Advice for job hunters: 'Attitude is everything'

Karen Darrow calls procrastination the number one enemy of job hunters and a positive attitude their best friend.

"Attitude is everything," she said. "Most employers are willing to train skills. They can't train attitude."

Darrow, as the student placement coordinator at Flathead Valley Community College, understands better than most the agony on the road to the ecstasy of getting hired. She recalled exactly one person who actually enjoyed job seeking.

"But most people don't want to look for a job," she said.

For those who must, Darrow has a wealth of knowledge and resources she uses to help students devise a strategy to arrive at their goal. The process starts with defining the ultimate destination of the journey to find a job.

"If you don't know where you're going, you can't get there from here," she said. "Often times, people don't have a clear idea."

To help, Flathead Valley Community College's career center offers career counseling as well as interest assessment testing for free for students or previous students. Others have access to testing for a small fee or for free through the college Web site, fvcc.edu.

The Career Center page lists sites such as O*Net Interest Profiler (www.onetcenter.org/IP.html) with interest assessments and inventories to download.

Darrow most often works with students when they graduate in their chosen field and need assistance finding job possibilities. The Career Center page on the Web site has links to sites for help such as Flathead One Stop Workforce Center, State of Montana and Federal/USA Jobs.

"You can look at Chambers of Commerce Web sites for lists of employers," she said.

According to Darrow, job hunters must invest the time in researching a company's Web site to learn as much as possible about the firm in general and an opening in particular. She said the more you know about what the employer wants, the better you can tailor your resume for a perfect fit.

"A resume isn't a life history," she said. "You want to focus on skills that show you can do the job."

Darrow recommends getting a copy of the job description to identify key words such as crucial skills or years of experience. A job seeker who inserts those key words in a resume - customer service skills, for example - increases his or her probability of landing an interview.

Picking up that job description or dropping off a resume provides a foot in the door to check out the dress code at the job and to make contacts within the company. Darrow recommends stopping back again for more face time.

"You say: 'Hi, I wanted you to know I submitted my resume and I'm very interested in working here,'" she said. "Then tell your skills in three or four sentences."

Darrow said students often seek help at the career center after running into trouble finding jobs. Usually, she finds they have submitted too few applications and/or resumes.

On average, a job seeker puts out 25 resumes for every interview secured. If a person is landing interviews but not the job, Darrow said the resume is OK but the personal presentation needs a look.

"It could be a small thing like posture," she said. "You have just 60 seconds to make that first impression."

When it comes to dress, Darrow counsels job seekers to go one step up from what the company's employees wear day to day. On the other hand, she said, don't wear high heels to apply at a lumber mill.

She recommends practicing in mock interviews. Darrow said she offers that service but very few people take advantage of rehearsing for a part that may translate into the role of a lifetime.

A dry run builds confidence and identifies potential gaffes.

"Sometimes it's not what they say but how they say it," she said. "Attitude comes through quickly."

Darrow said the interviewer might detect some resentment from a person who hasn't processed getting laid off. She said people need to grieve the loss, but not for too long.

"You need to look at looking for a job as your new job," Darrow said.

She advises setting up a schedule with a job-seeking activity each day. Darrow said people should join clubs or groups to make networking contacts to find out about job openings.

"It's who you know," she said. "It's still how the majority of jobs get filled."

She also suggested volunteering or internships as great ways to add skills to a resume and make additional contacts in chosen career areas.

Darrow advised seeking help from organizations in the valley that help people train or find jobs. Along with the state employment office, these organizations include Community Action Partnership, Montana Peaks and Experience Works (for those 55 and over.)

Even though the latest unemployment statistics in Flathead County seem daunting, Darrow cautions against focusing on the negative.

She points to new buildings still in progress and people still moving here. Darrow said that if 8.7 percent are unemployed, that means 91.3 percent have jobs.

"You can do better than the 8 percent - you can outsmart your competition," she said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.