The employee attributes and practices previously discussed in this series My Experience and Attitude and Work Ethic will only help you in any job. Here are some valuable tips I learned while looking for a job back in 2001.

I. Assess your abilities, employment desires, and set goals.

• Find a skill set that will transcend the fluctuations in the economy. This probably means several different ones. Starting this blog, while fun, is part of my own strategy to enhance my skill set and make some extra money. Analyze your abilities, where they can be applied and the demand for them. Set some goals. Then steadily work toward establishing a skill set that will keep you afloat.

  Back when I was still looking for a job in 2001, I used a wonderful book called

  What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers

  I also think that entrepreneurship can be a great way to go as part of your strategy if you can find that underserved niche market you can tap into.

  ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income

  has a whole section of the book devoted to this. There are also some other tools that can help like Google Insights.

• Determine specifics about what you are looking for in an employer and workplace culture. This will help you target your search more effectively and find the right fit.

  One tool I use for making complex decisions is called the Paired Comparison Method to work out the relative importance of competing options. For instance, some common things to consider would be good salary, short commute distance, job security, regular hours, medical benefits, 401K with employer matching, training, and growth potential. The key is to quantify these items. You simply set up a matrix to compare each item with the other, and determine in each case which is more important to you. When finished, you tally how many votes each item received and Viola! You have your ranking. In my case when looking for a job in 2001, I was surprised to see that a flexible work schedule was near the top of my list. This can really help you pinpoint what is most important to you in a job.

  I tried to find some information on this, but most articles are very analytical of the technique itself. Here is one link that illustrates how to use this technique: Paired Comparison.

See
Career Success after Layoff: Part III-II Job Hunting and Selling Yourself: Promoting Yourself for the next part in this series.

Hey Staingirl Kaye, don’t sell yourself short! Kaye recently posted two articles on Career Success after Layoffs in which she blogs on her experience and Working for a Department of Defense Contractor. Kaye came to the conclusion that her career success is due mainly to the fact that she is a software engineer for a DoD contractor. And to a certain point, that is true. She is lucky that for whatever reason she chose a profession where highly skilled employees are needed and sought after. And she loves it!

But that is not the entire story. Kaye’s employers had previously worked with her and appreciated her work ethic and attitude. She downplays this aspect because she has always worked with people who shared these traits. Well, for those who have watched employees and/or coworkers stroll into work at a quarter past starting time, spend a good chunk of time on personal phone calls, and pack their bags and put the phone on night by 4:50 p.m. to make sure they are out the door by 4:59 p.m., Kaye and her colleagues are an employer’s dream come true.

Actually, the best career advice would appear to be using your common sense while at your current employ. If you were the boss, what would your reasonable expectations be? Think about it, if you were ordered to cut staff by 30%, who would you choose, the employee who always meets deadlines, or the one who is last to arrive and first to leave? In this economy, you may not be able to avoid the layoff altogether, but your co-workers, former employees, or clients may be in a position to help you get the next job, just as they did for Kaye. Co-workers will remember the day you called in sick and came in with a fresh manicure the next day, while they picked up your slack.

1. Show up on time. There is nothing more annoying to your boss than finding out that the phones are going to be unmanned, or something not going out because you didn’t show up. We all have days where we legitimately get delayed. Call and let your boss know.

2. If you are going to call in sick, it had better be legit. Showing up the next day or the end of the weekend looking tanned and with a fresh manicure are a tipoff. How about running into your boss during his lunch hour or a customer while you are out and about?

3. Try to schedule your appointments during non-working hours. Yes, a lot of doctors only work 9-5, and that cannot be avoided. But do you have to take every adult in your extended family to the doctor for the annual checkup?

4. Try to make up your missed hours. Obviously many employers allow for sick time, but if your legitimate absences are abundant, your boss wants to see you make an effort. Staingirl Kaye is a single mother who has also had health issues. She is not always able to complete her hours during the regular work days, but when this happens, she tries to go in the evenings and weekends to get her job done.

5. If your boss asks you to stay late to complete something, think before you stay or go. This is a tough call. Certain jobs do require more than 40 hours in a week, or may have spurts of long days. In this case, you should have been informed when you were hired if your job was going to require long hours. Also, sometimes things come up outside your boss’s control, and she will truly appreciate your assistance. At the same time, you don’t want to allow your boss to take advantage of you, or encourage her to give you jobs at 4:59 on a regular basis because she leaves items to the last minute.

6. Do your job and do it well. Your boss will not be impressed when she walks by and sees you selecting your wedding presents online. And go the extra mile. If your job involves research and calculations be meticulous and deliver a product that you have revised at least once or twice. She wants to know that she can trust you to perform and not have to check over your work.

7. If you don’t understand what you are supposed to do, ask for help. If you are new to the job, you may not have been told everything you need to know. And as your responsibilities grow, the work may grow more complex. Your co-workers would rather answer “stupid questions” than have to mop up a mess caused by your error.

8. If you do make a mistake, own up to it and fix it. We all make mistakes, and occasionally really stupid, costly mistakes. Your boss may fire you automatically, but often the manner in which you handle the mistake may actually save you. And so will all the other factors listed in this post.

9. Dress appropriately. Those flip-flops, short skirts, and breasts hanging out do not scream promotion.

10. Be pleasant. We’ve all heard about the genius who does a perfect job, who gets passed over for promotions time and time again because of a negative attitude. By the same token, your boss may overlook some of your other flaws, if her stomach doesn’t get tied in knots at the thought of having to face you every day.

11. Know your company’s policies and don’t violate them. For instance, abusing the internet is a common mistake that employees make while at work and it can lead to disciplinary action or worse. Also, think carefully about engaging in questionable non-work related topics around those you work with, even if you are NOT at work. Not only could this offend a valued co-worker, but it could also result in an embarrassing meeting with your supervisor and HR.

12. Finally, choose a career that you love. It is a lot easier to be a good employee and follow the advice above, when you are happy to come to work. If you are not in your ideal job yet, figure out what you want, and make a plan, whether it be to study part-time, meet people in that field, etc. And in the meantime, strive to be the employee your boss would hate to lose. After all, she may well give the recommendation that cinches your next job, or not.
If you are just beginning to look for a career, or you are want to change careers, why not see whether you are interested in one of the careers listed in this article on Top Paying Jobs for Women?  And guess what, Kaye was right. It turns out that her career choice may have had something to do with her success. The article includes software engineers in its list. Bottom line: If your boss needs you, you are that much safer. And if your colleagues enjoy working with you, you may have access to their network. As basic, as this advice is, you will be much further along than most other employees in this recession if you have the appropriate attitude and work ethic.