CTAE3 - Level 3 - Problem Solving (Lesson)

Problem Solving

Introduction

Decision making and problem solving involve gathering reliable information, evaluating that information for solutions and selecting the best option based on the situation.

How to Use Your Problem Solving Skills

Using your problem solving skills to find a job requires locating different sources for job hunting, evaluating those sources for opportunities, and using those sources to find a job in your career path.

You can also use your problem solving skills to network. Career networking involves creating personal, professional, and academic contacts that can assist you in your job search or help advance you in your career goal.

In job seeking, there is an old adage: “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Making connections with a targeted set of people can result in the acquisition of new information about a specific type of work, organization, or job opportunity. These connections can further your career, both in your search and after you land the job.

Finding a Job Can Be a Problem to Solve

Using your problem solving skills to find a job requires locating different sources for job hunting, evaluating those sources for opportunities, and using those sources to find a job in your career path.

Common Sources for Locating a Job

- - - Networking
    - Employment websites
    - Company websites
    - Job listing search engines
    - The classified section in the newspaper
    - Employment agencies
    - Job fairs or career fairs

Networking

Career networking involves creating personal, professional, and academic contacts that can assist you in your job search or help advance you in your career goal.

Networking provides opportunities to:

Gain first-hand industry knowledge from current professionals
Improve your visibility and career progression in a particular field
Demonstrate your skills, commitment and initiative
Find work experience to enhance your marketability
Access positions that are never advertised

Watch the presentation below to learn about networking.

Job Location Sources

The Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a clear, brief message, between 30 seconds to 1 minute in length, used to describe yourself to your network contacts. It communicates who you are, what you're looking for and how your skills can benefit the company or organization.

Your elevator pitch should be approximately sixty seconds long and should use your brand positioning points as the foundation to answer the following questions:

Who are you?
What experience and skills do you have?
What makes you unique?
What problem can you help your prospective employer solve?
What are you looking for?

Do you think you have the skills to find a job? Watch the news clip below to learn more.

Challenge

Are you prepared to use your problem solving skills to find a job? Try the challenge below to test your knowledge.

Takeaway

Job Search Problem Solving

Decision making and problem solving involve gathering reliable information, evaluating that information for solutions and selecting the best option based on the situation. Using your problem solving skills to find a job requires locating different sources for job hunting, evaluating those sources for opportunities, and using those sources to find a job in your career path.

Job Search Summary

Create your personal plan. Look inward to decide what do you want to do with your life. Regardless of how old you are, what do you want to do over the next 5, 10, 15 years and beyond? Don’t stop at retirement. If you don’t set your goals and a related a plan, there is a good chance that you won’t get there. Think beyond your job and career. Examine other aspects of your life such as relationships, family, spiritual, community, and hobbies and other interests. What are your priorities based on what’s most important to you? What tradeoffs are you willing to make?
Analyze the market place. Where do you live and are you willing to relocate for a job? Many people don’t have the flexibility to change locations because of financial or family commitments. Assess the type of companies, pay and benefits where you want to work. Are you willing to work remotely?
Position yourself. What makes you different from the other potential candidates from the perspective of the hiring manager? Another way to think of this is to consider how you’ll distinguish yourself from the pack. This involves developing your personal brand.
Update your skills. Learn how to use social media and the breadth of current business tools/devices. You must be reachable and active on the platforms and methods where prospective employers look. Otherwise, you’ll appear old, out of touch and out-dated.
Engage on social media. Get out and participate on social media. Find others to have a public conversation with in your areas of expertise. This engagement can help you connect with other people without the anxiety that comes from meeting potentially useful contacts face-to-face.
Develop a job search plan. Set up a business plan as if you were working for yourself. To this end, figure out who’s in your target market and how to best connect with them. Based on your market research and your positioning, decide which jobs you’re going after and brainstorm what you need to get to each job’s individual hiring manager. How are you going to get networked in? Consider personal connections, social media contacts and direct mail.
Promote yourself. While determining your goals and developing your personal brand are important and provide you with business activities, they’re not a job search by themselves. You need to make connections with people. Even more importantly—you must make it easy for others to help you. Don’t expect contacts to have time to talk or meet, since time is a scarce commodity. Instead make it easy for them to do something to help move your process along.

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