Getting the Right Job or Doing the Job Right?

“If You’re Not the Lead Dog, the Scenery Never Changes” – Lewis Grizzard

When I was in college I worked as a “runner” on Wall Street during the summer (yes, it was a very long time ago and no, I’m not referring to drugs). A fairly simple job of taking securities and other important documents from one financial institution to another (basically, a messenger). At the time I was 19 years old and this was my first non-fast food job. So the first day I get there and all of the “regulars” (you know, the guys who actually do this as their real job) are sitting around waiting for their first “assignment”. They were a lot older than I was at the time (in their 40′s). Anyway, I get my first assignment – to deliver a package to a financial institution that was about 10 minutes away. As I walk out of the door, one of the regulars pulls me aside and says “this delivery will take you about 15 minutes, but you need to make it last an hour, don’t come back before an hour has passed. Get it?” So I did as he said and took an hour (thinking I would get fired for being so slow), but the “manager” did not think it was unusual that it took me an hour. So long story short, these guys were just milking their messenger job for what it was worth trying to do the least work possible and succeeding (if you could really call that success). Clearly not the recipe for “starting in the mailroom and rising to become the CEO”.

There is a delicate balance in getting the right job and doing the job right. First step in looking for a new job is, obviously, getting the right job for you. But, like everything else in life, nothing is perfect and even the right job will have its warts. Today’s post will focus on getting the right job and making the most of the job you’ve got.

Getting the “Right” Job: Maybe you don’t know (yet) what you want to do when you grow up or maybe

• Job Quizzes – Part of the mycareerquizzes.com site, this page has a number of free quizzes to help you figure it all out. From “Quit Your Job” to “Job Quiz” there are a number of quizzes that might help you in your process. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the full list of quizzes, but also take a look at some of the Career Guide articles and the free salary calculator.
• Find the Right Job for You – Posted on Oprah.com, this article provides an in depth look at defining what will work for you in your job search. There are a list of questions designed to help you determine your job / career wants and needs. This is followed by what you actually need to deliver on “finding the right job”. Some of the tips you will have seen before, but some you may not have thought of (like practicing for an interview). The article is worth a read and you can also leverage the other related resource links at the bottom of the page.

Making the Most of Your Job:

• Top Ten Tips: How To Keep Your Job In Today’s Economy – This article, from About.com, provides ten useful tips for keeping the job you’ve got. From Don’t Do Poorly to “I’m just happy to have a job”, these tips will give you some of what you’ll need to keep your job in tough times. There are additional links at the bottom for related articles such as “How to Make Your Current Job Work”.

• How To Get Promoted : 9 Obvious And Often Not Practiced Tips – What about keeping your job and getting ahead as well? This article, from Career-Success-for-newbies.com, tells you how you can get promoted (with obvious but little used tips!). In addition to providing this advice, this site is geared towards newly minted job seekers (and those in entry level jobs). Additionally, there are a number of links at the bottom of the page that provide even more resources for improving your job and career.

• Six Ways to Make the Most of Your Job – A good article to help you keep the job you’ve got and “make the most of it”. Posted on Kiplinger.com, the article provides a number of tips to help you manage your career. Mentoring, driving your career, appearance and more.

Good luck in your search.

By: CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.