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4 Lessons on Attaining and Retaining Employment – As Taught by Indiana Jones

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A screen grab of Indiana Jones in action.

To mark the 37th anniversary since the release of Lucasfilm’s cinematic opus, Raiders of The Lost Ark, we decided to look at the significantly pertinent, if unrealized, career advice that the good Doctor Henry Walton “Indiana” Jones Junior offered us. We’ve broken these teachings into four easy categories … But you’d still be well-advised to watch the movie!

1.) The Right Education and Training

Career dreams don’t work unless you do, and before any idea can be put into motion, a plan must be made. Part of any job search plan is researching the credentials and education needed for any said profession. Indiana Jones could not have become an archaeologist without post-secondary training. He not only studied archeology, but he chose his institution precisely; attending the University of Chicago where he would eventually be mentored by Abner Ravenwood. Aside from dating, then dumping, then rescuing (over five times by my count), then marrying Ravenwood’s daughter, Indiana learned from the best. This was not only a wise move in terms of where he studied, but the networking contacts he met there.

2.) Match Your Vocation and Passion to the Current Labour Market

Indiana’s father was also an archaeologist. It was a shared family passion. That was perhaps all the self-assessment needed. Keep in mind, however, that the first Indiana Jones movie took place in 1936. This was the era of The Great Depression. Working as an archeologist would have been neither gainful nor full-time. Thus, Indiana adapted what he learned and loved to also become a part-time professor at Marshall College. While this was not what he really wanted to do, he adapted his passion and vocation to the current labour market – rather than expecting the labour market to adapt to him.

3.) Dress Correctly and Adapt as Needed

It was the 1930s and even in the middle of an economic sandstorm, people generally dressed as formally as they could. As a professor, Dr. Jones wore a proper suit. As the swashbuckling archeologist in the field he dressed down; however, he was still adaptable in that he could easily respond to changing weather conditions, formal encounters with dignitaries, tarantulas, and a lot of dust and sand. And that hat is, well, legendary!

4.) The Right Temperament is What Employers Need

A paralyzing fear of snakes aside, Indiana made it work. The snakes are worth mentioning because Indiana (despite his fear of said reptiles) never let that part Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie poster.of the job prevent him from working and doing what needed to be done. The lesson here is simple: no job is perfect, but you need to adapt. The job doesn’t adapt to you.

No matter the position, many employers want similar characteristics in their employees. While brash at times, Indiana Jones was as equally as patient and perseverant. He was technically astute, while remaining both an independent and loyal team player. He was also never afraid to roll his sleeves up and get dirty (assuming he still had sleeves). Employers crave these qualities.

It’s also worth pointing out that perhaps the most heroic employability quality to the personality and appeal of Indiana Jones was his ability to innovate. Whether it was using a statue to go through a wall, cutting down the bridge he was standing on to get off said bridge, or using a rubber life raft to escape a crashing airplane, Indy was never afraid to take a risk by looking at things differently. The ability to accomplish goals by thinking outside the box (or in this case the Ark of the Covenant) is not only a key trait in being hired but staying hired and being promoted.

Last we saw him, Indiana was promoted at Marshall College to associate dean. For his lucky students (if they can keep up with him), valuable life and employability lessons would seem to be aplenty.

Jason Douglas Smith is a Training Application Coordinator with The Career Foundation, and has successfully directed clients in not only developing personalized job search strategy plans, but in circumnavigating the rigorous demands of applications for provincially-funded retraining. When not working, this self-professed Futurist can often be found reading, writing and barbecuing in his native Burlington.

Why Sector-Focused Career Fairs Are the Way of the Future

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The Future of Career Fairs - Three staff members smiling at a job fair.

The Problem:

The rudiments that comprise typical “career fairs” today include employment agencies, training institutions, product placement, and a large array of community organizations on display to share information, network, and boost their own branding. As such, the common career fair today is a letdown for both job seekers and the employers in attendance looking to hire. Job seekers arrive hoping to target a specific industry, not to buy wellness products or register for job search services; as it was likely their current provider who sent them. For employers, the prospective applicants are so varied in their skill sets and career trajectories, it would hardly seem worth their time and cost to attend.

There is no dedicated industry-specific event that aims to identify leading employers in specific, targeted sectors, and then connects them with the right type of skilled and knowledgeable workers to facilitate their future growth. Not yet, anyways.

The Solution:

We need to start leveraging like-minded, industry-specific companies and professionals. By targeting precise occupations, this will maximize the turnout of the most highly skilled professionals and facilitate more effective linkages between labour need and labour supply. In other words, maximizing an employer’s time by accessing a pool of the most qualified and skilled workers that an area/sector has available.

3 Ways We Make This Happen:

1.) By organizing and holding industry-specific career fairs, job developers and recruiters can target and then pre-screen applicants whose skill sets are the most appropriate. The promotion of industry-specific events is more easily and readily shared within job boards, professional associations, and other networks and online forums which are the most relevant for those professionals. This serves to bring in the ‘best of the best’ within each industry.

Job seekers have become overwhelmingly disappointed at “hiring events” that have everything but employers. An industry-specific event manages the expectations for both the employer and applicants by directly addressing who is hiring and what the positions are; lending to itself increased promotional value given the names of the employers and positions. With all of this comes a substantial decrease in the time often wasted when spent talking to professionals and job seekers outside of that industry. While with any event that is open to the public there are exceptions (like those hospital hopefuls who continually attend hospitality hiring events), employers at this type of industry-focused event can expect a sharper degree of defined and refined industry-relevant applicants.

2.) The best candidates are the most prepared. Career fairs that focus on a singular labour pool allow keener professionals to develop clear-cut strategies to demonstrate their skill-sets. When a company’s brand is known, it is easier for professionals to understand the culture of its employees and the products/services that company offers. With this additional perspective, an applicant can tailor their application with more relevance. With less company knowledge, the right talent can, through no fault of their own, miss the opportunity to market their skill-sets. As such, ‘keener’ applicants are given the opportunity to demonstrate that their character and work ethic match not only the position, but the corporate culture within that company. This gives employers a sharper edge in accessing whether a client is indeed a proper fit or is merely going through the motions.

3.) Have faith in results-oriented and successful employment service providers. The Career Foundation is one of the fastest growing employment service providers in Ontario. The range of services offered by The Career Foundation are as vast as they are varied. Our clientele includes, but is never limited to, multi-barriered at-risk youth, newcomers, those who self-disclose as having physical and mental disabilities, recent graduates, internationally trained professionals, storied professionals, and both job seekers and employers looking to access training and hiring incentives provided by the provincial and federal governments. Our yearly assigned (and annually surpassed) targets speak for themselves; as do those whom we have the honour of assisting. It stands to reason then, that our incomparable ability to strategize and assist with such a diverse range of needs, can be equally put to service serving a range of employer needs just as diverse.

The right labour pool is the right talent. If you are an employer looking for a precise skill-set, mindset, and talent, why not directly contact us? If this is the event you want, and this is the precise talent you are looking for, then we are here for your business and your future.

Are you interested in taking part in a re-imagined career fair? If you’re an employer in the financial, health or technology industries, take part in the GTA Hiring Event on May 15th, 2018 at the MaRS Discovery District!
Learn more about the event and register for the GTA Hiring Event here.

Written by Jason D. Smith (with assistance from Eve Hart)

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