By: Gyna M. Bivens
The title is not the most catchy, but I hope it got your attention and has you wondering: What is the connection between real estate & exercise with job-searching? I’m glad you asked. It warms my heart to see more job openings being posted these days. That is a good thing – – – but it can be bad for the job-seeker if proper preparedness is not exercised to help you get in the door.
I have come to think of job searching quite differently these days. Let’s talk in terms of real estate. If you are considering purchasing property, chances are you will be quite pleased with the outcome- – – if we are in a buyer’s market. The seller of the property won’t be so pleased. Without a doubt, the seller will have to be flexible and prepared to make concessions IF he/she wants to unload the property. The same scenario holds true for those who are engaged in real estate transactions while the economy favors the seller. In that case, the buyer is the one who has to practice flexibility.
If you think of job searching in real estate terminology, it should be clear to everyone: we definitely remain in an employer’s market. As a prospective employee, your concessions may come in the form of being flexible. Very few job seekers will be able to dictate their salaries and benefits packages. I am not implying the job seeker won’t have room to negotiate, but chances are job seekers will be compelled to practice flexibility. When 450 other highly skilled candidates are applying for the job you seek, flexibility and establishing relationships by networking could give you the edge.
I have been with North Texas LEAD for nearly four years and find myself going to as many functions as I did during my TXU/Oncor days. Besides attending city council meetings, I attended a significant number of banquets and luncheons which resulted in a dress change size. I had to take corrective action and started by working out. My first full day of exercise resulted in rubber knees and pain in my quadriceps that lasted for three days! Needless to say, I was more than concerned since sitting and standing required careful thought and planning on my part. Getting up hurt. Sitting down hurt. I was in pain. The truth is I had not been forthcoming when I told the trainer I had indeed warmed up. That has never happened again and I embrace the warm-up part of my exercise since I now see it as an integral part of my actual work-out.
Job-searching is the same way. Candidates who are taking every opportunity to sharpen their skills in resume writing and interviewing will always do better than the candidate who whips out the ‘one size fits all’ resume for every position they seek. There should be constant tweaking of the resume since every job will have emphasis on certain skills. If being licensed to practice insurance and financial planning is in the last paragraph of your three-page resume, chances are Omni American Bank or Prudential won’t beat the door down to get to you. A resume should speak your strengths. You don’t have to be psychic to know what strengths need to be emphasized in your resume. They are in the job description.
Take on the savvy of the home seller who finds himself/herself in a buyer’s market. That person realizes flexibility will be the key to selling their home. I fully understand my work-out will be ineffective if I don’t prepare by warming up and focusing on the (many) trouble areas I want to see changed. My desire for all candidates is to develop a plan. Your strategy is clearly outlined in your Candidate Action steps. Follow the steps found in the Candidate Action document and know: The Job Will Come. Whether you land with a job with a LEAD partner or non-partner, the JOB will come.
