When breaking out of college and into the work world, there are many aspects of the job search to consider. Though there is a lot of advice out there that can guide you in the right direction and give you better understanding of the do’s and don’ts of applying for jobs. Sometimes those typical tricks of the trades cant get you out of atypical sticky situations. Like life in general, jobs are not always secured.
One issue that many people fall victim to while searching for a new job is having their current employer find out that they are looking elsewhere. When coming across this problem, there are many ways to go about making the best out of an undeniably awkward situation. Immediately you run the chance of coming across as a disloyal employee, which can end up having negative consequences on your projects and workload, as sometimes they will begin to taper off. The worst-case scenario is that a company will fire you knowing that you are planning on leaving anyway. Though that is a rarity, it is still very much a possibility. The best course of action is to tell the truth and have a conversation with your employer. Telling them the reasons that you are leaving and the career aspirations can help generate more understanding and diffuse tensions.
Another nightmare situation that employees can find themselves in is when they have cultivated a bad relationship with their last employer that then results in the unavoidable bad reference. Not listing the company and employer that you know is going to give you a bad reference isn’t always enough. Those who are looking to do research and check references have access to all past employers as well as family and friends. The best way to make sure that this situation doesn’t kill your chances at a new job is to talk to your past employer before the new companies can. Talk to them about coming to an agreement about what will be said in the case that they are contacted, it can also be helpful to contact the human resources department as well to have them talk to your past employer on your behalf. The worst case scenario would be to warn your potential new employers in advanced, by giving them context and understanding to the reference they may have a better understanding.
The worst situation that a job seeker can fall into is when an employee resigns from their current job to have their new offer revoked. This is a situation that only few have experienced, but it is still a reality of todays working world. In this horrifying situation there are only a few moves that you can make. The first is talk to the employers who revoked the offer and ask them for a severance package. Explain to them the circumstances and that you quit your previous job after the offer they extended and then jump back into the job search.
Though there are many things that have the possibility of going on when out trying to land your dream job, there are many beneficial aspects to the search as well. It gives many people the opportunity to search out and gain experience in companies and places that they otherwise would have never been. Just remember that the best way to attain the job everyone wants, is to broaden the field and stick to what you are good at.
