Post #12

          I felt as if the chapter “Facilitating the Global Job Search: Employability Skills and Placement Services” was an extremely useful chapter to read.  Because job placement is so competitive today, it becomes increasingly important for individuals to be aware of what employers look for when hiring individuals.  I was very interested when reading over table 11.2 in the text that listed “College Recruiters’ Rankings of the Most Important Considerations in the Employment Interview” (Brown, 2012, p. 241).  It was interesting to note that the most important thing that employers look for is well developed oral communication skills, enthusiasm in the job, and motivation.  It was surprising to me that those types of thing were valued more to the employer than the applicant’s degree and credentials.  This just shows that having well developed oral skills and being able to effectively communicate is something that is highly regarded by employers looking to hire new employees.

            Not only is it important to know what recruiters look for when hiring future employees, it is also important for individuals to know how to successfully search for a job. I was interested in the topic of the “hidden job market” that Brown presented in the text (something that I had never given too much thought to).  According to Brown, “vacancies that are about to develop, perhaps through promotion, retirement, reorganization, or expansion in a business, become know to job seekers through networking strategies” (2012, p. 238).  Networking can be an important way for individuals to find jobs that may not be listed in newspapers, the internet, or through other sources yet.  Sometimes knowing the right people and being involved in different activities could present more opportunities for finding a job.

            While reading the section about job placement services, I had very mixed feelings about what I was reading.  Although these types of services can be very beneficial to individuals who are having trouble finding jobs, I never realized just how expensive these types of services could be.  According to the text “as a rule of thumb, most fees approximate at least one month’s pay, due in full the moment the individual accepts the position” (Brown, 2012, p. 248).  I was very appalled by how much these services cost.  One month’s salary seems like a lot to pay for a person that may already have been having trouble making ends meet before they sought out the assistance of a job placement service. Although these programs can be very effective in finding people jobs, individuals may not use these services because of the hefty fees that are associated with them. 

Reference

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.