I took a job search workshop a few years ago and it was very interesting for me. They really help you prepare and I got involved through the unemployment office. We learned how to de-stress , what to expect during interviews and also how to conduct ourselves in order to get the job among so many other things some of which I’d like to share.

I totally hate filling out applications and especially interviews because they use to make me a total wreck and I always felt physically sick, but after I took this job seeking workshop I at least knew what to expect during an interview and how to prepare myself. We even had mock interviews that showed us what to expect and it’s always a great idea to have a fact card of all the information that you will need. I suggest a 3 by 5 index card.

It’s really neat how you can apply to most companies over the Internet , but you need to be careful that it is a legitimate company. That’s what I did when I applied at Lowe’s and they called me for an interview within a couple days. I still think it is better to go in person because they could be in desperate need and you could be hired on the spot.

4 Tips To Remember

1. Always dress like you are going for the interview the same day you put your application in. You never know, you might get lucky and you need to look your best.
2. When you are at the company be very courteous to everyone you meet. Always put the best of you out there. You never know who you might be impressing in the parking lot.
3. Always be prepared and take a couple of the same colored ink pens, either blue or black.
4. Remember to carry that fact card with you. Below is the list of information you will need to have available for yourself so you will be prepared.

Fact Card List

1. Your name
2. Permanent address and telephone numbers
3. Social Security number
4. Drivers license number
5. Schools attended and the addresses if available. If the school no longer exists do not list the old address. Usually just the city and state is enough.
6. Last elementary school and the dates you attended
7. Last secondary school and the dates and when you graduated
8. All other classroom training like College or special vocational training and the dates you attended and graduated or completed. List all degrees, certificates, credits, and diplomas.
9. All other training such as workshops, seminars, internships, on the job training etcetera. Location of the training and the dates attended and completed.
10. Information about your last 4 employers.
11. Name of the company if you were self-employed write that “Self-Employed”
12. Complete address of the company with zip code and phone number. If the company has relocated try to get the new address and if it is out of business make sure you state that.
13. Your job title and a brief description of your job duties. Keywords will conserve space on your fact card and serve to remind you.
14. The dates you were employed mo/yr.
15. The name of your supervisor if it was more than one I always put down the one that I got along the best with.
16. Wage earned from start to finish date. If you can’t remember just make your best guess.
17. Reason you left the job and try to list the most positive one. If you were fired just write you “will discuss at the interview” that way you will be able to explain it better.
18. References of at least 3 people, with name, addresses, phone numbers, occupation, and the length of time acquainted. They may ask for either personal or business references, so be prepared with the home or business information required.
19. Military experience, list the dates you served, last duty station, last training you received and type of discharge.
20. Your last 3 previous addresses and dates or how long at each location. Employers are looking for stable people and they like knowing you will be around for awhile.
21. Last medical exam, list your doctor’s name, address, and date of examination.

All situations or events in our life that are unfamiliar to us and cause a transition or change any habits can cause havoc with our emotions and cause undo stress with our mental and physical being. That being said, starting a new job or changing your career can be very draining and stressful for anyone.

I know in my lifetime I have gone through many changes so I know first hand how hard it can be. When starting a new job you need to be alert so your able to think clearly and be able to make decisions and carry them out with energy. You will likely be on probation for the first 90 days till you prove yourself and knowing that will cause a stressful feeling.

If you know what your going into before you start you can work on adapting your mental state to meet this challenge and make the transition easier. Every job I have ever had, the whole process has made me physically sick from all the stress.

I like to show by example so I was never good at telling people what to do. I worked as both waitress and bartender at one restaurant for 20 years and was given the responsibility of training them, both waitresses and bartenders, plus I was forced to fire a couple of people which wasn’t in my job description nor was I paid for assuming the role as manager. Working with the public is very stressful in itself, but to have to let someone go because my boss was a coward caused me to seek a career change.

When starting any new endeavor be prepared for feelings of fear and uncertainty and your personal life will need adjusting depending on the shift and hours you are expected to work. Your first priority will be to learn and get the lay of the land. Never be afraid to ask questions regardless if you think someone might think your stupid and if need be ask your questions over and over until you learn. This is where that energy and focus will come in handy.

A good boss will communicate well with their employees so you will know exactly what is expected of you and if they don’t then you should initiate some form of communication so everything is clear and do try to get to know your boss. You can learn transferable skills from any position you hold so never consider any job as dead end, the more skills you can develop the more you can offer if you ever change positions. Do your very best on every job so you can develop good references.

5 necessary skills for job survival are punctuality and that means in all things, getting to work on time, returning on time from breaks and lunch, your attendance at meetings, appointments and always make sure you plan ahead encase you need some other form of transportation.

Quality means how well you perform your job in all areas to keep the product up to standard or better so the consumer will be happy and buy more. Your company will not grow if the quality is bad so take pride in your job.

Productivity – You are paid by a company to produce a certain amount of work so it is best to develop a positive attitude and avoid any circumstances that would limit your ability to perform the duties that are expected. Production is always the end result for any company.

The ability to get along with fellow employees, the public, and supervisors is very important. You are always being evaluated by your actions so be cooperative, courteous, and show good work ethics. Steer clear of any problematic employees and be careful of the things you do and how you do them.

Loyalty is truly appreciated and valued by the employer and is usually rewarded. It encompasses all of the above skills. When you are working toward the common goal of improving your place of employment, you are not only making it better for the employer, but for everyone around you including yourself.

I did a Google search of the nickname or user name I use when I sign up at different places and had fun checking out all the different places I had forgotten I was even a member of. It even showed me comments I had left on other peoples blogs and there was a couple links to something called BackType which I checked out and found that it was a comment search engine.

I didn’t like using SezWho because I didn’t like all my comments linked together. Not that I leave horrible or mean comments I just don’t like feeling like I’m being followed so it kind of freaked me out when I followed the link and it had many of my comments all in one place going back 82 weeks. It looked like blogger blogs and maybe a few regular blogs at any rate I don’t like it, but I joined to check it out.

There was also a link to markosweb that had a lot of information on my site and I certainly don’t remember using them. Apparently someone had my blog analyzed and it says my SEO is rated at 39% out of 100% which isn’t very good, but it had my blogs’ value at $481,744. Now that cracked me up, if someone wants to buy me out at that price please let me know.

There were many odd links that I checked out that were suppose to be connected to me  somehow, but I couldn’t find anything on their websites that would connect me. The only way the Children’s orthodontics in San Diego CA one could possibly connect was from a post I did a long time ago mentioning them because my boss had recommended them.

On another note I was having a hard time keeping my Firefox browser open if more than 7 tabs were showing. I was getting ready to ditch it until I remembered it had worked fine up until 2 weeks ago when I had added some add-ons so I went through and disabled all the add-ons I’m not really using and it works fine again.