Rushing ahead of these steps to look for job advertisements and
applying for positions can often lead to disappointments. Unprepared
job seekers may end up in positions which are unsuitable for them, or
fail to secure a job and find a great deal of time and energy has been
wasted. The more you know about yourself, the job and the industry, the
better your job applications and interview performance.
Are You Ready to Work?
While starting to work can be exciting and rewarding, it can also
take a
lot of time and energy. It is important that other aspects of
your life are stable so they won’t interfere with your ability to work
or to do your job. Some things to think about:
- Are you mentally and physically prepared for the requirements of
the position you have in mind, taking into account any reasonable
adjustments which you might need?
- Does your home meet your needs, is it permanent or will you be moving soon?
- Can you access transport to meet your needs?
- Do you have a good routine, eg. with support workers, if required?
- If you need to move for your employment, can you access housing and
support, and how long will it take for you to trial this and ‘settle
in’?
- Do you need to devote more time to training or to learning new skills?
It can be well worth taking the time to manage these issues
so that you can approach your new job with energy and confidence, and
do not have to face the disappointment of any complications that may
arise. Many employment services can help you work through issues such
as these which impact on your employment. You may wish to do this at
the same time as you undertake the self assessment and career planning
process.