Job Market Preparation Tips just for You! Part 1

Hey guys! Long time we nuh have a chat! We've been busy sourcing the best information we can find to ensure that any tip or info we give you here is always beneficial. So when yuh nuh hear from we a dats why, lol. Now we've noticed a worrying trend; a trend that has us very concerned, and that is, job seekers not being fully prepared to take on the world of work. We have decided to do our best to tackle that problem today. We can also guarantee that for the next couple of weeks our articles will be very useful to you so hit that 'Follow' button under Members Sign In, so you won't miss out.

So let's get into it!

What we're about to say to you, it's a possibility you may not have heard elsewhere, but that's why we're here, to shed some light on the job hunting process. Now think of this scenario... you go the market to buy groceries, most of us trek down town at our local markets to do our Saturday morning shopping and we are very selective about what we buy. We want only the best! That's why when a vendor displays his or her food items we sometimes pick them up and examine them closely, we squeeze dem up and even go as far as asking the seller for a sample, you know, "taste and buy". 

If the goods are not to our satisfaction we say thanks but no thanks and move on the next vendor. Its almost the same thing in the job market (notice the name job market). The job seeker equips himself/herself (or should equip themselves) with the requisite skills and qualifications required to get hired for a job, and now has to convince the employer that they are a good buy and bargain.  

So, in the job market, YOU are the seller and the employer is the buyer/customer. You have to convince her that purchasing your product (skills, experience, certificates) will be beneficial to her business. Your salary is the price the employer is willing to pay for your services. If you however have been unsuccessful in selling your product then just like in Coronation market the buyer moves on to someone who will sell them something they like. Yes, I know it sounds harsh to say it like that, but that is the truth dears. A suh it guh!
So you may be saying now, "Omg Career Focus Team what do I do? I want a job. How do I prepare myself to land that job?"

1. Job Market Research
If you are planning to pursue a tertiary education or learn a skill the first thing you need to do is identify what's trending in the market i.e. to investigate the skills that employers need so that you can focus your studies in an area or field, that you can be sure that after leaving college you can find employment.
Weh yuh seh...how mi do that? As we said we've been digging for you! Believe it or not the Ministry of Labour (Jamaica) does a yearly survey on the job trends in the market. They research the jobs in demand, identify the top professionals companies seek to hire and then put everything together in a survey document. The last one was done earlier this year. Quite a detailed piece of literature, we recommend you read as much of it as possible.  You can find an online link to it Here. Yes, you're welcome!
Psst... Mi a teck just a small piece fi yuh see weh it seh...shhhh! Look below...

"...Employers looked for a number of different key attributes when hiring workers. The most important factor was knowledge and skills specific to the position (79%). More than half of the firms surveyed (55%) required persons who were responsible and committed, while close to half (47%) looked for prior work experience. Other attributes highlighted were:

 General and basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy 32%
 Level of formal education attained 28%
 Physical appearance 20%
 References and letters of recommendation 9%
 Wage and salary expectations 9%
 Attitude 4%..." (National Labour Survey, April 2017)

Seriously, take a read at what the excerpt we took out says about employer expectations. Let's break it down:

• So number one, most employers (79%) surveyed want workers who have the knowledge and skills required for the vacancies they want filled and that is a major requirement on their shopping list.
• They (55%) want persons of exemplary character. Responsible people who are committed to the development of the company not someone who just a come seh "boss man how a much di pay?" DWL!
• Forty-seven percent (47%) of the employers surveyed (the sample size was 660 firms) stated that they wanted workers with previous work experience. Yes that dem seh.
• Employers expect their workers to be literate and numerate. That's why dem always ask fi CXC passes. The assumption is, if you've passed at least the general proficiency level, you would automatically know how to read, write and speak well, as well as possess adequate reasoning skills (being able to understand and follow instructions well and know how to operate in the workplace with minimum supervision). CXCs are like a minimum requirement now.
• Twenty-eight (28%) of employers cited formal educations including tertiary level education as a requirement to join their companies. Weh dem seh "education is the key to success!" We recommend job seekers continually strive to improve themselves by upgrading their skills and pursuing hire educational opportunities, especially if you are currently unemployed. This will make you a more marketable package to your prospective employer. Same suh.
• What is interesting and noteworthy is the emphasis placed on job applicants' appearance. You have to be on point from the moment you leave home to the time you step in the doors of their offices. People always say first impressions last. What do you guys think?
• Take a look at the percentage for wage and salary expectations. It says 9% percent of employers see salary and wage expectations of job seekers as a factor in the hiring process. What do you think is it a bigger factor than the employers want to admit? We know what we think, but we wanna hear from you. 
• The other two (2) points, references and recommendations, and the general attitude of a job applicant are to be expected as key components an employer uses to decide to hire a person. No issues there for us. 

Here is another excerpt we thought you might find interesting. This is a list of the jobs in demand and projected to be in more demand in the near future:

"...the most frequently mentioned job functions/skills highlighted were Computer Technology/New Technological Skills (11%) and Technical Workers (10%). The technical workers included those with a strong technical background such as Mechanical Engineers. These findings are consistent with the expected growth of the Information and Communication Technology(ICT) Industry as well as Renewable Energy. Below are the list of skills and occupations frequently mentioned:

 New Technological Skills (11%)

• Digital Marketing
• Digital Analysts
• Data Mining
• Online Marketing

 Technical workers (10%)

• Mechanical Engineers

 Skilled workers (8% - unspecified)

 Computer Technology (8%)

• Programmers
• Web Design

 Managers (7%)

• Operations
• Human Resources
• Diversity
• Project

 Sales and marketing (7%)

 Customer service representatives (6%)

 Accounting staff (4%)

 Professionals (3%)

• Consultants
• Internal Auditors

 Clerical workers (3%)..." (National Labour Survey, April 2017)

Nah give yuh nuh more click the link above to read more of it. Do you see any job on the list that surprises you? No surprises for us here. We've noticed these trends developing since we started our job posting blog, Jobs Postings Caribbean, you can find the latest jobs on that site. As the saying goes knowledge is power. Now that you know don't be discouraged, our next article will help you to figure out how to use this new information to your advantage. Tune in next week! 


References:
National Labour Market Survey: A Guide to Employment Opportunities in Jamaica. <- click="" document.="" for="" p="">