Getting
Started
Pitfall
-- Many people build a career by acquiring skills and then seeing what
kinds of jobs the industry will offer them. This leads to a poorly
focused career and a life managed by others.
Pitfall -- Taking shortcuts when you investigate jobs may get you into
trouble. Don't just imagine the duties of a job; find out what they
really are.
Pitfall
-- Career builders who don't take the time to get to know their personality
and their generic abilities may be unhappy in their jobs. They may
spend years wondering why they are unsatisfied with every kind of work
they try and why they are not promoted to positions of greater responsibility.
Pitfall
-- Resist the temptation to take shortcuts. The kind of research
you need to do requires time and effort. You may also have to pay
for some travel expenses and telephone calls. Inadequate preparation
and procedures at this stage may affect your success for years to come.
Pitfall
-- Neglecting to focus on a specific division of the horse industry and
failing to understand its dynamics may prevent you from doing the research
needed to build a successful career.
Searching
for Work
Pitfall -- When your are first getting to know the important people, resist
the temptation to ask them for a job. You cannot judge whether you
want to work for them or not until you get to know them better.
Pitfall
-- Relying on just one search method may not produce results. Use
all your skills and options to uncover potential opportunities.
Pitfall
-- Don't use "passive" methods to make your first contact with employers.
Postal mail and email are examples of passive methods. You may not
get any response using passive approaches. When given the opportunity,
use the telephone or speak to employers in person to make your initial
contact.
Pitfall
-- Don't get discouraged by being rejected or ignored. Good self
esteem is critical to a successful job search. You are a valuable
person with gifts to offer. Don't let anything convince you otherwise.
Pitfall
-- Don't depend on your resume as a substitute for real communication with
potential employers. When possible, talk to employers on the telephone
or in person to get a relationship started before sending them your resume.
Interviewing
Pitfall
-- Both employers and job seekers can make the mistake of trying to gather
information directly that is best gathered indirectly. Facts can
be gathered directly; opinions are best gathered indirectly. Facts
are objective; opinions are subjective. For example, you should not
ask questions that employers cannot answer objectively and that might offend
them, such as, "Do you have a good reputation?" You will have to
discover from other sources whether the employer has a good reputation
or not. By the same token, you should not tell employers your opinions
about yourself, such as how organized and professional you think you are.
You should let the employers come to their own conclusions about your qualities
from the facts you give them, from your interaction with them, and from
their independent investigations. Gather subjective information from
third parties, or form your own intuitive conclusions. Good employers
will be doing the same thing.
Pitfall
-- It is very common for job seekers to focus on what they want from
an
employer instead of what they can do for an employer.
When you communicate with employers, be sure you discuss their needs
first.
Pitfall
-- Do not discuss your long-term goals with an employer unless they ask
you about them. The employer wants to know what you can do and do
well for them right now, not what you hope to do in the future.
Negotiating
Pitfall
-- Don't get too rigid in your thinking about a job. Problems can
often be solved in unexpected ways. Be open to suggestions.
Be creative in your thinking.
Pitfall
-- Resist the temptation to accept a job before both you and your potential
employer have worked out all the details. Don't jump at the first
job that comes along. Take a deep breath, and make sure your emotions
are not tempting you to take shortcuts in the negotiating process.
Employers are subject to this temptation, too. If they are short
of help, they may want to hire you before they have taken sufficient time
to get to know you.
Pitfall
-- Be careful not to make assumptions about the details of your job.
Always make sure you have understood them correctly. Once you have
started work, it may be harder to resolve differences in understanding
between you and your employer.
Pitfall
-- Don't insist on a legal employment contract. Except in special
circumstances, we do not recommend employment contracts. Contracts
are binding on all parties and may lock you in when you need to get out
of a situation. If the terms of an employment contract are violated,
your only recourse may be a lawsuit. The time and expense of a lawsuit
may not be to your advantage when you need to move on with your life.
The basic reason for any contract is to spell out the agreement between
parties. In most cases, a less formal process that leads to mutual
understanding, such as a written job description as described under Duties
and Responsibilities, may be all you need.
Pitfall
-- Don't worry too much about whether you are getting paid a fair wage
in comparison to other people in similar jobs or what others might think
about your compensation. The most important thing is to negotiate
a deal that meets your needs and makes you happy.
Pitfall
-- Be careful about creating a conflict of interest with your employer.
For instance, if you are selling your own horses and you work for an employer
who is also selling horses, then you have a conflict of interest with your
employer. You may eventually lose your job because of this kind of
situation.
Pitfall
-- If you own livestock or equipment that is of interest to your employer,
don't mix your business dealings with the arrangements for your job.
For example, if you own a horse trailer, don't offer to provide it for
free to enhance your attractiveness. If something happens to the
horse trailer, you may suddenly look less attractive. By the same
token, if you own mares that need to be bred, don't let your employer pay
your regular compensation with stallion services. If something happens
to your mares and you no longer need the stallion services, you may have
trouble getting the cash out of your employer.
Pitfall
-- Beware of dangerous thinking like this: "I must take this job
because it may be the only one I'll be offered." Watch out!
This attitude may make it impossible for you to judge a job on its merits.
You are a valuable person with many gifts and talents. Don't take
a job you have serious doubts about just because you are afraid it is the
only one out there for you. If you are realistic about your abilities,
if you have done your research correctly, and if you don't put too many
limits on your search, you can be confident that you will always find another
job to consider.
Pitfall
-- Here's another dangerous thought: "This job looks good, but maybe
I should wait for a better one to come along." If you have done your
homework, asked the right questions, and negotiated a job that is good
for you and your employer, take it! Don't wait for something better.
Every job will have pros and cons.
Pitfall
-- Watch out for this kind of thinking, too: "My lease doesn't run
out for another six months." Don't let anything of lesser importance
deter you from accepting a good job. Ask your landlord to find a
new tenant and let you out of the lease, or pay the lease off in
full if you have to. The same caution applies to pets and family
members. If your employer won't allow your dog on his premises, find
a friend or relative who will take the dog for you. Maybe the employer
will change his mind, and the arrangement will only be temporary.
If your wife or children have commitments that prevent them from relocating
when you need to accept a job, consider moving by yourself and relocating
your family later. Do whatever it takes to accept a good job.
Pitfall
-- Here's another way you can sabotage yourself. "My previous employer
is going out of business, and I promised to stay with them until the very
end." As an employee, you do not have an obligation to stay with
any employer for longer than a reasonable notice period. Don't let
your desire to be helpful prevent you from taking a new position.
On
the Job
Pitfall
-- Don't underestimate the physical stamina needed to do your job correctly.
Many jobs in the horse industry require more than the average amount of
physical strength and stamina. Having the best skills in the world
won't do you any good if you can't meet the physical demands of the work.
To do well at your job, it may be just as important for you to be in top
physical condition as it is for you to have a certain set of skills.
Don't overlook the need for things like regular strength training and aerobic
exercise.
Pitfall
-- Doing a task poorly will get you into trouble. Admitting you don't
know how to do something is better than doing it poorly. If you are
not sure how to handle a situation by yourself, ask for help.
Pitfall
-- Don't build "triangles" in relationships. Triangles bring a third
party into a problem when they are not directly involved. For instance,
if you have a problem with one of your coworkers, don't complain to your
employer or ask your employer to fix the problem. Take your problems
directly to the other person involved. Triangles generally result
in bad feelings for everyone, and they usually don't solve the problem
anyway.
Pitfall
-- Taking sides with your coworkers against your employer is unlikely to
solve problems. If you have problems with your negotiated agreement
for employment, discuss these grievances one on one with your employer.
These negotiated issues, such as work environment, duties, responsibilities,
and compensation, should not be addressed by a "grievance committee."
Problems that don't involve your negotiated agreement
for employment, such as business policies, customer relations, and long-range
planning, should be discussed in a cooperative manner. Don't present
them as grievances. Discuss them in a staff meeting or when your
employer asks for input. No matter what the problem, ganging up on
your employer probably won' t help.
Climbing
the Ladder
Pitfall
-- Because salary levels in the horse industry tend to be lower than in
some other industries, it is common for horse industry job seekers to ask
for salaries that are too high for their job type.
Pitfall
-- Don't assume that going back to school will jump start your stalled
career. Additional education may be a waste of time and money unless
you are sure that school is what it will really take to give your career
the needed boost. To be sure, identify the specific skills you need,
and then determine exactly how and where to obtain them.
Pitfall
-- Don't think that the only way to get ahead is to take a new job that
requires a higher level of skills and responsibilities. Unless you
have the experience needed to do your job well, you will be setting yourself
up for failure.
Pitfall
-- When timing your career moves, resist the temptation to pat yourself
on the back and think you are more wonderful than you really are.
Also resist the temptation to think you are less wonderful than you are.
Be as honest and objective as you can about your abilities.
Pitfall -- Don't assume that an advanced level of skill in one area qualifies
you for an advanced position in another. For instance, you may be
a terrific marketing manager in one industry and assume that this qualifies
you to be a Farm Manager in the horse industry. Some of the skills
may be similar, but others are not. If you don't have the full set
of abilities needed for a particular job, then you are not ready to compete
for it.
If you are just starting with the Career Game Resource Pages and have
not looked at the Career Building Steps, this would be a good time to get
started.
To proceed to the "Career Building
Steps," Click Here.
Welcome
