Young people should go extra mile to find work
UNEMPLOYMENT in the North East has dropped for the first time in six months, bucking the national trend.
Yet we still have the highest rate of unemployment in our region.
I want to take this opportunity to give some advice to young people and parents out there who, for whatever reason, lack motivation and the ‘get up and go’ attitude to go out there and bag themselves a job.
1. PARENTS: Stop making life so ‘cushy’ for your kids.
I know for a fact that a lot of parents want their son or daughter to get out there and get work, yet it is the parents who create the perfect ‘home’ that the young person doesn’t want to leave.
Meals on the table and everything done around the house, well it’s about time a lot of people got a short, sharp shock or we’ll find ourselves in the same situation in five years’ time!
Lots of teenagers take advantage (even if they don’t do it deliberately) and need that kick to get them to buck their ideas up.
2. THE CV: If you want a job in a specific place of work you MUST tailor your CV to that place of work, or at the very least write a convincing cover letter accompanying it to persuade the employer how much you want the job.
Time after time I see people hitting the high streets with generic CVs. Okay, sometimes you get lucky, but the reality is that most of the time they go straight in the bin!
It’s time to work harder to get the job; you have to show how much you want it.
Cover Letter + Tailored CV + Knocking on doors (seeing the employer in person) are key.
3. YOUNG PEOPLE: Working is part of life; everyone has to do it in some shape or form.
Times are tough, we know that, but there are jobs out there and there are opportunities out there, you just need to look and try harder!
I’m a firm believer that if you want something badly enough you’ll get it.
Get up and get out of your comfort zone and prove to people that we, as young people, have so much to offer.
Think outside the box and go to meet people, whether it is at networking events or going into shops or business parks - you have to go the extra mile!
Back to business. I often get asked: “If you didn’t go to university, how are you qualified to do what you do?”
This question bugs me. Whether you have a degree or not, in business you should be constantly looking to learn and expand your knowledge.
The best source of learning in my opinion is on the job, but at the same time there are so many resources out there to keep you ahead of the game and keep your business mind ticking.
One resource you can access for free is through iTunesU.
Many business schools from around the world post lectures on iTunesU for anyone to download. This means you can access a small proportion of University education for free.
I finish this week with a quote: “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” - William James
* If you have enterprising news you want to share, get in touch via Twitter @grantridley or e-mail toonpreneur@grantridley.com
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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