Take time to better know yourself. Before you can begin an effective job search, you need to:
- Identify your interests, skills, and work values.
- Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and be able to provide examples.
- You must also identify the type of industry or organization that interests you or offers opportunities that match your initial career goals.
- Talk to people in any career field that is even remotely interesting to you and find out what they really do.
- Read about careers in the SES library, do internships, perform volunteer work, take job interest surveys.
- Decide what you want to do, where you want to do it, what type/size of organization you want to work in.
- Research your career area thoroughly; know position requirements, advancement potential and demand, salary range, and training programs. Knowing what you are searching for enhances your chances of finding it.
- BEGIN TO DEVELOP JOB SEARCH TOOLS
What are job search tools?
- A resume and a cover letter.
- Readiness for job interviews.
- The ability to network and communicate with employers.
These are all job search tools and skills that take time to develop.
It is difficult to write a resume when you don't know what type of job you want, so don't try to write a final draft of your resume right away! Instead, at this point in the process, you should start attending workshops like Resume Preparation, Interview Techniques, and Job Search Techniques - all of which are offered by Student Employment Services. Later on, you can polish your resume by having the SES Coordinator critique it and refine your interviewing skills by making an appointment for a mock interview.
- IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET EMPLOYER
- Use a variety of methods to identify potential employers. A target employer may be either a company that you know has a job opening or one that is not advertising but has jobs that you are interested in. Ask friends, family, former employers, alumni and faculty for suggestions.
- Look at employment and professional association directories, available through the SES and public libraries, as well as Chamber of Commerce offices. In the SES, review the list of companies recruiting and interviewing on campus each semester.
- Attend career fairs.
- Review newspapers and periodicals, checking not only the want ads but also the business section for organizational changes, expansions, and openings.
- Search the countless job listing and company information sites on the World Wide Web.
- Identify the geographic area in which you want to work, and then investigate the companies in the area specifically, using the business pages in the phone book or the Chamber of Commerce.
- RESEARCH TARGET EMPLOYERS
What do you want to know about the organization you wish to work for? At bare minimum, you must know:
Find information describing your target organizations using resources such as:
- Show your interest in working for your targeted organizations through telephone calls, letters, and personal contacts.
- Request an opportunity to interview for information about the organization or to discuss job opportunities.
- Never mail out hundreds of resumes and expect the employers to get back in touch with you. You must be proactive and take the initiative to express interest in the company (usually via some form of personal contact) before an employer will be interested in you.
- You will need to be patient and persistent. Follow up at all levels, because few managers will contact you, even after sending a resume and cover letter. If there is no opening available, ask when you can call them back in the future.
- TARGET YOUR RESUME TO SELECTED EMPLOYERS
- Prepare a final version of your resume based upon information about yourself and the organization/position you have targeted.
- Consider developing several versions of your resume, particularly if you are targeting a few different types of positions or organizations.
- Write an original cover letter for each position you apply for, as well, that clearly states your career objectives, skills and abilities, and your motivation for pursuing this particular opportunity.
Organizations usually hire based on face-to-face interviews. You may have to start by interviewing over the phone, but always ask for the opportunity to meet in person. Try to arrange, as many interviews as you can, but be selective (don't take just any interview because you need the practice - take the interviews that are for jobs you REALLY want). Be firm and confident in marketing your skills, but don't be pushy or annoying.
Practice your interviewing skills (come to the SES to do this!!) and set a goal of obtaining an interview with all organizations on your list, even if there are no current openings. An interview is your best chance of being remembered once an opening does occur.
Set up a system to manage your job search.
Keep photocopies of the cover letters and resumes you send out, as well as of the position announcements you respond to. Maintain a list of all prospective contacts, companies contacted, people you talked to (including their phone numbers and dates of your contact), follow-up dates, and status of contact.
Employers will usually NOT contact you right away, so be sure to follow-up.
It's important, however, that you do not pester employers or call people every week to check on the status of your application. Two or three weeks after you send in your materials, you may wish to call and confirm that they were received; this may also give you the opportunity to re-express your interest in the position. If someone takes the time to speak with you in detail about the company or position, follow-up that conversation with a brief thank-you letter.
If anyone requests that you send additional information, do so promptly and re-express your interest in the position in your cover letter. After you have spoken to someone, ask them what "the next steps" are or what the time line is for this position search - this will help you determine when you will want to follow-up with them again.
- CONSIDER/ACCEPT/NEGOIATIATE
Prepare for outcomes ahead of time.
Experiencing rejection is inevitable. Try not to take the rejection personally - you're evaluating, accepting, and rejecting potential employers, just as they are doing with you. Be ready to redefine your plans as required.
Sometimes it can be feast or famine. First there are no job offers and then several come in at the same time. Review your plan and weigh all job offers based upon your needs. You can usually ask for a reasonable amount of time to decide and can negotiate the terms of your offer.
METHODS OF JOB SEARCH
OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Question? E-Mail Career Services at: Brileyt@lakecitycc.edu
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