How to Find Work in the 21st Century. Ron McGowan

You must understand that your success in today’s workplace is tied directly to how effective you are at self-promotion and what self-promotion means in the context of looking for work.

      A Note About The Quizzes

      There are three quizzes in the book. The point of the quizzes is for you to test, on your own, your knowledge of the material you’ve read in the section preceding the quiz. To determine what you’ve learned, you must answer the questions in a comprehensive way rather than with short answers. If the question asks for a true or false answer, for example, the question is not merely whether you think the statement is true or false. Ask yourself why you feel it is true or false, and list all of the reasons you can think of to support your answer.

      In the Appendix and on the CD included with this book are answers to the questions so you can compare your responses. Do not be tempted to look at the answers before you have answered the questions as completely as you can. You’ll only be short-changing yourself if you do. If you’re not sure about the answer, take a stab at it anyway. You’re trying to determine what you know and don’t know.

      If all of your answers are wrong, as unlikely as that may be, that’s not a bad thing. You will find out what you don’t know and the areas you have to brush up on. That will make your search for work far more effective and increase your chances of making a good impression in an interview.

       Quiz 1: The Workplace

      1. Name some medium-to-large organizations that potentially could use your skill set and explain why you chose them.

      2. Name some small (less than ten employees) organizations that you would like to work with and explain why you chose them.

      3. Name some projects that are either underway or will soon be started that might provide employment opportunities for you.

      4. Your chances of finding work will be directly related to the number of want ads you respond to, the number of recruiting agencies you register with, and the number of résumés or CVs you send out. True or false?

      5. Name the three most active sectors in the economies of the cities or regions in which you want to work.

      6. What are the key trends in the sectors in which you want to work?

      7. Name some influential people in the sectors in which you want to work.

      8. Where do the “players” in the sector you want to work in hang out? What associations do they belong to? What networking events are they likely to attend? Identify the trade shows and conferences coming up in the next six months that they are likely to attend.

      9. What are the best media sources for keeping you abreast of new developments in the workplace and in particular the areas you’re interested in?

      10. Name some websites that will keep you informed about the areas in which you want to work.

      11. What are the best electronic and/or print newsletters that will keep you informed about the areas in which you want to work?

      12. Can you think of an unmet need in the areas in which you want to work that could be an employment opportunity for you?

      13. Outsourcing will destroy the workforces of countries in the western world. True or false?

      14. You’ve just joined the association that you know the “players” in your sector belong to. The executive has asked you to fill the vacant “program chair” position and you’ve accepted. In putting together the program for the coming year, identify three topics that you know will be of interest to the members.

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