Author offers advice on your first years in the job market

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Grads are entering an uncertain employment market but we’re finding out a little positivity and some inspiration can help you get that dream job.

Patricia Barbato is author of “Inspire your Career: Strategies for Success in Your First years at Work”. She says it’s important to work hard to get a job, use your network, talk to your parents, your friends your colleagues, people you’ve worked for in the past to get the word out there that you are looking for job and what you’re looking for. “Just [be] clear about what you want and what  you’re hoping for — what industry, what sector that kind of thing.”

She says you must have a sense of where you ultimately want to be in your career, so as you progress you are getting the right skills and opportunities and you are open to moving along the right path.

What if that first job isn’t exactly your dream job? “Bloom where you are planted,” she explains. “I think that’s really meaningful when you have a job that isn’t perfect for you because you can always learn something.”

Look for opportunities to learn technical skills, but there are also soft skills you can learn from any job. “People skills, how to get along with different personality types, how to get along with your boss, how to communicate verbally. The attitude should be one of ‘what can I learn here’ even though it’s not perfect.”

Barbato has three tips:

First, always have a good attitude — you can always be positive even in the face of conflict.
Second, learn more about yourself — take every opportunity you can to self-reflect and be more aware of your own reactions and hot-buttons.
Thirdly, build great relationships — you never know, the person you are sitting beside right now can become the CEO of a company you want to work for. Start building those relationships right now.

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