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Dear Joanna,
I’m graduating high school next year, and I hope to start my job search for paid employment. Sadly, I’m not sure what type of job or career that I’d like to find as I have so many interests and hobbies. I’ve never worked before. I’m new to this world of employment. Please can you advice how I can best prepare myself for a paid position in the competitive job market.
Signed: Lots of Options (LOO)
Dear LOO,
Reena’s lead job coach Tamara Zalev and myself as frontline job coaches would like to recommend the following strategies to help you prepare for your upcoming job search path for paid employment as early as possible. Don’t wait till you graduate! Even if you don’t know what career or job you’d like after school, it’s important to do your homework so as finding your career path and paid work is a hard process. I’m also adding insights from this blog https://johnleonard.com/blog/10-ways-to-prepare-for-a-career-if-youre-still-in-school/
- Being self-aware. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, limitations, passions and interests can lay the foundation for a much easier job search. Focus on what you can do; not what you can’t do. What’s your learning style? There are skills and career assessment tests to determine this information. What activities do you find yourself naturally drawn to and enjoy? Which subjects do you prefer to learn at school? Which ones are harder to learn? Use the classroom learning experience and consult with your teachers to gather this information about yourself.
- Building skills and accomplishments. Way before you start thinking about a resume or cover letter, it’s important for both your confidence and self-esteem to get involved at school on projects, co-ops, work experiences. extra-curricular activities and/or volunteering. Taking on tasks and responsibilities in any of these activities or programs – even if it’s 1 day – is one of the best ways to gain experience as well as build your skills especially the important ones for the workplace (soft skills) like focusing, following instructions, taking initiative, being responsible to name a few in a safe environment. Help out at home as much as possible with chores is another way to achieve the above in addition to your being part of the family! Join social clubs, sports teams and interest-based groups. These accomplishments are great for the resume and are important as part of the process to eventually start your job search. He
- Volunteering. This strategy deserves its own section. Getting involved in the community or at school through volunteering is such a great way to meet people, build your experiences, skills and confidence as well as identify your strengths and passions. Having fun at the same time! All of us have volunteered when we started our career path without question not only through school co-ops and internships and during school. It’s one of the most proven strategies to help with securing paid employment in the long run.
4. Always be open to learning and feedback. Ask teachers, other students, friends, and family for their perspectives on your strengths as well as suggestions of where you can build your skills and experiences. Find out if your school or local community centre offers any workshops, courses, trainings to develop your skills based on possible areas that are your hobbies and interests? For example, if you enjoy cooking and baking, then check out trainings offered at school and/or the community centres.
Once you have laid the groundwork for your upcoming job search – your interests, hobbies, passions and strengths, accomplishments and hopefully more confidence and self-awareness, you can start setting goals of possible career paths you would like to research and explore before you embark on your job search.
Joanna