Planning Your Job Search

The Office: Strategies to get you there

Presented By
Reema Pervez

Being able to do the job well will not

necessarily get you hired;
The person who gets hired is often the
one who knows the most about how to get hired.

10/03

Workshop Goals

10/03

To understand the benefits of conducting a

Targeted Job Search
To review the most commonly used job search
strategies
To understand the reasons, goals & process
involved in Networking
To review the purpose & process involved in
Informational Interviewing
To discuss habits to avoid & helpful resources
3

Job Search
Campaigns

Three Phases

10/03

Preparation
Interviewing
Follow-Up

Planning Your Strategy:

A Targeted Approach

Self-Assessment

Your advertisement

Defining your skills

Putting your skills to work

What you have to sell

YOU

Goal Setting/Strategizing

Research Job Leads and

Employers
Start early

Must have a goal and

strategy to be effective
Treat your job search like a
9 unit course
Get a notebook, stay
organized, give yourself
homework assignments

Have your Career

Consultant review your
resume
Start checking TartanTRAK
now

Must have EXCELLENT

interviewing skills
Networking
Persistence

During Your Search

Remember

No specific job strategy will work

for every applicant!
Be flexible.
Be persistent.
Allow extra time to conduct your job search.
3 key steps - Assessment, Research and
Implementation.

Self-Assessment:
Take Inventory

Skills
Experience
Personality
Likes and dislikes
Working conditions
Salary requirements
Geographic preferences
Interest in advancement

Important Questions

What Type of Job are you seeking?

Values: whats important to you in a job?
Have you researched your target employers?
Do you know what skills this company is looking for?
Does your resume and portfolio reflect the companies and
opportunities you are targeting?
Are you able to give examples of how you exhibited those
skills?
Are you prepared to talk about your abilities? (2 min me)
Are you ready to negotiate your salary?

Your advertisement:
Two-Minute Me

Backbone of Your Search

Pointers to Keep in Mind

Sales Pitch consists of: Who You Are, Educational Bckgrd,

Professional Bckgrd & Job Objective. Plus, any Relevant
accomplishments.
Used in: cover letters, info mtgs, networking, interviews.
Keep in mind: Your Audience, What they are interested in,
Who your likely competitors are, what you offer that
competition does not.
be relevant & @ proper level, be able to tailor it to fit
situation, keep it conversational, not laundry list.

PRACTICE & SHOW ENTHUSIASM!! (Practice

again & again & again)

Your advertisement:
Resume/Portfolio

Resume
Cover Letter (customized)
Portfolio (my3D)
Teasers or Post Cards
Your Web Site (my3D)
Plain Text Copy Resume for Emailing

Facts and Trends

Job Search can take between 6-12 months, Longer in tenuous

economic times.
Only 2% of mass resume/cover letter mailings get responses
85% of job seekers find jobs through networking with friends,
acquaintances, relatives or direct contact with employer.
15 % of job seekers find jobs through advertised positions
Small Organizations will be the first to hire after an economic
downturn.
Small organizations, of 100 or less employees hire 55% of the
workforce
Employers post an est. 36,000 new job listings online each week

What is the Current

Job Market?

Less companies are recruiting on-campus

Economy is still slow
Layoffs are still occurring
Companies are being conservative
with their money
BE PROACTIVE! DONT DEPEND ONLY ON
TARTANTRAK

Hidden Job Market

There are two ways to find a job:
1.

2.

The employer looks for you

(classifieds, websites, TartanTRAK, etc.)
You look for the employer
the hidden job market

** 80% of all positions are filled without

employer advertising.

STRATEGIES
Passive
Submit your resume on
TartanTRAK and wait
Attend job fairs
Use classified ads
Submit your resume on
employer websites

Active
Be creative
Research companies
Network A LOT
Very assertive
Find the hidden job
market
75% active strategies
25% passive strategies

Why Research
Employers

Employers expect it

Displays your seriousness, thoroughness and

attention to detail

Helps to personalize cover letters and resumes, and

answer questions appropriately

Helps determine your fit with the organization

What to Learn About

a Company

Description of job responsibilities

Know conditions of employment such as salary, hours, and

working environment

Personnel information (NAME, policies,

relevant information of executives)
Organizational culture, goals, and strategies.
Size, age, location, history, ownership
Products or services, major competitors,
recent development, expected growth

The Hidden Job

Market

Approximately 80% of available positions are never

advertised they rely on personal contacts
Most employers prefer informal and personal methods of
identifying employees, and believe personal contacts
result in more in-depth, accurate information.
Make contact before an employer knows they need you

Gather Your People Network -- THE most powerful

job search strategy

Networking does not eliminate the need to use other jobsearch methods, but it will produce helpful referrals.

Why is Networking
Important?

75-95 % of jobs are never advertised

US Dept. of Labor:

24% Direct Contact with Employers (Cold-Calling)

23 % Career Placement Offices
5% Classified Advertising
48% Referrals from Friends and Relatives

Reasons to Network

Myth: The purpose of networking is to get a good job

offer.
Reality: purpose of networking is:

10/03

Job Search
Make Contacts
Explore Another Career Path
Obtain Information
Relate with Peers
Keep Current in your Profession
An Advanced Marketing Tool

19

Lets talk about time

The average person should spend 30-35

hours per week in job hunting activities
Full time employees or students should
expect to spend about 15 hours per week
It takes the average person 6 months to find
a job

Goal Setting/Strategizing: Effort/

Implementing and Managing
Your Search

Organize yourself with a system

Schedule your job search as you would schedule classes or
activities (e.g. a total of a few hours over a number of days each
week, rather than blocking off an entire day)
Set reasonable daily/weekly goals for your career search
Keep track of what youre doing (i.e. notes after interviews)
Keep records of initial contacts and follow-ups
Update/review resume with your Career Consultant
Its usually better to explore several possibilities at once, rather
than pursue one job at the exclusion of all others.
Continue to assess process

Habits to Avoid - Common

Networking Mistakes

Selecting 1-2 targets too quickly

Not being specific in selecting target - Lacking a target list of good
companies
Not doing accurate research/ranking targets
Relying on only 1 technique for getting interviews
Contacting the wrong people
Weak resume/cover letters/2 Min. Me
Not spending enough time (8-15 hrs/week)
Not having 6-10 things going at all times
Talking to people at wrong level
Trying to bypass system
Inflating time youve actually spent working
Not staying in contact with your network!!
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22

Habits to Avoid - Common

Job Search Mistakes

Relying on one strategy

Selecting 1-2 targets too quickly
Not being specific in selecting target
Not doing accurate research/ranking targets
Contacting the wrong people
Lacking a target list of good companies
Weak resume/cover letters/2 Min. Me

Habits to Avoid - Common

Job Search Mistakes

Lack of focus/career objective

Failure to identify and use network
Targeting only large employers
Failure to followup
Unprofessional materials/appearance
Impersonal approach
Underestimate time needed to search

Evaluating an Unsuccessful
Job Search

If youve searched for 6 months, you may need

to redirect your search or gain experience

Take a temporary position or internship

Volunteer work

Keep It In
Perspective

Dont take rejection personally

Maintain a balance between job search and
everyday routine
Remind yourself of your skills and
accomplishments
Use your resources
Be persistent - you will find employment

Redirect Your
Search

Clarify goals and redefine options broaden

or narrow them
Have your resume reviewed by a Career
Advisor or other professional
Geographic restrictions
Do your skills match with the needs of the
company?

Job Search Checklist

Create your promotion materials (Resume, Cover Letter, Portfolio)

Practice interviewing-schedule mock interview
Meet with your Career Consultant
Visit the Career Center Library
Develop a list of potential employers
Organize all contact names, companies, phone numbers & your
favorite URLs
Figure out the best way to send your resume to employers
(networking, U.S. mail, email, hand deliver, job fairs, TartanTRAK)
Follow-up two weeks later with each employer
Start a notebook and stay organized
Schedule times for your job search

Job Search Checklist Continued

Research Company Websites and relevant job banks.

Review Industry Journals for companies
Study Job descriptions
Gather information about Trends and Companies
Look at Opportunities on TartanTrak
Conduct Informational Interviews
Attend Portfolio Reviews
Participate in Internships
Freelance/Contract Work
Attend Job Fairs/Workshops
Join Associations
Volunteer Work
BE PERSISTENT! and START NOW!

Job Search Ethics for

Interviewing, Site Visits and
Job Offers

You are expected to -

Attend all scheduled campus interviews

Be on-time for campus interviews and site visits
Present your qualifications in a truthful manner
Honor all agreements made with recruiters. This is
especially true with site visits.
Honor all agreements made with recruiters. This is
especially true of accepting a job offer
Cease interviewing upon your acceptance of a job offer

Conclusion

An effective strategy will help you use printed

resources, web-based resources, and
networking contacts to help you identify and
consider a variety of jobs until you secure the
opportunity you want.

Your employment future is your responsibility.

Savvy job seekers will make full us of the wide
array of resources provided to them.