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GETTING HIRED: A Guide for Job Seekers Who Face Barriers to Employment
5. Preparing Job-Seeking Documents 6. Finding and Responding to Job Openings 7. Interviewing for a Job

6. Finding and Responding to Job Openings

Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having,
except as a result of hard work.

Booker T. Washington, American educator

As a job-seeker, you are a salesperson. The product is you and your skills; the buyer is the employer. Your task is to find job "leads" and then to pursue them. In this section, you will

*

 Review sources of job leads;

*

 Develop your personal job-finding network; and

*

 Learn effective ways to contact employers.

Job-Finding Sources

There are many ways to find out about employers and job leads. Depending on where you live, the following are some of the most common:

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 Stories in newspapers and business publications;

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 "Help Wanted" signs;

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 Classified advertisements in newspapers;

*

 School counselling or job placement offices (at secondary or trade schools, colleges or training centres);

*

 Government employment and personnel offices;

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 Personnel or human resource offices of large companies;

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 Managers or owners of small companies or stores;

*

 Bulletin boards that post job openings;

*

 Labour unions;

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 Telephone books or business directories (e.g., Chamber of Commerce membership directory);

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 Employer, professional or trade groups;

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 Private or public employment agencies (private agencies might charge a fee); and

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 Friends, relatives, neighbours and other personal contacts.

Exercise 6.1: Building Your Personal Job-Finding Network

One of the best ways to find out about jobs is through people you know. To build to your Personal Job-Finding Network,

*

 Review your lists of people from Exercises 1.1, "Getting Help," and 5.1, "Your References";

*

 Add to them the names of people who might be able to help you, like friends, relatives, former employers and teachers, job placement officers, social workers, business people and others. This is your Personal Job-Finding Network; and

*

 Talk to people in your network about your job goal and qualifications. Ask them to look for jobs leads and to talk about you to their network of people.

Making Contact with Employers

You may contact employers for many reasons, such as to ask about job openings, to schedule an interview or to get information. The three basic ways to make contact with employers are by letter, by telephone or in person.

Before you contact an employer,

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 Learn as much as you can about the employer and the type of work done;

*

 Try to get the name of a person in charge of hiring;

*

 Make sure your job-seeking documents are in order;

*

 Be clear about the purpose of your contact; and

*

 Prepare what you want to say.

The following "Do's and Don'ts" apply to contacting employers.

DO'S DON'TS
* Be honest and polite;

* State your purpose clearly;

* Be brief and businesslike;

* Present yourself positively. 		* Try to make the employer feel sorry for you;

* Speak about yourself negatively;

* Discuss personal problems;

* Say anything negative about former employers.

The following information describes the different ways you can contact employers.

By Letter

You may write a letter to ask about job openings or to respond to a specific lead. In either case, your letter should describe

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 The type of work you want;

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 How you learned about the job;

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 Your experience and qualifications;

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 Any attachments (CV or copies of certificates);

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 Your desire to be interviewed; and

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 How you can be reached.

End your letter with a note of thanks and sign your name. After you have completed the letter, read it carefully. Ask someone else to review it, since it is difficult to find your own mistakes. Make sure the letter:

*

 Is neat and clean;

*

 Can be read easily;

*

 Uses correct grammar and spelling;

*

 Is logically written;

*

 Is in the correct business format;

*

 Includes all necessary information; and

*

 Is less than one-page long.

The letter in Figure 2 illustrates many of the points just discussed. Depending on the practices where you live and the type of job you are applying for, it may or may not be necessary to have the letter typed. Before you prepare your letters, check with a local placement specialist or an employer about format or content requirements that may be different from the sample.

Figures 2

c/o Mrs Alice Atieno Onyango
P.O. Box 133
Kendu Bay
Tel. 51726

 

14th January 1995 The Managing Director
Mafuta Company, Ltd.
P.O. Box 43245
Nairobi

REF: APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF ACCOUNTANT

Dear Sir,

I wish to apply for the above post, which was advertised in the Daily Nation Newspaper of Friday, 11 January 1995. My qualifications include the following. In 1982, I passed the Kenya Secondary Certificate of Education Examination at Kisumu High School. In 1988, I joined Maseno Technical Training Institute where I took a course in Accounting. I passed the ACMC I and II in 1989 and CPA I and II in 1990. Copies of my certificates are attached for your perusal.

In February 1991, I secure a job with M/s Wema Printers, Ltd., where I worked as an Accounts Clerk until September 1992. In October 1992, I joined M/s Kiama Auditors where I work as an Assistant Accountant.

In view of the foregoing, I shall be grateful if I am considered for this job.

Yours faithfully,

James Mac Onyango

 

Exercise 6.2: Writing a Letter

If you plan to write letters as part of your job search, practice first. Here's how:

*

 Select an employer or a classified advertisement that interests you;

*

 Prepare a letter by using the tips and format suggested in this section, (including a review of the letter); and

*

 Send the letter.

By Telephone

You may use the telephone for many reasons during your job search. Avoid using it as a way to interview for a job. Personal interviews are more effective. When contacting employers by telephone, here is a simple format to start the conversation:

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 Greet the person who answers the telephone;

*

 Introduce yourself;

*

 State the purpose of your call; and

*

 Wait for a response.

 

 Example: "Good morning. This is Theda Kundara. I am calling to find out if you have an opening for a machinist."

When responding to a job lead or trying to get an interview, you may need to make a brief statement about your skills.

    Example: "Hello, my name is Theda Kundara. I am calling to speak to Mr Samy. (Call is transferred.) Good afternoon, Mr Samy, my name is Theda Kundara. I am responding to the advertisement in the newspaper for a machinist. I just finished my training at the Technical Institute and would like to meet with you to discuss the job."

Then wait for the employer's response. If the job has been filled or there are no openings, ask about a good time to call again about future possibilities or if he or she could refer you to other employers who may have openings.

Here are some additional tips for using the telephone:

*

 Call from a quiet location;

*

 Prepare a script;

*

 Talk directly into the mouthpiece;

*

 Speak clearly and cheerfully;

*

 Take notes;

*

 Listen carefully; and

*

 Say thank you at the end of the call.

Exercise 6.3: Telephoning

If you plan to use a telephone as part of your job search, practice first. Here's how:

*

 Locate the name of an employer or a job lead that interests you;

*

 Ask your job-seeking partner to role play the telephone conversation with you (your partner acts as the employer);

*

 Ask your partner to evaluate your telephone conversation; and

*

 Try again and practice until you are comfortable.

In Person

If you visit an employer without an appointment, you must be prepared for anything - from never getting past the door to interviewing for the job. Dress neatly and act confidently and politely, but also be yourself. Here is a good way to approach an employer in person:

*

 If you have a name of a contact, ask to speak to that person. Otherwise, ask for the personnel or human resources office or the person who does hiring;

*

 Greet the person you are meeting and use his or her name if you know it;

*

 Introduce yourself. Shake hands and make eye contact according to local customs;

*

 State the purpose of your visit. If someone referred you, name the person;

*

 Follow the employer's lead (e.g., let him or her ask the questions, wait to ask to be seated or to smoke, etc.);

*

 If there are job openings, proceed as if you are interviewing;

*

 If there are no openings, you might want to conduct an informational interview (see Exercise 3.1), ask if you can complete an application or leave a CV, find out if and where job openings are posted and ask if you can check back about openings at a later date; and

*

 Thank the person (or people) with whom you have spoken.

Some additional tips are to:

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 Review this section of the Guide and the one on job interviewing before you make in-person visits;

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 Carry a pen, blank paper and all your job-seeking documents with you;

*

 Remain positive and polite even if you are turned away; and

*

 Remember that it is natural to be nervous when job-seeking.

If you have a disability, it need not stop you from contacting employers in person. Here are some specific tips:

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 If you have a physical disability that affects your mobility, you may want to find out about the accessibility of the building, office or factory before you visit an employer in person;

*

 If you are hearing-impaired and need an interpreter, make arrangements to have one with you (e.g., a friend or an interpreter from an association); and

*

 Seek out other people with disabilities like yours and get their advice and support.

When and How to Tell an Employer about Your Disability

Telling an employer about your disability and how and when to do so are personal decisions. You should base your decisions on the nature of your disability, your preferences, what you know about the employer and the impact of your disability on the job and on getting hired. In some cases, the employer may know you have a disability because he or she knows you or because a job placement specialist or reference may have told the employer. Otherwise, you may need to decide if you should mention your disability in a letter, on your CV, on your job application or at the interview. If your disability is not visible and will not affect your ability to do the job, you may decide never to tell the employer. Here are some things to consider in making your decisions and some examples of what to do when you do tell an employer:

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 Generally, employers want to know if an applicant or employee has a disability.

*

 Myths, stereotypes and unfounded concerns may make some employers hesitant to hire people with disabilities. Other employers may judge people solely on their abilities.

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 Placement officers or other who may refer you to job leads may be the first to tell an employer about your disability. Make sure they have accurate information about you and your disability to convey to employers. People you list as references should also know about your disability.

*

 Some people prefer to tell an employer about their disability before they interview to avoid an employers' surprise, discomfort or sense that an applicant has hidden his or her disability. This can be done in a letter, on a job application if asked or on the telephone.

*

 Some people prefer to tell the employer about a visible disability after an interview is set up. This reduces the chance of not getting the interview because of a disability. If needed, the applicant can ask about accessibility at this time.

 		 Example: "Before we meet, I want to mention that I use a wheelchair. Will I be able to get to your office?"

*

 Others with visible disabilities prefer to wait until the job interview since they do not want to risk missing the chance to interview because of a disability.

*

 Whenever you disclose that you have a disability, express your willingness to answer the employer's questions or concerns about your disability. It is best to have such a discussion in person.

 		 Example: "Before we meet next week, I want you to know that I am blind. I am confident that I can do this job but will be glad to discuss my visual disability with you further next week."

*

 Whenever you disclose that you have a disability, do so briefly and accurately. Stress your ability to do the job. Don't ask for sympathy, special treatment or dwell on limitations.

 

 Example: If you are deaf, you may state in a letter, "I am deaf but communicate by reading lips and writing. Being deaf has not prevented me from doing my past jobs."

 		 The section "Interviewing for a Job" discusses how to deal with employers' questions and concerns about your disability.

Exercise 6.4: Contacting an Employer in Person

You need to be prepared to contact employers in person. To get ready:

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 Ask your job-seeking partner to help you;

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 Identify an employer or job lead that interests you;

*

 If you have a disability, decide how you will handle telling the employer;

*

 Role play your approach to the employer (your partner acts as the employer);

*

 Evaluate your performance and practice until you are comfortable with it; and

*

 Switch roles to see what it feels like to be the employer.

(You have learned how to locate and respond to job leads.
Now it's time to learn how to interview for a job.

5. Preparing Job-Seeking Documents 6. Finding and Responding to Job Openings 7. Interviewing for a Job
GETTING HIRED: A Guide for Job Seekers Who Face Barriers to Employment

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Updated 2004-12-07

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at Tel: +662.288.1792 or E-mail: abilityasia@ilo.org

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