Job search requires new mindset in 21st century

Ron McGowan, author of the book “How to Find Work in the 21st Century,” stresses the importance of looking for work over searching for a career.

The biggest weakness McGowan sees in job seekers is the inability to market themselves to employers.

“The approach used by most people is the same as what employment seekers used in the 20th century, and it doesn’t work,” McGowan said. “[Jobseekers] must learn how to create a variety of tools that are marketing oriented and focused on the needs of the employer.”

McGowan said job seekers should think from an employer’s position to help land a job interview.

When beginning a job search, the first thing a job seeker should do is clean their online profile, McGowan said.

As for where to begin searching for work, McGowan said to be creative.

“The majority of employment opportunities are never advertised, and employment seekers must learn how to sniff them out and how to approach employers in a strategically effective way,” McGowan said.

Fortunately for UA students, there are resources available that bridge the gap between job seekers and employers. One such resource is the Career Center, which provides career-planning services to students and alumni.

Tiffany Goodin, program manager for student services at the University’s Career Center, said the center offers individual appointments to help students and alumni with a multitude of career related matters.

“We range in topics from choosing a major to interviewing skills, and everything in between,” Goodin said. “We at the Career Center can’t actually get the job for you, but it is literally our job to help you in every step along the way.”

Goodin said that while the Career Center mainly focuses on full-time work that requires a bachelor’s degree or higher, they will help a student find any type of job he or she seeks.

Goodin said students should begin applying for jobs at least a semester before they plan to graduate.

“The job search process can take several months,” Goodin said. “If you have the mindset that you must find a job within two weeks of searching, you will most likely set yourself up for disappointment. It takes time to find the right fit. The bottom line is that we’re in a new era in the workplace and people looking for work need to change their approach to finding employment accordingly.”

For information from Ron McGowan, you can visit howtofindwork.ca or the Career Center’s website, which can be found at career.ua.edu.

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