Job Hunting, Part 5: Always Follow Through!

A most neglected principle of job hunting is follow through. This simply means that you will do what you said you would do. You will be there at the exact day and time at which an interview was scheduled or an appointment was set.

It also means you will return phone calls from voicemails left for you while you were out job hunting. Whether you do that in between pursuits or at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter as long as you return the calls before the end of the business day. Remember, each phone call to you from a prospective employer is a potential job.

Another follow through tool is written communication. Always grab a business card from the person who will be interviewing you. And always communicate with them by the end of the business day at least by email, thanking them for the opportunity to talk further, or simply for the opportunity to pursue a job with their company. That makes you stand out. No one else does this sort of thing, and it's so simple and so courteous. A thank you card is also out of the ordinary and distinguishes you in their minds above the other potential candidates for that job.

If your conversation or interview with someone was particularly noteworthy or memorable, then follow through with something as memorable...something that shows you care about them as a person...and something that will mark you and make you stick out above the other candidates. There is a difference between bribing, brown nosing, and follow through. The motivation will be revealed in your heart, and you can always rest assured that God doesn't honor the first two, nor does He honor flattery (Proverbs 26:28; 29:5).

Job Hunting, Part 4: Keep Your Plan Organized

As I stated at the end of part 3, the plan you implement must be organized. You may have identified companies you want to target based on your defined parameters. But if you don't organize that plan, you will start to wane and wander. Eventually, you'll feel like you're spinning your wheels, making no progress, which always ends up in frustration, anxiety, worry, stress, despair, discouragement, etc. I cannot stress enough that next to a plan, organizing the plan plays the most crucial role in in keeping your head in the job hunting game. As the old saying goes, if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.

The goal here is simple: take the targets you've identified, and put them in a reasonable order. This would wisely be done by breaking down all your targets by similar location. There's no sense driving on one side of town for one company then driving to the other side of town to chase another company, while passing other companies on your target list to get there. Instead, group them together by location. You should be able to hit about four in a day, perhaps more. That's going from application process (picking it up, filling it out, turning it back in) to scheduling an interview. (And pack a lunch to eat on while you're out. Don't succumb to a lack of planning what you'll eat so that what little money you do have is sucked away by fast food on the go. You'll end up feeling stupid and lethargic at the same time...a perfect soil for the roots of discouragement.)

Now for the tool. You need an organizational tool of some sort. If you haven't got one already, purchase a planner. Spend wisely. The monthly or yearly planners at the dollar store work just as well as the $30 planners from OfficeMax or Office Depot.

Take your groups of targets and schedule them in pencil on the day you want to chase them. Doing it in pencil enables you to erase and reschedule in case the temp agencies call you to come in and work. (Again...better to take work when you know you've got it, then take a day without pay to chase a chance of getting something better. And furthermore, God loves you! And He will reward that diligence, so ignore Satan's stupid accusations and lies.)

The planner is also useful for the next significant item in this process. When you turn in that application or resume, the normal response you get is "Okay, thanks! We'll look it over and give you a call." This is generally translated, "Okay, thanks! We'll file it away and probably never look at it again." This is where you've got to stand out from the rest of the crowd. The rest of the crowd generally responds with a smile and a nod and walks out the door. That's so very foolish.

Instead, ask to speak to the person who sets up the interviews, to a manager, a supervisor, or someone who makes decisions and has influence in the company. You're only asking for a couple of minutes. Whether you can do this or not, the point I'm making is this: be forward and courageous about asking for a setting up an interview. This is where the planner comes in.

Take out the planner in front of the receptionist, or manager, or supervisor, or whoever, and ask them when they could schedule an interview with you. With the planner out and in your hand, open and ready to write, you communicate to them that you are serious about this and you're ready to get on with it. It also flushes out whether they are really even hiring or not. (And if they are not, perhaps they will when they see your fortitude and aggressiveness.)

Write down on your calendar the day and time they give you for an interview. If they don't give you one, write down on your planner the day and time you'll call them back to follow up, asking them if that's okay with them. More will be said about this on the subject of Follow Through.

After each pursuit, take a few minutes to sit down and write down what happened, and how things unfolded. This is where you'll also want to keep a journal of some sort handy. Start a fresh page for each day's work, so that you can record what happened as it unfolded. This is so very helpful for tracking what you're doing, so that you can later review it to discover what you may be doing wrong, or what you may be doing right so that you can repeat it for further success.

At the end of each day, do that very thing. Sit down with your planner and journal. Review what happened. Review what went right. Review what went wrong. Review additional appointments made.

Follow up with messages that were left for you while you were out. Return these phone calls before the end of the business day so that you can set up additional appointments and/or interviews.

Job Hunting, Part 3: Make a Plan

4. Fourth, the most significant and yet neglected principle of finding a job is making a plan. Proverbs teaches that without a vision people perish (29:18), and without a vision for what you need to do, you will quickly grow weary and eventually "perish" in the job search. Emotions will go haywire and get all out of whack during this process, and you will be constantly tempted to be ruled by them. But if you have a plan...oh, how much easier things go. Perhaps the best part of having a plan is that when I created one and followed it, I was able to sleep much easier at night. Knowing I had a solid plan to follow the next day alleviated so much worry, anxiety, stress, etc.

The plan should not be too complex, or you'll be tempted to give up too quickly. K.I.S.S. is a simple rule to follow "Keep It Simple Son." Let me try to break this down for you as simply as I know how. What I'm about to tell you always worked well for me.

a. First, it is always wise to apply with temporary agencies or staffing agencies in town. The goal here is simple: generate cash flow (money coming into your hands) as quickly as possible. You won't make a "killer salary" with a temp agency, but a little money is better than no money. Or as the old saying goes, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Getting on board with them generally takes about a half-day to go through all the paperwork and aptitude tests. You'll feel so dumbed down, but don't take it personally. The average staffing company caters to those who may have only graduated from high school (if at all), and are not great achievers. This means you'll easily and quickly stand out among the crowd. And that means you'll get work quicker.

Temp agencies call you the day before or the morning of to tell you of a company who needs temporary labor for the day. When that happens, take it and run with it. More than likely, you'll be doing mind-numbing labor, leaving you wondering why you are settling for this. But remember, you are not settling. You are working to the glory of God, providing for your needs, and the needs of others. God is in the little stuff. Plus, think of how much more time you'll have mentally to commune with the Savior. It's amazing how much communing you can do when your hands are busy doing things that don't require much brain power.

b. Search for Full-Time employment. You'll do this on the days the temp agencies don't call you or need you...or after you get off.

Now, on this note, as you begin implementing your plan, you will want to work with those interviewing you, as much as possible, so that the interviews are on the same days. The reason for this is that you are generating cash flow with the temp agency, and every day you are not working is another day you are not getting paid. So make that day count for all it's worth. And be honest with the temp agency and let them know what's going on when necessary. They will not want to lose you, and your honest communication with them makes you all that much more valuable to them.

Your plan for finding FT work is simple, as I said before. And i'll put it in this order for you.

WHAT? Based on your strengths, brainstorm on what kind of jobs would be a good fit for those strengths. Understand that on the one hand, God has wired you so that you can use your strengths in almost any job you get. Remember that godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Tim. 6:6). But on the other hand, there are jobs out there that will be the best fit for the way God has wired you. Brainstorming may be easy, but most of this will be a process of discovery and learning.

HOW MUCH? Determine your living expenses based on the budget you created. The costs of living are usually fixed (rent, water, sewer, phone, internet, etc.) and there is little variable to them. But estimate on the high side for those items that are variable (electricity, gas, etc.). The main reason you do this is so that you will know how much you need to make. And you'll need to know that because most companies ask what you expect to make. If your living expenses are $2000 a month, and the job only pays $1800, then that job is not for you because you won't be able to pay the bills.

WHEN? Determine when you can work. Presumably you can work whenever the company needs you to work. But if there are other schedule conflicts like school or ministry activities, make sure you measure them well and determine if they are absolutely necessary (pursuing the kingdom and righteousness first, and things like that [Matthew 6:33]). Then carve out an availability schedule. Realize on this point that on the one hand, the greater your availability, the greater your chances of landing that job. But on the other hand, the lesser availability may be for conscious choices you are making toward the kingdom and that you are also making a conscious choice to trust God for another job. (This will be one of the most difficult determinations you may make in this whole job-hunting process.)

WHERE? Determine where you can work. The concept here is simple: you don't want to spend the profits you are earning on gas to get you to and from work. For example, if you are making $2000 a month, and your living costs are $1,500 a month, but you have to spend $500 to get to and from work, it would seem much wiser to get a job making $1,500 a month that's closer to home. This would redeem your drive time and give you more time to pursue other part-time or as-needed work. With that said, get out a map of where you live, determine the maximum number of miles or minutes you are willing to drive to work, then draw a circle estimating that maximum mileage or time around your address, and you've instantly defined your job hunting plan. You'll only look for jobs within that circle.

WHO? With the WHERE determined, you can now determine WHO you will target. Within this circle, you will target companies that offer positions playing to your strengths, and paying salaries you can afford to live off of. That further narrows and defines your job hunting plan. You'll only look for jobs within that circle, that play to your strengths, and that more than likely can pay what you need to live off of.

One particularly important pursuit here under the WHO is for you to do a little internet research about the company before you apply. You may only think you want to work for them. But a little knowledge about what they actually do, what their company values are, where they are headed, what their vision is, how much money they earn in revenue, etc. can all go a long way in telling you (1) if you even have a chance there, (2) if they are even hiring at all, and (3) making you stand out among the myriad of other applicants who are generally clueless about what the company does. The employer wants to know that you know enough about the company to sort of envision how you would place yourself in the business. Always do this research up front before heading out the door to fill out an application, drop off a resume, or schedule an interview. You will stand head and shoulders above the other applicants in your knowledge about them before they know anything about you.

With your WHAT, HOW MUCH, WHEN, WHERE, and WHO parameters in place you can now begin hunting for a job. The thing you need next then is an organizational plan to keep it all together so you can track your progress.

(A side note must be made here, and it's simply this: the more desperate the times in the job hunt, the more interchangeable these parameters are. For example, if you are having an extremely difficult time finding a job, you will want to re order these parameters so that getting a job is a little easier. Reprioritize them so that you at least land a job somewhere, since again having a little something now is better than having nothing at all later.)

Job Hunting, Part 2: Know Your Strengths

3. Third, know your strengths. Your strengths are your God-given personality wiring, woven into the fabric of your being by your Creator who loves you so much. This wiring is not to be confused with your spiritual gift, though they will certainly influence one another.

One of the most helpful tools I've found in getting a grip on my strengths and how to use them is the Gallup group's research and findings produced in the Strengthsfinder series of studies and tools. I've personally used the book Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton, as well as the book Strengths-Based Leadership which has helped me work my top five strengths through a leadership grid that is amazingly gospel-rooted.

Another helpful tool is Career Direct offered by Crown Financial Ministries. According to the website, "The Career Direct® Guidance System can help you along the path of educational and career fulfillment. By taking this one-hour walk of discovery on CD-ROM, you will gather a valuable collection of information about yourself you can use immediately. It allows you to profile your personality, interests, skills, and values and instantly generates over 30 pages of individualized reports."



There are several key reasons why you want to know your strengths.



a. It helps you know what you're good at. Knowing how God wired you is the first and wisest path to finding the type of job that best suits you...a job in which you can fully glorify God and be fulfilled.



b. It helps you sell yourself to a prospective employer. If you know how God has wired you, and what your strengths are, you can sell that to the one potentially hiring you. Even providing them with a copy of the results of your strength would be amazingly helpful. Do you know how many applicants provide anything else beyond an application or resume? Hardly any. This lets the employer know you are different. This makes you stand out above all the rest, because you've taken the time to get to know how God has wired you. It says, "I'm interested in figuring out how I can best serve God in the business world and make my employer successful."



c. It helps you know how you could best fit in the company for whom you work. When you do get the job, even if it is not the job you really wanted, knowing your strengths will help you quickly adapt to your new position in a way that plays to your strengths. Proverbs teaches that a man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men (18:16).

Job Hunting, Part 1: Expectations

Work is a gift from God. And finding work is a gift from God...yet one that is often times not easily discoverable. It is like the treasure in a field...it takes an awful long time, sometimes, to find a job. How much more true is this in an economic recession in which we now life. I thought it prudent to help you think through some basics in finding work. And this is something I intend to pass along to the brothers at church who are (or should be!) looking for work.

1. First and foremost, expect that looking for a full-time job is a full-time job, in and of itself. Papa first taught me that a very long time ago. He once told me, "Son, if you don't have a full-time job, finding a full-time job should be your full-time job." How right he was, and how God has blessed when I applied myself to this principle of wisdom. Expect, then, to spend a solid forty hours a week (or more) asking, seeking, and knocking for this gift from God. He has given you a promise that you will eventually receive, find, and have the door opened for you.

2. Second, expect that you are competing with hundreds of other applicants. Therefore, try to differentiate yourself from them. You want to stand out amid the crowd. One of the ways you do that is not to be ashamed of what you know you can really do. But also don't lie about it either. Be honest, but also be bold and courageous.

Will You Be Found to Be a Faithful Steward

Harrison, tonight after your first lesson we were able to talk about something so significant, that it will determine the course of the rest of your life. If you get the concept we were talking about, you will succeed and be very wealthy for the kingdom of God one day. If you don't get the concept...well...let's just stay you'll be pretty much like every other soul out there in the world...or worse yet...you'll be broke and on the street. Even worse, there'll be no "well done, good and faithful servant" welcome from God when you get to heaven.

Here's the concept in short: you are a steward of every penny that comes your way, and you manage every penny for God who gave it to you. That's it, plain and simple.

Consider this for a minute. How did you get the five bucks I gave you Sunday? I gave it to you. My boss gave it to me for working. The Servpro corporate office gave it to her. The franchises I work with gave it to the corporate office. The insurance companies that the franchises work with gave it to them. The insurance companies got the money they paid the franchise, from the customer when the customer pays their insurance bill every month. The customer got the money to pay their insurance bill from their job. If they had a job at Wal-mart, let's say, then Wal-mart paid that person for working. But customers who purchased items at Wal-mart, paid Wal-mart. Those people were able to buy things at Wal-mart with the money they made at their jobs. And so it goes on back further, and further, and further.

The point is simple. The money you received on Sunday has probably gone through dozens and dozens and dozens of peoples' hands. What kind of person handled that dollar before you? Did they have integrity in using it? Did they use it for King Jesus? Did they consider themselves managers of that dollar? This is where you come in. I want you to be the stopgap, the river dam, if you will, for every dollar that comes into your hand from now on.

People build dams in rivers because they want to stop the flow and harness all the water behind the dam. Do you know what they do with that water? They use it to force into the guts of the dam where it makes electricity, power for your lights and computer and games and t.v., etc. In like fashion, I want Harrison Wilkerson to be the money dam, where money is harnessed and forced into investments that yield all kinds of benefits for the kingdom of God.

The only way you can be this kind of person is to realize that you are a manager of that money...a manager for God. Forget this, and you've wasted a lifetime of money that could have been used to bless others and spread God's kingdom. Be faithful in this and...well...heaven only knows what kind of force you will become in this world for the good of King Jesus.

Financial Literacy for Teens - Chapter One Summary

With over a million dollars passing through my fingers over the course of my life, it's my responsibility to figure out how to make it, keep it, and spend it wisely. From the time that you start a job in the mid-twenties, to the time until you retire, you will have accomplished a money making total of over $1,000,000. Why? The answer is very simple. If you correctly do the math, you will get the answer that will help you through your carreer. Over the year, you will probably earn about $30,000. Say you start a job at twenty-three, and you retire at the age of sixty-two, and in the years of your job you make $30,000 a year, you should probably end up with 1.17 million dollars in your entire career. Wow! That's alot of money!