Wiser Worker Blog

Today I read an article about how older workers have unrealistic expectations of the job market. I found the article to be extremely misleading; the article was talking about the interview process not about getting a job. Really the job market has changed a whole lot in the last 15 years so it’s hard to have ANY expectations because who knows what to expect. Never fear I a resource for you from our friends over at the AARP Foundation.

In the current economy, it’s all the more important to know what kind of job you are suited for before applying. So before you rush out in a panic to find a job let’s at least find out what type of occupation that’s best suited for YOU that’s where the AARP Foundation WorkSearch Assessment System comes in to rescue YOU.

The assessment’s goal is to help you determine your job interests and work skills so that they can match you with the best possible job.  When you are finished the assessment will give you possible job matches based on where you live. And those job matches come right from WiserWorker.com Pretty Nifty!

It’s a no-brainer no cost solution to helping you create expectations both you and an employer can live with!  Check it out!

When you enter a interview….it’s a question your likely to encounter and goes something like this: What are your expectations for this position if you were to be the candidate chosen? Stop and think how you would answer this question, and before you speak realize there isn’t a right or wrong answer. What your response can indicate is how much time you have invested into determining if this is the right position for you.

Ideally before you interview for any potion you should have a clear picture of what you expect beyond your weekly paycheck. Some of my expectations of my job at WiserWorker.com are as follows:

Clear expectation of what my career path looks like both now and in the future.

What’s expected of me by my superiors.

What my customers expect from me - both internal and external.

What and how I will be compensated.

I have a clear understanding of my schedule.

So take a deep breath and decide what you want out of what your next job. Find out if they can and will meet your expectations and if you can meet theirs. It’s important to set those expectations from the very start because if you don’t you run the risk of being let down or even worse letting your employer down.

Expectations can either make your life easier or build barriers depending on how you manage them. I have been working on this particular entry for a few days.  This particular subject is confused in my own mind…maybe I had an expectation this blog would be something that it’s not…hmmm there’s a thought as well as a common theme.

Expectations can get in the way of our life experience if you let them. As human creatures we have the habit of plotting out exactly in our minds how something should be, not what it CAN be.  We spend so much time trying to figure out what something should look like that sometimes we miss the experience.  Why not let nature take its course?   It’s a loss of control, and that freaks us all out.  The problem with this behavior is you set yourself up for failure because you will never fully allow yourself the luxury of experimenting or going with the flow. We allow ourselves and our expectations to be controlled by other people or most times ourselves.

Example:  I recently attended a job fair hosted by a local agency; unfortunately there were too few jobs and too many job seekers.  This is a result of our economy…..it’s just reality. Due to the sheer volume of job seekers there was a line.  The end result of this situation was many unhappy job seekers.  Since there was a line and people waiting I figured it was as good as time as any to talk to people to see what they were thinking.  I found out the real problem and you might be surprised at what I found out…it seemed that the lack of jobs wasn’t the issue. It was the fact that they didn’t know what to expect, the common expectation was that once they got inside the doors there would be the ideal job.  I also found that many people didn’t know what the ideal job for them looked like.  Then it was also the people who were leaving who were unhappy that got everyone in a tizzy.

What might have helped people get more out of this event was a little reconnaissance. Before any event job seekers can called the promoters and asked what companies were attending the event and what jobs would be available.    That way the expectation of the event would be set and both parties could set up a realistic expectation. If you knew whey kind of jobs were going to be at an event then you would know if there would be a job that would fit your skill set.

My one and only point is set your expectation based on quality information, and give yourself the chance to experience life and what it has to offer and don’t be limited by  expectation.

“Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” Charlotte Bronte