Do you love your job? Do you enjoy the industry you are in, even if you do not love your job? Are you good at doing what you do? If the answer to all of these is NO, I have to ask –what are you doing?
During your young professional years, no matter what position or industry you are in, should be a time of continuous learning and taking advantage of professional development opportunities. Whether you’re a baker, a truck driver, an accountant, a nurse, a lawyer – I have never known anyone being terminated for “knowing too much”. (Not to be confused with being a know-it-all, that is a different story altogether).
My background is in Communications. One of the things I love about the job, is how interdisciplinary it can be. Because most Communication positions are based on writing and public relations, it is a job that requires the ability to research and understand the background of your industry and employer in order to succeed. I landed my current position in an industry I knew nothing about –because I had the communication skills they required, and the rest was up to me to develop in. A writing test on a subject I had absolutely no knowledge of was a part of my hiring process. That was almost three years ago and I’ve learned a lot about the industry I work in to say the least. Is it one I ever thought I’d find myself in? No. Do I love what I do? No. Do I hate it? No. But have I learned enough to stay and advance within the industry if I choose to? Yes.
I see a lot of people come through my office door looking to get into the transportation industry. Young, old, retired, fresh out of high school, experienced, inexperienced, hard working and lazy. I can immediately tell who is going to be successful in the program they are applying into. Various factors indicate success, the most common ones being speaking and listening skills. This is mainly in part because in my brief interactions with them, these are the two that leave a lasting impression. I receive numerous inquiries everyday, and it amazes me how ignorant, rude and unprofessional people are when inquiring about a program that combines tuition funding, training and a job. Here are a few tips I’ve comprised from my experience:
1) Don’t let mommy do the talking for you. If you are interested in something and looking for information, YOU make the call. I get countless calls from mothers (or girlfriends or wives) who claim their sons/boyfriends/husbands to apply for the program. If that were true, the sons/boyfriends/husbands would be the ones calling. She can’t do your job for you and she can’t apply for you so you might as well try out that independence.
2) Provide your phone number. Do not put down your mom’s work number, or your girlfriend’s cell on your applications unless someone it is necessary. I once called an applicant to congratulate him on being accepted into the program, only to be greeted with a “who the #&%@ is this?” from his girlfriend. Big mistake.
3) Use an appropriate email address. If gangsta69@hotmail.com is the email on your application, chances are you are not getting a call in for an interview. Email accounts are free - please get a new one for job applications if your existing one lacks in professionalism.
4) Is this really what you want to do? Sometimes that pushy female in your life (see tip #1) wants you to do something your heart isn’t 100% in. This is a recipe for failure. Sooner or later it will catch up to you, so assess your repercussions first, and make sure you are applying for that job or program because you want to. These mistakes can cost more than your relationship with that person (for example, the program I accept application for will cost you over $8000 if you do not complete the program requirements.)
5) Keep your records clean. Things happen, everyone make mistakes. But some of those can haunt you the rest of your lives. Finding a job in a position of trust may be challenging for someone who robbed a bank 10 years ago. They didn’t think they’d get caught and have that record stand between themselves and that supervisor position at the grocery store one day down the road.
Once something appears on a criminal record or driving record, it is there to stay. For example: how can someone who can’t afford a regular class 5 licence because their fees are too high (due to countless at-fault accidents and speeding tickets) possibly be serious about wanting be become a professional long-haul truck driver?
Asses your career and job options and opportunities well. In this day and age, we are the only ones who can stop ourselves from doing anything.
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