This course has been developed to give you a realistic look at applying for a job.

Many people treat the process as a chore. However, this is the wrong approach. Job applications are an investment in your future and you need to give them as much thought as you would if you were buying a house.

For instance, if you were buying a house you certainly wouldn't rush off and just take the first house you walked into—would you?

Just as you are investing your future and hard-earned savings into a house purchase, you are investing your future and hard-earned skills and knowledge into a job. The aim is that you will secure yourself a job you are happy with. It doesn't have to be the job of your dreams; it may be a pathway to the job of your dreams though, so you need it to count. Every job you do is a stepping stone in your life. Not just your career life but in your learning life, your financial life, your social life and your family life.

Yes, a job should be something you consider as a fundamental part of your life and future. You are going to spend 7-8 hours a day (or more) in this job, so you want to be sure it is the right job for you. You want to be sure it is going to take you in the direction you want to go. An employer is going to consider this factor when he or she looks at your application. At the very least, you need to put in the same amount of consideration in your job applications as the employer will put in selecting the right person for a job.

Too many people take a 'shot in the dark' or 'pot shot' approach to job applications. This rules them out of 99% of jobs. In fact, many people don't even get considered in the first few seconds of applying. So for these people, applying in the first place is simply a waste of everyone's time.

Start out on the right foot: put some effort into your application; otherwise, don't waste your time and the employer's time by applying.