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GUIDE
Career Services
Center for Experiential Learning
Keuka College
279--5274
Phone: (315) 279
279--5329
Fax: (315) 279
I. Self-assessment
Personal values
Work values
Skills assessment
IV. Networking
Networking tips
Sample job search networking letter
VII. Following up
Competing effectively in today’s market requires self-knowledge, initiative, persistence, and a lot of
hard work. Getting a job is not something that happens overnight. The entire job search process usually
involves:
• Self-assessment
• Researching job fields
• Researching employers
• Networking
• Developing effective searching tools (such as your resume, cover letters, and interview skills)
• Applying for jobs
• Interviewing for jobs
• Following up
SELF-ASSESSMENT
One of the most important aspects of searching for a job is first knowing yourself. Not only do you need
to know what skills and characteristics you have to offer an employer, you should know what type of job
will suit your interests and values. Use the activities below to get an idea of what things are most
important to you regarding your career.
A list of personal values is provided below. Using the following scale, rank each value according to its
importance to you: 1 = not important
2 = somewhat important
3 = very important
Now go through the list and choose five of your most important personal values:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Categories of Work Values are listed below. Make a selection based on the importance of each
work-related value.
Job security
Now go through the lists and choose five of your most important work-related values:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Skills Assessment
Know your basic skills and be ready to portray them in a cover letter, your resume, and in an
interview. Use the checklist below to get an idea of skills that you may have that employers look
for:
Active listening Instructing Planning
Awareness of others Interpersonal Problem solving
Communication Management Public speaking
Critical thinking Mathematical Technology
Decision making Organizational Time management
Information gathering Persuasion Writing
RESEARCHING JOB FIELDS
There are various tools you can use to research job fields. Use the resources listed below to investigate
job disciplines you might want to become a part of.
ONET (http://online.onetcenter.org/find/)
Review occupational information, jobs related to your skills, work requirements, and occupations related
to those in which you have an interest.
RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS
(From www.distinctiveweb.com/research.htm)
Crucial to a successful job search campaign is knowing how to research potential employers. The
more you know about a company or organization, their business objectives, goals, mission,
vision statement, etc. the better able you will be to communicate your value to them. You may
wish to convey your understanding of their needs in a tailored resume and cover letter, and you
will definitely want to communicate this during your interview. The hard work that you put into
your research will almost always pay off by reflecting your interest and enthusiasm to
employers.
Begin by trying to locate general information about each company you are interested in. Focus
on details that will relate to your skills, knowledge, and qualifications. You may wish to develop
a filing system to organize the information that you obtain. Here are some items you can gather:
If you are ready to go onto the internet to begin your research, keep a few things in mind:
Know what you are looking for before you go online. Keep a list beside you so that you can
cross items off as you locate them. It is too easy to get distracted if you do not remain focused!
Bookmark major sites as you come across them. Most browsers will even allow you to
create folders or directories to organize the links even further. Make the effort to stay
organized now and you will be glad you did later on!
Print out a hardcopy of important information. Or you could save a copy of the document
to your hard drive instead.
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
You may want to begin by contacting the chambers of commerce in the communities your
companies are located in. You will find a searchable comprehensive directory of North American
chambers of commerce at (http://Chamber-of-Commerce.com)
SEC DOCUMENTS
Find SEC documents for 10,000 public companies including insider filings, annual and quarterly
reports. (http://business.lycos.com/companyresearch/crtop.asp)
SEC Documents by company name or ticker symbol.
(http://www.freeedgar.com/)
IPOs
Up-to-date reports on new filings and initial public offerings.
(http://www.edgar-online.com/ipoexpress/)
AMERICAN STOCK EXCHANGE
A listing of companies can be searched by stock symbol, company name or company homepage at
(http://www.amex.com/stocks/stocks.htm)
PATENTS
Search for information about patents by invention type or description. (http://www.delphion.com)
THOMAS REGISTER
Search 155,000+ companies by trademark or type of product. (http://www.thomasregister.com/)
ANNUAL REPORTS
Links to annual reports of thousands of companies; a free service.
(http://www.annualreportservice.com/)
BUSINESS WIRE
Company press releases by industry. (http://www.businesswire.com/)
NETWORKING
Even though networking is one of the most successful ways to find a new job (US Bureau of Labor
Statistics claims 85% of jobs are obtained via networking and direct company contact), most people rely
solely on the internet. Some call networking the art of building alliances. Simply stated, it is using your
current contacts and generating new ones in order to locate opportunities. You network all the time and
probably don’t even know it. You are networking when you:
Attend professional or trade association meetings
Talk with your professors and alumni
Volunteer for a local church function
Visit with other members of your social clubs or religious groups
Talk to your neighbors
Strike up a conversation with someone else waiting at the doctor’s office
Post messages on mailing lists or in chat rooms
NETWORKING TIPS
Begin networking early. Don’t wait until spring of your senior year to begin networking.
Make a list of everyone that you know. Write down family, friends, neighbors, co-workers,
colleagues, teachers, etc.
Make a list of people you want to know. Think of people who can provide good information about the
kind of job you want.
Know specifically what you want. The more specific details you can provide to your contacts, the
better chances people have to help you out.
Keep records. For future reference, jot down notes including names, companies, and conversation
details. Maintain contact with these people or you will lose valuable links and credibility.
Get involved. The more clubs and organizations you belong to, the more contacts you have.
Be polite and personal. Get to know people not only from a professional perspective, but a personal
one as well.
Set up informational interviews. Explain that you are researching the current job market for
opportunities and would appreciate insights and advice. Refer to the Interview Guide for more details.
Pick up the phone. In some cases, a quick phone call is more efficient than several e-mails and is more
personal. Face to face is even better.
Remember names. Make it a point to remember the names of your new contacts.
Always reciprocate. When you ask others for help, be prepared to return the favor. Keep supporters
informed about your progress and successes.
Your address
Your phone number
Contact Name
Contact Person’s Job Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip
I was referred to you by Diane Smithers from XYZ company in New York. She recommended you
as an excellent source of information on the communications industry.
Thank you so much, in advance, for any insight and advice you would be willing to share. I look
forward to contacting you early next week to set up a telephone informational interview. Thank
you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
YourFirstName YourLastName
DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE SEARCHING TOOLS
(From www.MonsterTrak.com)
Unfortunately, the most popular method for locating positions, responding to advertised vacancies,
is not the most effective. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, nearly 80% of
the openings available at any one time are never advertised. Job-seekers should respond to
employment ads, but the main thrust of your efforts should be toward establishing networks and
identifying the hidden job market. To increase the odds of your success in responding to advertised
vacancies, by telephone or letter, keep these tips in mind:
Do not waste time responding to long shots.
Use your cover letter to answer every requirement in the advertisement.
Personalize your response as much as possible. Direct your materials to specific individuals,
not "To Whom It May Concern," or "Dear Sir/Madam," unless the advertisements are blind
newspaper ads (name of organization withheld). A quick phone call can provide appropriate
names. In a blind ad, address your letter to a specific position title, (e.g., Dear "Marketing
Manager").
Try to contact or write to the manager who will make the final hiring decision as well as the
personnel representative named in the advertisements. For more information, see the Resume &
Cover Letter Guide.
E. Be Persistent
Job searching is hard work and there are times when you will get discouraged. But if you keep up
with it, you can avoid feeling anxious and will actually have more energy. If your search is not
producing the results that you would like, avoid blaming yourself and try a new strategy. Do not be
reluctant to submit your credentials on more than one occasion to an organization for which you
would like to work. This attitude demonstrates your enthusiasm and interest.
Proofread! Be sure that there are absolutely no spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors on any
documents. It is a good idea to have at least two other people look over your materials.
Follow directions. Send all documents mentioned in the application instructions. Leaving anything
out reflects lack of attention to detail.
Cover letters are a must. A cover letter should always accompany your resume, even if the
application instructions do not request a cover letter. It shows good manners and business etiquette
while portraying to the employer the purpose of your resume.
Use PDF, not DOC. When sending documents to an employer or recruiter, save them in PDF form so
that no formatting issues (i.e., different default margins, unaccepted fonts, etc.) occur.
Use e-mail etiquette. When communicating with employers or recruiters via e-mail, treat each e-mail
as a professional letter. Do not use internet slang, check for mistakes, and maintain professionalism.
Use a catchy subject line. Be sure to include the job title or job code if you are applying for a specific
job via e-mail. If you are inquiring about the possibility of openings, state this in the subject line. You
must have relevant information in the subject line to avoid it getting thrown out as junk mail.
FOLLOW UP
Following up with contacts, recruiters, employers, etc. is vital. It demonstrates a sense of professionalism,
courtesy, and perseverance. Thank you letters, phone calls, or some type of correspondence should take
place after:
A job interview
An informational interview
A contact has helped you/provided you with information
Someone was extremely helpful to you at a career fair
You visit a contact at their work site
Anyone you wish to express thanks to and/or develop a relationship with
You should follow up with hiring personnel within two weeks of sending in application materials and
within 24 hours of an interview. Thank you letters can be typed, handwritten, or e-mailed. Hard copy
letters are the most formal and are always appropriate after an interview. Handwritten letters are more
personal, and can be appropriate for brief notes to a variety of individuals you met during an interview or
who may have helped you in other ways. E-mail is appropriate when that has been your method of contact
with the person you want to thank, or if your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail, or if you want
to send a quick thank you to be followed up by hard copy.
The process of finding a job can seem like a job in itself; it is a lengthy, intricate, time-consuming
process that requires motivation, persistence, and a lot of work. If you would like assistance with
any part of your job search, please contact the Center for Experiential Learning at (315) 279-5274
or experiential@mail.keuka.edu. Also, refer to the Resume & Cover Letter Guide and the Interview
Guide. Good luck!