Elements Of A Successful Job Search

Have you been looking for a job for a long time? A week? A month? Completing the basics of a job search is easy. But once you have replied to a few job ads, posted your resume online and done some networking, you have done enough, right? NO! The best approach to a job search is to be continually proactive. Don't wait for the perfect job to find you. If your job search isn't generating great results perhaps it is time to adjust your strategy, rethink your approach and be more resourceful or aggressive.

Don't underestimate the importance of a great resume
Especially in a developing market like Vietnam, where hiring managers have to cull through many poorly constructed resumes to get to the good ones, making sure your resume stands out will make a difference. Remember, your resume is a personal marketing tool and it should be perfect! There should be no grammar or spelling errors. If it is in English, make sure you have it proof-read and edited by a native English speaker. And make sure it highlights your accomplishments, achievements and results in past jobs, not just your responsibilities.

Stay focused
A great way to grab the attention of the HR professional is to make sure your resume and cover letter targets the reader. Be sure you highlight what is mentioned in the job advertisement and don't come across as aimless in your job search. Saying you are interested in a "good working environment" does not demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are truly interested in the fob for which you are applying. If computer skills are mentioned in the ad, it is important to add that to your resume if it is a skill you have. If you tweak your resume for each position, it will help get you noticed. And make sure you have a compelling answer when asked why you are interested in a particular job. Remember, to make yourself a strong match.

Cast a wide net
Don't put all of your hope into one job. You should explore many opportunities and contact several people. Networking is a great way to land the job you want. No matter how great your resume is, it always helps to have someone pulling for you from the inside of a company. It can also speed the process of getting your resume in the right hands. Meet up with old friends and classmates to see what they are doing now. Don't feel bad about enlisting the help of family and friends in your job search. Many companies offer bonuses to employees who recommend a great new hire!

Get noticed
It's important to make sure your resume doesn't get lost amongst the masses. One way to ensure your resume gets seen is to take advantage of resume upgrade options that many job sites offer, such as www.vietnamworks.com. Choosing to upgrade your resume status gives your resume greater visibility. It literally bumps your resume ahead of the hundreds of other resumes posted online so that potential employers see your resume first.

Searching for a job is not easy, but by using some of these tips your can increase your chances of success.

A Job Fair is a great way for you to explore potential employment opportunity and to learn more about companies who are hiring. Use the following 3 steps and turn a job fair into a job offer.

Before the Job Fair:

At the Job Fair:

After the Job Fair:

III- Deciding Where To Focus

One of the critical first steps in any job search is deciding where to focus

It is okay if you are not sure what you want to do next - the average person will change jobs 8 times over the course of their career.  What is important is to figure out what you like, what you are good at and what you care about and then research what careers are related.  Sometimes a job is as good for helping you figure out what you do not want to do as it is for helping you figure out what you do want to do.

Success In Your Job Search And Your Career Starts From Within

Many people associate professional success with an impressive job title, or believe that working for a famous company is intrinsically better than working for company that is not well known. Success comes in many different shapes and sizes however, and overlooking that can lead to finding one's self in an unsatisfying job or focusing on the wrong things in their job search.  Determining what is important to you, and setting and staying focused on long-range goals will lead to a successful job search and more importantly a satisfying career.  As you think about what success means to you and tackle  job search, here are some important things remember.

Don't Loose Track Of The Big Picture - What You Do Does Not Define You.

How many times have you asked someone or have you been asked "what is your job?" or "what company do you work for?"  This is because it Is common to equate someone's job with their success, and the more impressive someone's title, or the more famous the company is that they work for, the more successful we perceive them to be.

When starting a job search it is important to not just think about your next job, but also consider what you want to do and be in the future and where you would like your career to take you.  Then consider what the possible paths are that could take you there.  You might work as a salesperson in a shop to earn money while studying to learn a new language or get a masters degree. You might work as a restaurant waiter so you can learn the business and someday open your own restaurant.

Your job at any given time is not as important as what you are working towards in your life.  And no matter your age, working in a non-prestigious job while developing your skills in other areas is just as respectable as working for a famous multi-national company.

Careers evolve over time and it s important to prioritize your future goals over your current job title.  No matter what stage you are in your career, you'll be happier ten years from now if you are doing or continuing to move toward something you like and that is important to you.  You'll be glad if you can look back and say the yourself "I had to make some sacrifices in the past to get to where I am today, but it was worth it."

As you advance in your career it may change direction also.  Hardly anyone knows exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life when they are young.  The principal still applies though that if you focus only on the present and take a job for the pay or the company name, eventually you will become dissatisfied and wish you were working toward something you actually cared about.

To Succeed In Your Job Search And Your Job, Figure Out What Is Important To You And Stay Focused.

When you are looking for a job, nothing is worse than to come across as unfocused.  It's okay not to have a definite career direction because it's unrealistic to think you can perfectly plan out a career path from day one. However, you do have to be focused during a job search. You can be absolutely sure that a job you are applying for is right on target, even if you are not absolutely should of your long-range goals.

Whether through letters, phone calls, or interviews, every point of contact with prospective employers must convey that you have a focus and that you arrived at that focus with careful thought and consideration. You must be able to articulate why any given job is right for you and why you should be hired.  And this is what you should convey to an employer

By Figuring out what you like, what you are good at and what you care about, you can research and determine what the career is that's right for you.  You need to determine which interests need to be a part of your work life, which skills you have that will be of value to an employer, and what are the things that are most important to you - money, lifestyle, pursing a personal interest, doing something good for the world, etc.

To assist you in answering these questions you should imagine yourself in different jobs and consider what you might like and not like in each scenario.  You should research various industries and careers by trying to speak with people in each profession you are considering.  The Internet can be a valuable source of information as well.  Websites such as www.vault.com and www.wetfeet.com have a lot of information about various industries and careers.  Personality tests available on the Internet can be helpful as well.  www.mirrorgate.com offers basic personality and career tests free of charge.

After you have considered your options and decided on the industries and jobs to focus your search on, you should identify and approach specific companies.  You should communicate to them why a job at their company is right for you and what you have to offer.

Know What You Have To Offer.

Ambitious career planning and big dreams are great.  And if you work hard and stay focused it is possible to accomplish a tremendous amount.  At each stage of your career though, it is important to be realistic as well as ambitious.  Remember the job has to be right for you AND you have to be right for the job.  You may want to run a company some day, but you'll need the right experience before being ready for that.  You may want to be a Sales Manager some day, but it is important to be a Sales Person first.  So aim high, but tale it step-by-step.

If you take a thoughtful, focused and realistic approach to your job search and your career, it is possible to accomplish a great deal.  Don't worry how long it takes or what others think.  Keep thinking about your long-range goals and keep working towards them and eventually you will achieve them.

V- When Applying for a Job, Be Careful and Get Noticed

Jeffrey Banks, a corporate recruiter for Microsoft in the USA, advises potential candidates: "Candidates should think about who they are applying to. I would have to question a candidate's fit for this company if they cannot communicate effectively with me electronically." As a job seeker, you can not control in the hiring process; however, you can control the application process such as preparing and submitting your resume to potential employers. When you are applying online, how you prepare your application is important.

Format

You need to choose a common format to save your resume in. A Microsoft Word file (.doc), or a plain text file (.txt) are the most popular. Plain text is popular; however, its weakness is that it's just plain text without formatting. In contrast, a Microsoft Word document can have a nice format. Resumes look better when they are sent as attachments, and since almost every office uses Microsoft Word, it is the best choice to for your resume.

Keywords

Keywords in your resume are important. Keywords provide the context from which to search for a resume in a database, whether the database serves for one company, or whether it is a Web-based search engine like VietnamWorks.com. Your goal is to have good keywords so that you will come up on the "hit list". It doesn't mean that you should include every possible keyword a recruiter may use in your resume. The idea is to use words in your resume that address your skills and support the kinds of jobs that you are looking for. Also, DON'T forget to check for spelling mistakes!

Cover Letters

A cover letter is a letter of introduction sent with your resume when you apply for a job. A good cover letter should be well-written and personalized. It is often the first chance a potential employer has to form an opinion of you, and first impressions are important, so make it good. A strong cover letter needs to include:

In summary, the application process is crucial. Getting a first interview depends upon the quality of the initial application. It's like the start of the campaign to secure a job - and therefore worth careful preparation

Job fairs should be just one small part of your entire job search process, however, they can be a successful part. You might read a lot about the good things of a job fair, expert's tips to get the most from them, etc. and etc. but keep in mind that as with any situation where you find yourself with a potential employer, job seekers must be prepared to ask insightful questions of recruiters at job and career fairs.

There are four categories of questions you can ask recruiters at job fairs. Each category has a specific strategy. Which questions should you ask? It depends on the recruiter, on your interest and knowledge of the company, and how much time you have with the recruiter. Randall S. Hansen of Quintessential Careers will give you some samples.

Strategic Comeback Questions

These questions are designed to give job-seekers the chance to respond to the recruiter's answer with a positive spin on how you perfectly fit what the company is looking for in an employee.

• What are the characteristics of your most successful employees?

• Which courses or experiences do you suggest to be a successful candidate?

Strategic Planning Questions

These questions are designed to give the job-seeker more information and knowledge about the hiring process for each particular employer.

• How long does the hiring process take? What does it consist of?

• What percent of applicants are eventually hired? What is the retention rate?

Key Company Information

These questions are designed to provide you with critical inside information you need to know when making a decision about the attractiveness of each potential employer. Remember, a job fair is a two-way street and you should be evaluating these companies as much as they are evaluating you.

• Are there specific career tracks within the organization? In other words, what can a typical employee (for the position I am seeking) hired in your division expect to be doing 2, 5, or 10 years after hiring?

• What is your organization's culture like?

• Are their opportunities for ongoing training through your organization?

Of course, you can try more questions by yourself and fortunately, there's a good chance for practicing this weekend: the City Careers Fair from Aug 6. Be confident!

To effectively sell yourself to a prospective employer, you need to be able to persuade the employer that you fit that their needs. Even when the job market is great for job seekers, employers aren't going to interview and hire candidates who are not a match for their needs.

To present yourself effectively in cover letters and interviews, it is important to do your homework first. This means research the employer.

By doing research, you get information to decide which employers to contact. Rather than sending tons of letter and resume to employers you know little or nothing about, send twenty letters and resumes to employers you know something about and increase your chance of securing an interview. Targeted and individualized letters are more effective than "form" letters (you know a form letter when you receive one, employers do too).

In interviews, employers expect you to arrive knowing background information about the company. If you don't, it looks like you're not really interested in the company or the job. You have to be able to answer the critical questions of why that employer should hire you, and why you would like to work for that employer, not sound like you would take any job.

Research helps you formulate intelligent and appropriate questions to ask in your interview about the company, it's competitors, future plans, goals, challenges, etc. It also greatly increases your chances of making a good impression and getting the job.

In the last issue, you read about benefits of researching employers before applying for a job. Now you'll learn the tips to do it, which take time, but are worth it to get the position you want.

1. Talk to people: Find people who work for or know about the company. This could be people you meet at a job fair, family members, neighbors, parents of friends, students who graduated ahead of you, alumni contacts, etc.

2. The employer's web site: If you know the URL for an employer's web site, go there. If you don't know the URL, do a google search on the organization name.

3. Do internet research: Some online newspapers or directories (Vietnam Net, VNExpress) will be a very useful source with reports or discussions on the corporations. Explore the links they provide.

4. Get insight on the industry: Search articles in newspapers, business publications, and professional journals. The Saigon Times Weekly provides a quick and insightful overview of the business world and local economy.

5. Call or write the organization and ask for information: This is perfectly appropriate to do, especially if the organization is small or you simply cannot find information about the organization through other sources. If you have an interview scheduled with an employer, the employer should have already provided information (web site, brochures, etc.); if not, ask for this.

Now that you have graduated from university and it is natural that you might feel a little lost about what to do with your degree.

Perhaps you want to start looking for a job, but are not sure what jobs are open to you. Or perhaps you've thought about further study, but are unsure whether you need further qualifications.

These are common issues. The key to identifying and securing the job or further study is to plan and think about the realistic options that are open to you.

There are several ways that you could start your search for a suitable option. Firstly you may look at what would suit you as an individual, this will include aspects such as personality traits, the type of working environment you see yourself being happy in and where in the country you would prefer to be located.

It may also be helpful to think about what skills, attributes, qualifications and work experience you have to offer to a potential employer.

The second possibility is to gather information about the various career areas graduates in your subject go into. This may bring up some ideas that you haven't thought about before.

It may be a good idea to look at both your own interests and what other people have chosen to. Maybe there will be some overlaps. Remember, except in some specialist areas, few degree courses limit what you can do in your future career.

It's probably only once you have a clearer idea of your job options that you can really decide whether you can apply straightaway for a job or whether you need to undertake further study.

X-Graduates And Working In A Small Business

Graduates and small businesses have one key thing in common. They are both increasing in numbers each year, creating competitive markets for both. According to a latest report, top companies in Viet Nam has around 10,000 vacancies a year, therefore, with over 90,000 university leavers each year (and increasing) it is ever more important for graduates to look beyond the traditional view of a 'graduate employer'.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are defined as businesses that employ fewer than 250 staff. They account for 90% of businesses in Viet Nam. Over the years, the nature of small businesses has changed and there are now more innovative enterprises. Increasingly, graduates set up their own firms and the work that these undertake demands staff with degrees. Also, businesses that may not have employed graduates in the past may now need graduate level knowledge to carry out functions such as marketing or IT.

Working for an SME, as compared to a blue-chip company, has both advantages and disadvantages. SMEs could be considered to be less stable; by their nature they are often new or developing businesses. An extreme illustration of this is the fall of many dot com enterprises in the late 1990s. It is also true that small companies often don't pay as much as the large graduate recruiters. However, while small businesses can't compete with the high salaries offered by big companies, they can offer equally competitive progression and prospects.

Commonly, those starting out in small companies find themselves with a variety of tasks, being given early responsibility and gaining hands-on experience. As there may be a less hierarchical structure in a small firm, graduates may gain a greater understanding of the roles of other people and the organisation as a whole; as well as being able to see more clearly how your input contributes to the growth of the business.

For information on small businesses you will need to look locally. The resources most commonly used by small businesses to recruit staff are local employment agencies and local newspapers, and especially job websites due to the limit of their budget.

Small businesses also rate links with university careers services and academic departments very highly.

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