Starting a career on a winning stride 

Finally, you are now a part of the professional league.  A lot of immediate plans are running through your mind --- you’ll treat your family with your first paycheck, you will get rid of your ‘antique’ cellphone and buy the latest model, get a new wardrobe to have that ‘professional chic’ look and so on and so forth.

First things first, you need to get a job.  The good news is, there are thousands of job opportunities waiting for neophytes like you.  The bad news is, more than the available jobs are individuals wanting to get the slots.  Statistics would even more prove the intense competition in the professional world.  The big question is:  are you completely prepared for it?

Below are some of the four key imperatives to help jumpstart your career on a winning stride:

1. Identify your professional goals.  In every endeavor, a goal is imperative.  It will define the road you will take.  Enlist your short-term and long-term plans.  Arrange them according to your priority and then identify the necessary action to achieve the plans.  Also in this exercise, pinpoint the kind of industry you want to start your career with.  Identify your priority prospective employers and concentrate on these targets first.  In this way, you will start your job hunting on the right track.  You surely wouldn’t want to begin your bid with a ‘try-and-leave’ strategy which is time wasting.
   
   

2. Arm yourself with extra ‘powers.’ Surely, you already underwent to several training and seminars on creating a winning resume, how to effectively pass the nerve-wracking interviews, power dressing and a lot more.  Some of you are even tired of getting tips on those areas. But with the very intense competition out there, it is advisable for you to continuously empower your self by reading helpful references, getting consultancies from the experts and attending seminars on career growth. It is also an advantage if you further your skills by attending crash courses or formal training. Remember, every employer would want employees who are highly skilled and expert in different areas.
   
   

3. Network! Network! Network! This is the most opportune time for you to contact your former teachers, old friends and even the friends of your siblings or relatives. Build your network with these people as they are good sources of referrals.  There are also some online groups where you could join.  Chat with them.  Be generous in helping them if they need information.  In other words, develop your relationship with them.  They might just be the ones who will open door of opportunities for you.
   
   

4. Be optimistic despite inevitable odds. It is important to prepare yourself for possible failures along the way.  These are natural occurrences.  Even the most intelligent and smart individual go through the same process.  Despite the inevitable odds, you have to keep your focus, learn from the mistakes, and be confident that you can do it.

Indeed, the professional league offers a lot of promises.  High compensations, good stature and the title that goes with it are just some of the ‘attractions.’ The diploma that was just handed to you months ago is a strong proof that you have the capabilities to get such privileges. It is up to you now to act on the opportunities. 

 As what the famous line from the Koreanovela says, “AJA!”

Guidelines on attending jobs fair

In these uncertain times, job fairs are a welcome sight in malls, hotels, convention centers, campuses, municipalities and even barangay halls. Almost every month, you’ll find one announced in newspapers and other media. Casual observation as well as statistical data would tell us that these job hiring events are perennial crowd-drawers! That is because graduating students, neophyte professionals and old-timers alike flock to various employment expositions with the hope of landing their most sought after jobs.  The most amazing part of this is that despite the number of participants getting hired at every turn, there remain a huge number of aspirants month after month. A big crowd is a constant scenario during job fairs.  If there are so many jobs available for everyone as these numerous job expositions represent, why are there still countless of jobless individuals?

A logical conclusion would be that the supply of workers exceeds the demand and not enough job opportunities exist. This is a perfectly valid deduction. But on deeper examination, job shortage may not be the major problem after all.  It could be the job seekers themselves. Are they queuing up the long lines to submit their resume based on the requirements of the job and their qualifications? Or do they just stand in line where there are a number of vacancies to be filled and think they have better odds of getting in?  Are they appropriately and purposely dressed for the occasion? Or do they look like their out to have a leisurely time at the mall?

In the ever changing methods of the new millennium, job fairs have become the most common avenue for entry level recruitment. Human resource personnel or recruiters are now looking at job fairs as the most convenient way to invite, screen and choose high-potential candidates from a number of prospects.  In job hiring events, what is otherwise a month’s worth of screening can be done in just one or two days even on weekends!  Thus, companies are now resorting to this type of recruitment rather than using costly newspaper ads or outsourcing from placement agencies. 

If you belong to the increasing volume of jobseekers, you have to use this to your advantage. Look at job fair events as the perfect venue for you to clinch an elusive dream opportunity. However, the competition here is so much steeper considering that you are going to vie against not just two, three or ten but possibly hundreds of aspirants. You will most likely be sized up by the recruiters based on first impression and appearance because of the fast-paced set-up. A brief chat or your manner of greeting is often times a good enough gauge of your potential as a candidate. Plain vanilla aspirants are easily crossed out from the list of highly qualified applicants in favor of the more flavorful ones.  In other words, you have to make a good impression instantly and be at your best at all times. You need to be prepared physically, emotionally and intellectually.  Remember, a three-minute interview or a 30-second exchange of sound bytes could spell a big difference between success and failure.

To help you increase your chances of getting hired in jobs fair events, here are some basic tips:

These are just some practical tips to keep you on the right track when you attend a job fair event.  You may not be successful in your first few tries but always learn and acquire new insights every time.  Also, increase your knowledge by exchanging notes with fellow jobseekers whenever you can and always keep a keen sense of observation.   

Remember to make the most of every opportunity available in job hiring events. Certainly, you wouldn’t want to spend your time, energy and resources without having a clear goal of what you want to achieve! 

How to keep your job

In these days of economic struggles, securing a job becomes one of the great challenges one could encounter. Just look at the unemployment rate which has ballooned to a scary 12.2%. The number of people attending jobs fair here and there is an added testimony to the increasing number of unemployed workers. So, if you have a job right now and enjoying a regular salary, be thankful! Love it, keep it!

While getting a job is just the first part of the story, keeping it for as long as you want is another challenging chapter of your career. The truth is, no one is indispensable in the workplace. Even if you occupy a managerial position in the organization, you cannot be sure that you would still have a job the following day. Anything can happen between you and the company especially in these times of financial crisis.

In other words, nothing is certain. But, you can do a lot to increase your chances of keeping your job! Take for example those employees who have been with their company for a decade or more. Or those who want to retire but have been asked to stay in their organizations for a longer period of time because the companies will be adversely affected of their absence.

How can you do the same? Here are some tips on how you can hold on to your job and get close to being indispensable:

These are just some of the key points that you can do to create a perception of indispensability. But be careful not to overdo things in a bid to keep your job. Still, the best way to keep it is to consistently perform well.

Now is the best time to prove your worth to the company. Go ahead and seize the day!

Preparing for job interview

One of the most critical parts of job-hunting is the interview. It could be the clinching factor or the losing cause of your effort to start a professional career. In other words, it could make or break your chances of getting that dream job.

Take the case of Jenny Mayer. She applied for a technical support position in a technology company. Looking at her ‘rich’ resume, she was qualified for the position. Her curriculum vitae revealed outstanding academic performance and good organizational experience having been an active member of several school groups. Her credentials have been noticed and she passed the first screening with ease. Jenny came in the interview with so much confidence that she would likewise pass the second screening because of her impressive scholastic credentials. But Jenny overlooked one important point: to impress the employer during the interview session. To put it simply, Jenny failed to get the job because she didn’t perform well in the interview.

“It was indeed a learning experience for me. I came unprepared during the interview because perhaps, I was too confident having good academic records. I felt I already had the advantage over other candidates. What was most embarrassing was when I was asked why I applied for that company and I wasn’t able to give a good answer because I don’t know exactly the services offered by the company I am applying for,” confessed Jenny.

Definitely, you could have a different fate as what Jenny had by arming yourself with surefire ways on how to turn the interview session to a winning discussion for you. Here are some key points you should consider before getting into the battle field:

Always remember to answer the questions clearly, short and straight to the point. Don’t go around the bush. The interviewer provides limited time for every candidate and it is important that you’ll be able to communicate key points. Also, try to maintain good eye contact and good posture. Try to relax and feel comfortable talking with the interviewer.

The interview is your chance to show the potential employer your capabilities and worthiness to be part of his or her organization. So, do your best! Whatever happens, you’d come out as a ‘winner’ because you know from your heart that you performed to the best of your abilities.

FIRST JOBS FOR FIRST-TIME JOB SEEKERS

In two months time, Gary is on his way to get his diploma. He is about to enter the real world - the professional league. He finished computer programming in one of the country’s reputable schools. Gary is a bit excited but is a lot more anxious on how and when to land on his first job. Gary is not much of an academic achiever and so he considered himself as an average student who cannot boast of straight A’s or flat 1.0’s on his transcript. His mediocre college credentials plus the high unemployment rate in the country make Gary doubtful of his professional career. Being in the same boat of Gary, what should you do?

MAKE THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT STEP:
By now, your entire clan and as well as your neighborhood probably know that you are about to graduate. Take this opportunity to ask them of job leads or vacancies. Don’t be afraid to do this. In fact, it is said that most employees easily got wind of vacancies through people they personally know by simply asking around.

YOU CAN GO FOR THE TRADITIONAL WAY:
If the above is not your style, then the traditionally way could be a more suitable approach for you. Try to send resumes and application letters via Internet and snail mail to companies advertised in the print media, government employment agency, manpower placement centers, college career counseling office and job fairs. Explore every opportunity you might bump into. However, you also have to screen vacancies and choose only those that are in line with your skills, interests and career path. You might just be wasting time, and money (and a lot of paper and ink cartridge as well!). While doing this, another good option is to try taking the civil service examination just in case there are available jobs in the government sector, as it usually does.

COUPLE YOUR EFFORT WITH AGGRESSIVENESS OR PRO-ACTIVENESS.
As there are hundreds of candidates out there who are in the same situation as yours, you need to be extra aggressive in your job-hunting. As a fresh graduate with no real work experience, you could bank on your on-the-job training back in school to boost your confidence. Internship generally provides a very good sense of value and self-esteem. Use your on-the-job training experience to get a good grip on your focus. You could also do volunteer works in the community for additional experience or take part-time jobs to beef up skills and on-site exposure. But be sure to take these jobs seriously because they could also open doors of opportunities for you. If you perform very well, employer might consider you for full time jobs.

EXPLORE ON ENTRY-LEVEL JOBS

While it is true that most of the companies require applicants to have previous work experiences, not all companies really ask for this requirement. There are companies who are also open to accepting new graduates for office personnel posts since these kinds of jobs entail clerical and methodical functions which are best suited for those willing to get an entry-level job to acquire the basic work experience.

Some of the entry-level jobs that are generally in demand are clerks, telemarketers, receptionists, telephone operators, data encoders, call center agents and customer service representatives, promodizers, researchers, program coordinators, service crews and the likes.

Another alternative is to present your specialized skill to an employer. But before you do this, you have to research about the company you are eyeing to apply for. Know their business very well so you could emphasize on how you can help the company or be an asset in their operation. It would also be plus points if you speak with much knowledge about the employer’s business. This would give them an impression of your keen interest to be part of their team.

There are still a lot other positions not included in the list. A first-time job-seeker needs to be extra resourceful to clinch a job. Read a lot. Attend jobs fair, seminars or even reunions as these could be good source of job leads.

The first year might be tough for you. Never give up. But, who says finding work is a breeze? Decide for yourself where you want to see yourself ten years from now. Plan your career as early as now. Stick to the plan and focus on it. If you must choose a seemingly lowly entry-level job, make sure it is analogous to your career path so that the experience you’d get from it will be so worthwhile.

And don’t just get the experience to beef up your resume. Work on it very well and treat it as a training which will help propel you up the career ladder.

Good luck on your job-hunting!

Getting inside the employer’s head

She is a fresh graduate of a four-year IT course. He is an experienced professional.
She is an excited neophyte willing to explore and try new things in her new world. He is a veteran with a long list of work experience under his sleeves.

She is raring to start her career. He is a long-time hopeful in finding a job he could keep for a long time.
Charibel and Kenji—two professionals with one immediate common goal: to clinch the job they want. Like most job-seekers, they hope to get noticed and win the nod of their prospective employers.
I remember a fellow who has been working as HR manager for a technology once told me that a job-seeker must appear as a ‘complete solution’ to the job. Meaning, he or she must possess the ‘irresistible’ combination of top skills and values to fill the vacant position.

But what do employers really want? Experts said that there are ‘universal or standard’ skills and personal values that employers are looking for job applicants. Below are some of the extremely important skills and traits you need to work on for you to get hired and keep the job you want.

1. Communication skills -The ability to listen, speak and write effectively is always given a high consideration in all types of jobs. The individual’s communication skills are always viewed as ‘primary’ requirements for employees because it is a critical part of the business’ success. As it has been said, ‘effective communication is the lifeblood of any business.’

2. Analytical skills - This is your ability to assess situation, identify pressing issues, gather various perspectives and arrive at best possible solution to the problem. Employers would love to have employees who know how to handle concerns at the first signs of the symptoms.

3. Computer Literacy - This is a basic skill you need to acquire as most businesses are run and operated by technologies. You must at least have basic understanding of computer hardware and software such as word processing and spreadsheet. Ability to execute other applications is a big plus for you!

4. Flexibility To Do Multiple Tasks - This is your ability to handle various assignments at a time and setting priorities without compromising the quality of your work. When you are able to do several things with equal excellence, you are earning your ‘value’ to the company.

5. Leadership / Management Skills- This deals with your ability to head the ship and manage your co-workers to advance the company’s business. It is said that only few are born to have leadership qualities. True or not, one thing is certain though: leadership can also be acquired through learning. Thus, you can do something to possess such quality and use it to your advantage. You can start by reading good books on this subject.

6. Ability to be a Team Player - While you need to hone your leadership skills, you also must know how to work well with co-employees in achieving a common goal. This will help you build trusting relationship with clients, bosses and colleagues.

7. Interpersonal Skills - This is your ability to relate and establish good relationship with people you are working with. Such are critical skills being looked at by employers because these make a ‘productive’ work environment.

Just as important as the skills is the personal values or characteristics of the workers. Most companies even give annual recognition to employees who set examples and display inspiring attitudes at the workplace.

Employers often find ways to get a taste of the candidate’s personality as early as during the screening process and interviews. Below are the top values the employers would like to see with their workers. For job-seekers, try to integrate examples that will show these characteristics into your resume, cover letters and interviews.

1. Honesty – for employers, this trait is indispensable. More than anything else, the employees ‘truthfulness and integrity’ appeal strongly to the employers. You probably already came across stories which exemplify how ‘honesty’ could spell success and recognition in the workplace.

2. Dependability –employers would love to have people who are reliable especially in times of work pressure.

3. Enthusiasm/ Work Passion – employers are also fond of seeing employees who exude enthusiasm at work. The energy and passion in doing the job drive the employees in achieving quality output or result.

4. Confidence – Speak with confidence and act with confidence! You must believe in yourself and in what you can do for the company so the employers would believe in you as well. You can not expect others to believe in you if you do not believe in yourself.

5. Flexibility – this is your willingness to accept workloads that are outside your area of coverage. Employers are likely to hire and keep employees who do not limit themselves to set of works but rather those that ‘extend’ help when need arises.

6. Loyalty – Employers want employees who will have strong commitment and devotion to the business even during tough times. A friend of mine worked in a hotel for 10 years and worked like it is her own business. She stuck with the work even during the ‘financial crises’ and helped the business to recover from monetary loss. Although she has moved to another field of endeavor, her efforts were recognized and she was considered as one of the company’s legendary movers.

7. Professionalism – this deals with executing things in ethical and responsible ways. Your first test: your punctuality during your first interview! Display your professionalism in your first encounter with the employer by coming early for the interview and dress like a professional. Remember, first impression counts!
Now that you know what it takes to be a ‘good catch’ for the employers, start working on these skills and values. To help you out, you could improve yourself by attending trainings, seminars and professional development sessions. You could also approach somebody you know who has been a ‘successful worker’ to give you inside tips and techniques. Their wisdoms and experiences could provide you a clear picture of the career world.
Lastly, keep that desire to succeed in your heart. Don’t let rejections and objections dampen your spirit. Employers have various ways looking at the qualifications of the candidates. But if you have the basic ingredients or qualities as mentioned in this article, you’ll increase your chances of getting hired. However, it is important that you continuously improve yourself. Remember that learning does not end in the classrooms. It is a continuous process. With that, you could be the next most sought-after professional in town!

Must-know strategies for job-seekers

His academic records speak highly of his acumen. His work experience as a neophyte in the corporate world is outstanding. He looks smart and exudes confidence. Overall, he is a good catch! But then again, John has been a ‘bum’ for almost a year now contributing to the increasing statistics of unemployment in the country after the company he was working for closed shop. With his impressive credentials, why the long ‘jobless’ period?
Like you, I was also surprised. Reality bites! Even the most confident and highly qualified job-seekers go flat tires especially now that job opportunities for both neophytes and experienced professionals are becoming increasingly competitive. For the experienced job-hunters, getting out of work for a long time is harder to deal with and can certainly wear down self-esteem. Thus, it is important that you concentrate on your strengths, continually empower and arm yourself with strategies to create your ‘distinct appeal’ in the job market.

Here are a few suggestions to help you stay on track on your job-hunting spree!

1. Develop your job skills portfolio. Nope, this is not like a resume. This goes beyond stating who you are. This will give your target employers a clear picture of your educational background, accomplishments or work milestones, your abilities and skills, as well as your potentials in areas outside your expertise. Always bring this portfolio during interviews so you can immediately emphasize a point or show the profundity of your experience. But keep your portfolio updated and well-organized. You could probably divide it by categories - by work, by year or by company – as how you see it fit.

2. Explore. Don’t set limitations as to what you can do for a specific job. Boost your hiring chances by opening yourself to additional, new set of job loads even if it is ‘outside’ your loop of expertise. Accept challenges. Show your willingness to learn! Other than the employer, you are the one who will benefit from this. As what a wise man once said, “ experience is an asset of which no worker can be cheated, no matter how selfish or greedy his immediate employer may be.”

3. Focus on results or on your ‘solutions’ in response to the employer’s needs. Remember, employers look for applicants who could move them closer to their goals. To achieve this, it is essential that you do research about the company and study how your expertise can benefit them. Together with your resume, highlight in your cover letter how you could possibly contribute in the achievement of their goal and that you are available for interview to discuss the matter. In other words, hit the target right away. But be sure that you can really deliver the ‘promise’ or your USP (unique selling proposition).

4. Prepare yourself for a ‘communication’ in meeting with the employer. Meaning, you should not keep yourself at the receiving end of the question all through out the interview session. Throw good questions to the employer. Ask open-ended and thought provoking questions relating to the company’s goal and the position you are applying for. You can ask questions such as “If I’ll be given the chance to work with your company, what would you like me to accomplish in my first 60 days?” or “ How do you see this position will contribute in the achievement of the goals of the company.
Lastly, be confident and go out to win the job! More than anyone, your chance of getting that job highly depends on you. Show them your stuff! If despite and in spite of everything you fail to get the job you want, don’t despair. Get on with life and continue your search.
As what Sir Winston Churchill said, “ A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Get tempt with temp

Are you having a difficult time clinching the job you want because you lack enough experience? Or you’re one of those young professionals still in limbo not knowing what career path to take? Why not try ‘temp jobs’ to inch closer to your career goals?

Temping, although not a popular choice among career-oriented individuals, offers a variety of opportunities to individuals seeking permanent jobs or those who want to explore in finding his ‘niche’ in the career world. There are a number of employment agencies for temp jobs that could help you in your job-hunting.

For one, working temporary gigs would allow you to do different kinds of work for varying lengths of time in different organizations. You would get a taste of various company settings and management style that will make you more flexible and adaptable to any type of work setups. Also, having a more diverse work experience could provide you valuable information to build your resume and use such experiences as a springboard in securing the job that you want. Every organization would love to have an employee who have ‘deep and wide’ experience and somebody who could be a ‘master of all trades’.

“I’ve been a temp for two years and I could really say that it helped me a lot finding my ‘spot’ in the corporate world. In my more than 20 months of going around doing different type of jobs at different organizations, I was able to explore and hit the type of job I enjoyed the most. And here I am now, enjoying every minute of the things I am doing, eight hours a day. Isn’t it great?,” says Jeena Laguerta, now a sales manager of a leading distributor of IT products.

“Temping has helped me survived financially for almost a year,” says Jamy Liason who has temped extensively to keep the paycheck coming while looking for a permanent job. “At first, I hate the idea of doing temp jobs primarily because it is not stable. I wanted a job that could immediately provide me a clear career path. But after being jobless for months, I decided to jump to temping to support me financially. And the great thing about it, that temp opportunities I had actually led me to the permanent work I have right now.”

Another point why you should consider doing temp jobs is the opportunity it provides in harnessing your ‘soft skills’ such as people-interaction and organizational skills. You could master these two important work areas as you get to rub with different personalities and do varied tasks.

“I would say that temp jobs have prepared me to ‘bigger’ works and challenges. My exposure in a number of companies doing temporary jobs have paved the way of meeting different type of workmates – from easy-to-get-along-with to most complicated personalities. And I learned how to manage and effectively deal with them. So now, I feel more comfortable and at ease working with any type of people,” narrates the 30-year old administrative officer of a marketing medical gadgets company.

Most of all, temping gives you networking opportunities. Because you work with different companies and meet with different key people like supervisors, executives, department managers or even decision makers, you have the chance to establish ‘connection’ with them. Establishing contacts with these ‘influencers’ could open doors for prospective business and career opportunities.

Good networking could do wonders for an individual. Networking offers a lot of possibilities and widens not only your sphere of contacts but your career world as well. Engaging yourself in temporary gigs could keep your networks ‘rich and healthy,’ says Mark Leena, a human resource executive.

Temping is not only a good option for professionals. It is also a good ground for students or upcoming yuppies to gain on-the-job know-how and exploring opportunities for future employment while also earning extra bucks to support educational expense. Also, temp jobs ‘enrich’ resumes of students with actual work experience, thus, giving them better chance of getting hired on their initial career try outs.

Temporary employment or temping has a lot to offer. However, one has to love ‘changes’ and challenges to enjoy this type of work set up. Who knows, temping could be the ‘faster’ way for you to hit your career goals.

Don’t afraid to take risks!

Turn your temporary gigs to permanent jobs

Just like any other successful career person, Chamy Gracia, went through a lot of difficult and challenging times before she reached her dream of becoming a top-notch executive of an electrical firm. She has a lot of stories to tell from her frustrating first stint as a sales officer up to the time when she was promoted to hold a key position in the company she served as temp.

Chamy, who is at her early 30’s, revealed that the ‘small jobs’ that she had as temp in different companies paved the way for the ‘bigger’ career she now have. After more than five years of doing temporary gigs, Chamy is now considered as one of the company’s decision makers.

“It was really not easy doing temporary jobs. After a couple of months or so, I hopped from one company to the other doing different workloads. I became a sales officer, a telemarketer, a market researcher, an executive assistant until I found a bright spot in sales. And doing various works for different companies greatly contributed in my career. I met a lot of key people and my ‘rich’ list of contacts is helping me in my career now,” narrates Chamy.

Here are the key and basic rules we found in Chamy’s book of temping on how you could turn your temporary job into a permanent position:

Be proud of being a temp – Don’t think temporary workers as ‘small time’ professionals. When you decide to do temp jobs, be proud of it and always do your best. Take every work opportunity to showcase what you’ve got. Let your skills shine eventhough you know that you would only work for a certain period of time. When you able to show your value, it is likely that company would see the ‘need’ of your service for a longer period of time or even for good.

Always make yourself available in doing ‘more’ works – show your readiness to work more than what is expected of you. Arrive on time and display ‘energy’ in doing your job. Offer help to your workmates or even to you boss when you have extra time to spare. They will surely appreciate your good gestures and your enthusiasm at work. And their good feedback could be a good sounding board for you to clinch a permanent position in the company.

Dress for the job. Make extra effort to look good and dress perfectly for the job. It is important that you fit yourself in the ‘dress culture’ of the company you work for. Remember, you’re aspiring to be a part of the company and it is but appropriate that you dress like the permanent employees.

Network. Temping is an excellent opportunity to widen your network and establish contacts with possible employers. Eventhough you are not considered to take permanent positions, keep your contacts and continue to communicate with them as it is still possible for the company to hire you the next time around or they could even help you in your future jobs.

Win your boss and workmates’ hearts. Establishing rapport and good relationship with the people you work with is one of the keys in keeping a job. The company who would consider you for a permanent position will look at how you interact with your workmates and how well you fit in the organization. If they see that you get along well with them, then it will increase your chances of being considered for permanent employment.

Be vocal of your ‘want’ to be a part of the company – let your temporary employment agency and the company you were placed know how much you like your job and your ‘want’ keeping it. If you think you’re doing well and you feel that the company is appreciating your work, ask them to consider hiring you permanently. As it is, it is better to be vocal about your desire and take risks than leave the situation with ‘what ifs.’

Lastly, don’t despair when you failed to get a permanent job despite giving your best effort. Keep going! Use your experiences in temporary gigs in improving yourself, harnessing your skills and in finding your ‘bright spot’ in the marketplace. Who knows, you could be the next most sought-after professional in your field of expertise!

Good luck!