What job do you feel would be a good fit for you?
This is a question that we in Employment Services often ask our clients. A common response we hear is “I will take any job.” This leads us to inquire what does “any job” look like to you?
We will then often ask questions such as: Are you available to work any day and/or any shift? Do you have your own transportation, or do you rely on public transit? Are you interested to work in a fast-paced setting? Do you enjoy working with the public? Do you like working in a team environment?
As we go through these questions, what is often learned is that the job seeker may have limited availability, not have their own transportation and prefer a slower paced environment in a position that doesn’t interact with the public. We refer to these as potential barriers to employment.
This opens a wonderful conversation where the job seeker realizes maybe it isn’t ANY job that they will take. This is okay! This is important information about you and your job interests. The next step is to help you address these issues and determine how they might impact your employment opportunities.
Look up a company you would like to work for. Do they have any positions that are of interest to you? Are there any barriers that would prohibit you from applying for the job? How can WE solve this problem WITH you? For example, the position requires you to be available to work weekends. Can you possibly work on a weekend? Upon digging further, you realize the reason you don’t wish to work weekends, is that you have a child at home. What can be done to ensure your child is taken care of if you are hired for this role? Do you have a spouse, family or friends that can help with childcare for those shifts? Is there a friend in the same situation and you could look after each other’s child when you are not working? Is there funding available to help you hire a paid childcare provider?
Sometimes you look at a job posting that intrigues you, but something keeps you from applying. Take the time to think about how you can address these obstacles. You may be surprised how many challenges you can solve and move forward with applying for the job that interests you.
Everyone has barriers to employment. You are not alone. unjobvacancies.com Employment Services is here to help!