With an employment relationship it is like with a good relationship: it must fit both. If one of the partners has wrong expectations, the relationship quickly shakes. It is therefore important for applicants to know in advance what they are getting into when looking for a job. If an employee chooses the wrong job, he quickly feels out of place. The result: motivation drops, dissatisfaction spreads. At the next opportunity, he looks for a new job – and the game starts again. It can therefore not be said clearly enough: Applicants should deal intensively with themselves, the employer and the new job right from the start of the job search. You have to ask yourself whether the new job really corresponds to your own abilities and wishes. There are three good ways to answer that.

Photo: Gearstd – shutterstock.com
You can only find the right job if you know exactly what you can and want. You should therefore be clear about your own abilities. Ask yourself: What am I really interested in? What are my strengths and weaknesses? Which activities bore or overwhelm me? What I want? Also ask other people, such as friends, family and acquaintances. The answers will help you to clearly formulate and understand your ambitions. For example: My job should only have limited dealings with customers, outside appointments are fine, a good working atmosphere is crucial. After this inventory, you can compare your skills with the characteristics of the new position. You decide whether the job you want matches your skills and desires.
Online texts or advisory brochures cannot replace first-hand information: You will receive helpful tips and a good insight into future work if you speak to experienced professionals who have been doing their intended job for a long time. Talk to acquaintances and contact people from your network. Find out exactly what the job requires and ask for details: What skills and knowledge do you need for the job and does it meet your expectations? External advice can help to better evaluate a job and the related professional options.
If you haven’t had an interview yet, you should gather essential information about the company that interests you. You can find these not only on the company’s career website. Employers often maintain their own profile on job exchanges and reveal a lot about themselves there. In addition to job advertisements, companies provide information about their goals, prospects or additional services. Job seekers also get a first impression of corporate values and culture there – and possibly an answer to the important question: Do we fit together at all? In addition to searching the Internet, applicants should not shy away from personal contact: go to career or trade fairs and get in touch with representatives of the company. This is a good way to get an impression of whether the employer fits and what his requirements are for future employees.
- Lies in the resume
Paper is patient, HR staff is not. If you style your CV, you usually have no chance of getting a job. - To the young Bill Gates …
… you shouldn’t refer if you want to prove your PC skills. One applicant claimed that he had been working with Microsoft Windows since 1970. - Internationality is in demand among HR professionals
But those who claim to have completed two different internships in two countries at the same time have bad cards. - The happiest day in life …
… has no place in an application. A personnel officer was accordingly surprised when he saw the wedding photo of the application on the résumé. - Fake diplomas …
… there are probably enough. If the spoofed certificate still contains a spelling mistake, the perpetrator is quickly exposed. - Meeting point elevator
HR managers don’t have to use the elevator to know who works in the company. Bad luck for the applicant, who incorrectly claims to have worked in the company in which the HR specialist was employed at the same time. - Once you are in prison …
… and afterwards declaring this time as a “job search” has no chance of re-entry.
If you work out your skills and desires clearly, talk to experienced professionals in your desired branch and get the best possible information about your employer on the Internet, you will get a comprehensive picture of your dream job. With this knowledge, you can clarify whether you are applying for a specific job or whether you are better looking. You know what you can and want – you will definitely find your dream job sooner or later. (pg)