Job Search Strategies

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Job Search Strategies
Getting Unstuck
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Labor Market

• Jobs are created in two ways
• Replacement
• These are job openings to replace
• those who have left their positions
• due to promotion, job
• change, retirement, illness or
• death.
• Growth
• These are job openings created by expansion

US Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Keys to a Successful Job Search

• Know Yourself
• Maintain A Positive Attitude
• Strong Time Management Skills
• Realistic Expectations
• Use ALL of your resources

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To Thine Own Self Be True

• Self Assessment
• What are your interests?
• What are your skills/talents/abilities?
• What skills are you lacking to be competitive?
• What are your skills worth?

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ATTITUDESNegative attitudes typically arise from
three areas of concernJobseekers Worst Enemy
A Defeatist Attitude James Challenger

• Fear - People are frequently apprehensive about
  being thrust into new situations and surroundings
  where the emphasis is on their ability to
  perform.
• Unfamiliarity - The idea of having to get
  acquainted with and adjusted to a whole new group
  of work associates also can be overwhelming,
  causing some jobseekers to refuse to look for
  work more than a few miles from their homes or in
  an unfamiliar environment.
• Past Problems - Negative experiences on previous
  jobs can cause defeatist attitudes.

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Time Management

• Finding employment is a full time job
• The average job search takes from 3 to 6 months
  so it is a good idea to do as much of it as
  possible while you are still in school.
• Set Daily, Monthly
• And/or Yearly Goals

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Setting Realistic Goals

• Do you have the necessary skills, training or
  experience to perform the job?
• Are you under or over estimating your worth?
• Have you created a budget to know what your
  bottom line is?

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Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make

• Lack of Direction
• Not Being Proactive
• Not Targeting Employers
• Not Utilizing ALL Resources
• Not Following Through

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Where do I look?

• No matter how talented you may be, a job search
  that relies upon only one method is destined to
  take longer and will create unnecessary stress
  and frustration for you.

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Networking

• Networking Family, Friends, Instructors,
  Classmates, Church, Clubs, Professional
  Associations, Etc.
• According to a 2002 New York Times survey, 64 of
  people found their jobs through networking.
• The average person knows approximately 250
  people.

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4 Layers of Separation
You
Level 1 Contact
Level 2 Contact
Level 3 Contact
Level 4 Contact
Your Friend Alice
Alices Uncle Bill
Bills Friend Carol
Carols Boss David
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Direct Contact

• Direct Contact- Go in Person
• US Census Bureau conducted a survey of 10 million
  job seekers which showed that Applying Directly
  to Employers is the 1 method people used to land
  new positions.
• Remember to
• Do Your Research
• Dress For Success

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Informational Interviewing

• As career switching has become more popular,
  informational interviews have become an
  increasingly important way for companies to tap
  into new talent pools.
• (Business Week- June 25, 2007)

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Job Fairs

• Find out who will be attending the job fair and
  formulate questions to ask specific employers
• Walk about the entire room before getting in
  line
• Come dressed for an interview and have multiple
  copies of your resume
• Do not bring your friends with you to meet
  employers

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Targeting EmployersCareerXRoad's 2007 Annual
Sources of Hire Survey

• The Company Website represents 20.7 of all
  external hires.
• Hires attributed to specific Job Boards
  (Monster.com, CareerBuilder and HotJobs) and
  generic Niche Boards represent only 12.3 of
  external hires.

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• ARE YOU READY TO
• START YOUR JOB SEARCH?

Mission Not So Impossible
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FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Worksheets available in
• Career Center
• Room 524
• [phone] ext 3252