Why where bears catch fish can help you find a job

Everyone accepts right now it is really tough to get a job, as nature teaches us this really is a time for survival of the fittest. So what lessons can you learn that improve your chances of getting a job?

There are several things you can do to improve your chances of getting a job, a better CV, a good performance at an interview or strong references but to be blunt none of that is much help if you aren't looking in the right place for a job - and bizarrely most people don't! So the only way I can think to ram this message home is to use a really vivid picture to make the point.

In nature, bears have learnt that when they want to catch fish in rivers it is no good hanging around where the river is slow flowing and deep as very few fish will swim close enough to the surface for the bears to catch them . Bears have learnt if they go to the rapids, where the river is steep and shallow, that all the fish must leapt in the air to get upstream which makes it easy for the bears to catch their fish.

Let's apply this powerful and clear lesson to the process of hunting for a job, and boosting your chances of success over other job hunters. Clearly what you need to do is to hunt for a job where your chances of success are highest. Seems obvious doesn't it, so how come most people don't do it? The main reason is that most people just apply to organisations without any prioritisation of which of them might be more likely to be hiring than the others. So the consequence of this is that most people, using the example of the bears, are at a place on the riverbank where there are almost no fish - or in this case jobs - to catch! Where would you rather be?

So we can all agree if you apply for jobs only to organisations that are actually hiring people - or more likely to be hiring - you will have dramatically improved your chances of getting a job. The second reason most people don't find these organisations is that it takes time and effort, commitment and persistence to find them.

So now, only read on if you are determined enough in your job hunting to invest your time and effort.

We discuss how to research for the most likely potential employers in Get that Job along with a complete plan for the entire job hunting process. The key is to divide up your search for the hiring employers into different categories; here are three examples (but there are more) to give you an idea:

1. Expanding sectors or job types - look in sectors of the economy that are still expanding. For example organisations involved in the green, renewable energy sector of the economy and certain parts of the public sector. Alternatively some sectors could be the first to emerge from the economic downturn; this might include some information technology companies or mobile phone operators.
2. Regional growth - look in regions of the country that are more buoyant than others, for example towns compared to countryside or north versus south - of course you would have to be prepared to relocate to find work in this case.
3. Successful organisations - look for specific employers that are hiring, either a news article mentions this or you see that they have just won a large order or a new government department is being created

Using this approach you will increase your success chances and then be able to focus on the next steps in the process, a better CV and good interview techniques. You do, however, need the discipline of constantly monitoring business news online and offline, trade journals, talking to recruitment agents; it is in fact a job to find a job.

Richard Lowe
www.lets-begin.com