Ask the expert: Real question is of timing

By MARIE WILSON

Q. Could you give me some advice on what I should answer if the interviewers ask me, "Are you looking for any other job at the moment?" The fact is I am applying for more than one job. If I admit this, will it affect my chances?

A. If you are currently unemployed, most employers would expect that you would be looking at more than one opportunity. The real question may be whether there is going to be a difficulty regarding timing, that is, if you have already been interviewed for another job and get an offer, will that happen before the current interviewer can make a decision?

You can respond truthfully if you are looking at other options, but be prepared to state why you are interested in this job, and any time constraints that your search may impose. For example, you might respond, "Yes, I am considering a number of opportunities at this time, and I should hear back within 10 days. How does that fit with your timetable for filling this position?"

Q.I have an MBA degree from Auckland this year and have been job hunting ever since without any luck.

I am an international student and now on a two-year work permit. I have two questions:

What is the best way to go about hunting for job related to a MBA/tertiary degree?

Most of the jobs in New Zealand are offered through networking. How can I go about building this network?

A. If you are job hunting on the basis of a new tertiary qualification, the first place to look is in those larger New Zealand companies that have active graduate recruitment programmes.

These programmes provide points of entry and career development for new graduates, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The university career service should be able to help you in identifying these.

As MBAs and diplomas generally require that you had work experience before entry, you may wish to look at how your education and experience fit together, and whether certain industries or types of jobs are more appropriate for you, given the total picture.

If most of your career has been in a particular industry, you may wish to follow this up by targeting lead companies in that industry for direct contacts to the general manager or HR manager.

You can also start networking. Most educational programmes expose you to one network, that of your fellow students.

You may wish to work with your former classmates to identify potential contacts that they can assist you with.

You can also join service clubs or business clubs to begin to establish contacts that may assist your job search. In the short term, you may also work with recruiting firms or higher-level temping agencies that may have leads on potential jobs.

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