Who Gets the Best Jobs

The very best jobs are given to the very best candidates that apply for those jobs. And what makes someone the very best candidate? Solid work experience, good educational background and the willingness to work hard and continue learning even after getting the job.

A good educational background can be anything from technical training or specialized skill enhancement to a college degree. Consider what would be your ideal job for the rest of your life and then do some research. What is the outlook for this particular industry? Is it seeing a trend toward growth or is it fading away as new technologies develop and become more efficient? What is the average yearly income earned by people in this or similar fields? Can you realistically expect to live on this amount? And finally, what is the educational level of the majority of the people you hope to join. There is no sense in earning a Master's degree for instance if everyone has a Bachelor's or less.

Solid work experience does not have to be necessarily related to the job that you are currently pursuing. Showing that you have worked hard from the outset of your work career can be a good thing as long as there is no evidence that you are chronically unemployed or a "job jumper". A job jumper is one that will go from job to job never taking the time to fully learn any valuable skills. Employers spend the time and money to train these people and then have to train someone knew a few weeks or days later. If you have a lot of jobs listed on your resume, be prepared to answer questions about why and the big one, how long do you intend to remain at this job.

A willingness to work can sometimes be seen as more valuable than a college degree and a fancy suit. A friend of mine just hired in two women at her firm. The first had several degrees and the air of someone that just knows she is the best. The second woman had a high school diploma and a certificate which showed that she had completed a computer course at a community college. From the very first week, it was evident who was going to be the greater asset to the team. The educated woman spent part of every morning reapplying nail polish at her desk, and wasted time with email and personal phone calls. The other woman came in early every morning and worked diligently every hour that she was there. She only took brief breaks and spent her lunch hours learning new skills from those around her as well as other departments. She took the time to learn each person's name and was greatly liked among the established staff. When my friend promotes someone, the educated woman is going to be in for a very big shock.

Finally, being willing to continue learning throughout your employment may be what makes you the best for the job. Technology changes, as do rules and regulations. Being willing to keep up with these changes makes you a valuable asset, and the best for the job, no matter what that job may be.