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When you see the enticing headline "Worst Jobs In America," it's almost impossible to resist clicking to see what professions made the list.
But, what happens if your job is on the list?
The first thing to do is to remain calm and not be offended by the designation. A phrase like "worst" is only a point of view.
Many of these lists take into account general factors like work environment, stress, occupational outlook, and income. Careercast.com uses these factors annually as it crafts its best and worst jobs lists.
While these factors are all significant, you can't tailor them to each individual. Everyone has different preferences, financial situations, and ambitions.
Still, if your job made the worst list, chances are it's a tough and, at times, stressful job. Here are some things to keep in mind if your tough job ends up on the worst list.
Always Leave Your Career Options Open
If you're happy and love your job, it doesn't matter what list it ends up on. Career happiness is hard to find and, if you've found it, don't let anything discourage it.
But, if you're on the fence about the job or unhappy, seeing it end up on the worst list may just be another strike against it.
It could be time for a career change.
Decide what you want to do and identify some companies that you may want to work for down the line.
One benefit of working a tough job (and doing it well) is that it gives you an opportunity to sell yourself as a hard and resilient worker. Identify the skills you've acquired and challenges you've overcome. Figure out how to make a case for these skills translating into a new job.
It's also important to conduct a proactive job search. It's not good enough to just send out resumes and hope for responses.
Do your research and make strategic connections. You may know someone that works for the company or have a friend that knows someone who works there. These connections could provide you with important advice about the company and position you're pursuing.
Do whatever you can to get your foot in the door.
Find A Way To Relieve Work Stress
All jobs are stressful, but some are more stressful than others. According to the careercast.com Worst Jobs of 2019 list the Top 5 worst jobs in America are...
1.) Taxi driver
2.) Logger
3.) Newspaper reporter
4.) Retail salesperson
5.) Enlisted military personnel
All five of these jobs are very different from each other. However, one thing they have in common is that they all appear to be high in stress (the author of this post can vouch for newspaper reporter as a high-stress job).
Everyone has their own strategies for dealing with stress. Some people focus on what they can do outside of work to alleviate the stresses of their jobs. Outside of work, it's good to have a go-to passion or escape. It could be quality time with family, playing a sport, going to the gym, or some sort of creative outlet. Whatever it is, finding a way to have fun and get your mind off of work is important for your health.
Life can't revolve around work all the time, especially at a high-stress job. If the job becomes all-consuming, it will only increase the overall stress.
Attitude also plays a major factor in stress levels. Approaching a situation with dread or as if you're already defeated will only exacerbate the stress. Keeping a positive attitude in all situations, especially the difficult ones, is essential for keeping your sanity.
Look For Opportunities To Make The Job Easier
This is obviously easier said than done because some jobs are just tough.
However, no matter what job you work, it's never a bad idea to take a step back from time to time to evaluate how you do the job. Do you unintentionally make the job harder on yourself?
By really evaluating how you do the job, you can identify bad habits and ways to correct them. You can also identify ways to streamline the work.
Time management is also crucial. Do your best to plan the day and prioritize the most important tasks. Obviously, you can't plan everything and things change, but it's important to have a framework for the day and know what absolutely has to get done.
Keep communication open with co-workers and look for opportunities to delegate responsibilities.
Don't Be Afraid To Be Selfish At Work Sometimes
Whether it's putting in extra hours, taking an extra shift, or picking up the slack of another co-worker, most of us have gone the extra mile for work at some point.
There are times when it make sense. The work has to get done one way or another and putting in the extra effort could make your life easier in the long run. Sometime this extra effort is way to position ourselves favorably with supervisors and set ourselves up for promotion or better pay.
In addition, when jobs offer overtime pay, it can be very tempting to put in additional time.
When you start extending yourself too much, it almost becomes expected from your employer and before you know it you're burning yourself out without even realizing it.
Learn how to say NO.
Time away from a stressful job is essential, so it's important to keep a proper work-life balance in place. If you're willing to put in the extra work from time to time, no one should fault you when you say no. If they do, you're at the WRONG job.
Look For Bonding Opportunities With Co-Workers
In the old days, it was very common to see a handful of newspaper reporters at the bar after deadline.
There's something very comforting about sharing a drink with someone who experiences the same workplace challenges as you. It's an opportunity to discuss those challenges, share ideas, and even complain (there's nothing wrong with complaining, everyone needs to vent sometimes, just be mindful of what you say).
It's always a good idea to have a trusted group of friends at work, but it's especially important when you work a difficult and stressful job.
Having these type of trusted co-workers makes going to work easier and can improve the overall work environment. It also helps work-life balance to find bonding opportunities outside of work, such as random get-togethers, trivia night, sports leagues, and so on.
These co-workers help to keep you sane and motivated because they are going through the same ups and downs on the job as you and can make for a great support system.
Wear Your "Worst" Job Title As A Badge Of Honor
You work one of the worst jobs in America and you do it well. Own it!
As stated earlier, whether a job is good or bad can simply come down to a point of view.
If the job is a good fit for you, it doesn't matter what others think.
Just do what you can to make the job easier and be proud. The skills that you acquire on your difficult job could prove invaluable in the future.
The worst jobs list is only a list, the key to career happiness ultimately lies within yourself.
If you are ready for a career change and need help then join our program and work one on one with a certified career coach.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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