Refine Search

So You Want to Get a Job!

By “Awake!” correspondent in Brazil

ARE you acquainted with ads like the above? If so, you are probably one of millions who at some time or another picked up a newspaper to look for a job. Are you looking for a job now? Or, as a parent, are you thinking about a career for one of your children?

Take another look at the ads. Did you notice that no company is simply offering a job? They are asking for someone who knows the work. Now check the job listing on page 15. Are you qualified for any of the services listed? What can you do to prepare yourself or your child for one of these jobs?

Natural Abilities or Inclinations

Almost all of us are born with some natural ability or particular inclinations. Have you already detected in yourself certain preferences that might be developed to good advantage? Or it may be that your schoolteacher has a suggestion to make in this regard after having observed you in class.

For example, an elderly pharmacist in Brazil tells us that even in childhood he enjoyed treating and bandaging the small wounds of his friends. This served as a start for him. And who does not know some little boy who was always playing with his father’s tools and is now a good mechanic?

In your own case, are you one who has not yet decided on what profession to follow? What are your natural abilities? If they are useful, could you develop them so as to produce dividends?

To profit from our natural abilities or inclinations, we must develop them. Or else they will be wasted. But just what can be done?

What Can Parents Do?

Loving parents are ready to make sacrifices to give their children the opportunity to learn a useful trade. Generally, this requires first of all that the children develop the ability to read and write well, since this will be needed later on when they take a training course or look for a job. And if one of your children wants to drop out of school, as a wise father or mother you will consider carefully what may be lost and how this can affect your child in the years to come.

Of course, children cannot always depend on their parents. So, as the saying goes, “Give them fish but also show how to catch them.” Mothers can teach their daughters (and why not the boys too?) home duties that will be helpful sooner or later. Fathers can give instruction as to heavier chores. Give them regular and specific tasks in a loving and practical way, and they will be grateful in the future.

Consider this example of how parents can take the initiative to start their offspring in a career. A man noticed that his youngest boy enjoyed handling clocks and trying to repair them. When the opportunity came along, he paid a professional watchmaker to let the boy “work” with him a few hours each day. In a short time the boy learned the trade. Now he has his own shop as a means to provide for his family.

Do not underestimate your child’s capacity to learn. Aren’t you surprised at times how fast he picks up undesirable habits or words? In the same way he can learn useful things. He doesn’t have to be a genius to learn basic trades. He just needs to be taught.

Some Possibilities for You

Just what can you do to develop or take advantage of your own natural inclinations or abilities? Consider some ideas that others have tried with good success.

Do you always carry a camera over your shoulder, ready to take snapshots? Well, why not become a skillful photographer? As a basic tip, do not take a photo with everybody “at attention.” Also, beware of using your camera as a “guillotine” to cut off the heads or legs of your subjects. Be a good observer and develop originality. Really, there are no limits for creativity in this field. Before taking a photo, decide on a good setting for your subject. Try to make every photo a little work of art. Later on, learn to develop films, and you will be ready to offer your services.

Are you a young person still in school? Are you interested in electronics? If so, why not take a course? Eventually your neighbors and friends will ask you to repair a radio or a TV. You will feel the joy of being useful and later you will receive compensation for your services.

Can you type​—not just the two-finger style but with ten fingers and correct position? With a good manual many have learned to type at home by training daily and correcting wrong habits.

Courses are available for almost anything you want to do​—many by correspondence. Some governments support schools to train individuals and even help them to find a job. Look around. Don’t leave the matter to chance. See what’s needed in your locality and choose something practical. Line up your studies and work hard so as to receive a certificate at the end of the course. More and more such a certificate is required when you go knocking on doors in search of employment.

Maybe you are a mother and have lost your husband. What could you do to make a living? Women usually like to look their best, do they not? Well, you could have plenty of customers if you do good work as a hairdresser, beautician or manicurist. Learning another language can also be very useful in finding suitable employment. In countries where English is not spoken, perhaps you could learn that language. Multinational firms have an open door for bilingual secretaries, translators, interpreters, receptionists or language teachers. If you feel this would be suitable for you, then begin working on it! Audiovisual language systems are featured in some schools. And records or tapes are available, so that you can learn another language in a relatively short time.

Ours has been called the Computer Age, and “computer expert” is a recent addition to the list of professions. If this takes your fancy, why not try a course in computer programming?

Use Good Sense and Do Not Give Up

When looking for a job, don’t be concerned about becoming “somebody” or getting rich quick. This world has created a false sense of values. Certain indispensable jobs are considered humiliating by some. Of course, some trades or professions require more skill than others, but all useful jobs are honorable.

For example, who is “a somebody” when you are in a deserted place with a broken-down car? Is it not the mechanic in dirty clothes, with a toolbox, ready to help you? And is it not the cook who is “important” when you are hungry? And who is the “responsible man” when you are traveling by bus? Is it not the driver? Yes, any productive work, like a cog in a gearbox, is important. And it contributes to our mutual happiness.

What about striving to get rich quick? Good counsel is that we be content with “sustenance and covering.” (1 Tim. 6:7, 8) The happiness that comes from being content with basic necessities and doing good work is more valuable than an avid race for riches.

It is never too late to learn, so don’t let the precious years pass like the sand in an impassive hourglass. Use them to learn some profitable work. As you strive to improve your abilities, you will face discouraging moments, but do not let this overly worry you. Deal with the matter as it really is​—an obligation not always pleasant but generally rewarding. It is like planting a fruit tree and expecting to gather fruit in the years to come. The effort you make now may be small when compared with the benefits ahead. So do not give up.

No, job hunting is not easy. It is work in itself. But there are shortcuts, and it may be that some of the suggestions given on page 13 will help you. With these suggestions in mind, we hope that the next time you check your newspaper for a job you will be able to say, “These I can try.”

[Box on page 13]

Suggestions for Obtaining a Job

1. Write down a summary of your experience. Ask yourself, “What can I do best?”

2. Let your friends know that you are looking for a job. Also, look for job advertisements​—in more than one newspaper, if possible.

3. Concentrate on looking for a job where your experience could best be used. But do not limit yourself to this. Be ready to try a new job, even for lower pay.

4. First, exhaust all possibilities to obtain a job near your home. Avoid what would interfere too much with other activities, such as needed rest, family life and spiritual interests.

5. Do not expect a high initial salary. If you do diligent work, it will be raised as time goes on.

6. If possible, ask for interviews or aptitude tests in several places. Do not stay at home simply waiting for a call. Especially if you need work urgently, make looking for it a full-time job.

7. When you are being tested, be natural. Be realistic when talking about your abilities. Show that you really want to work.

8. If you live in a large city, put your name down in several employment agencies. Some institutions provide information about trades and professions and the work market.

9. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t immediately find what you are looking for. Due to the constant movement in the work market, in time jobs become available in almost every income level.

[Box on page 15]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Partial Job Listing

Accountant

Automobile

Electrician

Mechanic

Painter

Tire Repairman

Body Worker

Baker

Barber

Beautician

Bookbinder

Butcher

Cabinetmaker

Carpenter

Chimney Sweep

Computer Programmer

Confectioner

Constructor

Cook

Draftsman

Dressmaker

Driver

Electrician

Farmer

Gardener

Glassworker

Hairdresser

Hostess

House Painter

Iron Worker

Janitorial Worker

Language Teacher

Locksmith

Leather Worker

Maker of Artificial Flowers

Mason

Milk Deliveryman

Music Teacher

Needle Worker

Newspaper Deliveryman

Nurse

Oculist

Office Clerk

Photographer

Piano Tuner

Plumber

Printer

Proofreader

Radio Announcer

Secretary

Shoemaker

Tailor

Tile Setter

Tourist Guide

Train Conductor

Translator

TV or Radio Repairman

Typewriter Repairman

Upholsterer

Waiter

Watchmaker

Welder

[Picture on page 12]

ELECTRICIAN

Must have at least two years’ experience in general electrical maintenance

OFFICE CLERK

Young woman with good handwriting and experience in general office work. High school required

DRAFTSMAN

Must have experience in architectural drawing