The golden rule of job hunting

The first edition of Dick Bolles’ What Colour Is Your Parachute went into print in the early 1970’s. 42 annual editions, ten million copies and translation into 20 different languages later, it is still a widely recommended book.

But even with all the revisions and editions, there is some advice that the grandfather of career advice still gives to job hunters.

Keep a diary

I cannot count how many times I have had a great idea or concept, only to delay writing it down and when I finally did get to it, ended up disappointed that I couldn’t remember it with the clarity of the first time. The same goes for accomplishments and achievements.

The pressure that comes with staff appraisals makes it difficult to remember all the details of your work that you should be touting. Given that appraisals are not the only times you need to defend your case, having a document or physical diary where you have documented important milestones in your career is vital. These will also guide you when preparing for interviews and make the effort to recall less painstaking.

Ask for your worth

This has been said over and over again. But even I for some reason find myself thinking about money as an integral aspect of the job. I know a couple of people who have taken very well paying jobs and eventually declared ‘there is no money that is worth that kind of stress’.

On the reverse, I have also come across people who, regardless of how dissatisfied they are with their work, use the money as a consolation and find satisfying things to engage in to keep their sanity on an even keel.

At the end of the day, it is imperative to weigh salary against responsibilities, working conditions and growth opportunities. In some high pressure jobs, burn out is inevitable after exposing yourself to the same month in month out and therefore not something to be taken lightly.

It is also advised that as a candidate gunning for a job, you delay speaking about your anticipated pay as much as possible to first glean as much about the firm as you can.

Photo: bossip.com