Creative Job- Hunting Skills in ... Als

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Creative Job- Hunting Skills in a Challenging
Time

• Presented by The Careers and Counselling Service
• March 2009.

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Passive Vs Creative job-hunting

• Passive and Reactivewaiting for jobs to be
  advertised before applying and surfing the net.
• Creative job hunting involves you taking the
  initiative in finding out whats involved in a
  job or what the job opportunities are.

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Main elements to a creative job search

• Networking -develop a network of people who can
  give you advice and/or information.
• Make speculative applications using a CV and
  Cover Letter i.e. sending CV/cover letter to
  firms who have not advertised jobs.
• Particularly vital during a recession when
  competition for jobs is higher and your CV could
  be on file before a job is advertised.

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CVs and Cover Letters

• CITs Careers Counselling Service
  www.careersandcounselling.com/careers service for
  Sample CVs and Cover Letters.
• Also www.prospects.ac.uk- postgraduate CVs/Mature
  Students.
• CV Talk -Tues March 24th 4-5pm Theatre
• CV Reviews- Fri March 13th. Careers Service, 2nd
  Floor, Student Centre.
• More dates for talks/CV reviews to follow.

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• Step 1- Do your Research
• Research types of jobs available in your field.
• Professional Bodies e.g. Engineers Ireland
• Sector-specific websites e.g.www.greenjobs.ie,
  www.constructionjobs.ie and read the job
  descriptions/duties where available.
• See also other job websites/recruitment sites,
  irishjobs.ie, loadzajobs.ie , careerjet.ie
• Talk to people you know in job(s) that interest
  you. This is essential research as potential
  employers are more interested in applicants who
  have researched job descriptions/titles.

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Step 2-Networking

• Networking at its simplest involves asking
  people to help you. You want help initially in
  identifying and approaching any contacts who can
  link you to employees/employers in your sector.
• NB When networking, the first person you meet
  does not have to be in the sector or doing the
  job you are interested in, but may be able to put
  you in touch with the right person

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Goals of Networking

• Obtain valuable contacts for career/job planning.
• Information- gathering Research whats involved
  in a job.
• Ask about any job opportunities
• Ask about opportunities for work-shadowing.

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Network sources

• Any relevant employers to-date/work placement
• Family/all relatives their friends
• Your friends relatives of friends
• Lecturers other academic staff
• Old teachers their contacts
• Community contacts- church, sports, clubs
• Local Employers ( websites, Golden Pages, local
  Business directories)
• Professional Institutes Associations

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Networking-Information Interviewing

• Start by asking your contacts about their job
• Duties involved? average day/week? how they
  got into the sector? competition for jobs?
  important skills needed? What are the entry
  level jobs? Feedback on my CV? Opportunities for
  work shadowing?
• The purpose initially is information-gathering
  but they can be useful contacts later when
  job-seeking.

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Start early!

• NBIf you start networking early widely you may
  increase your chances of gaining valuable
  contacts, whom you can come back to when
  job-seeking at a later stage. ( especially
  relevant to non-final yr students)

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Speculative Applications

• NB Key point of Creative job-hunting is that
  many jobs are not advertised
• Advertising jobs is expensive and time
  consuming and may elicit
• an unwanted large volume of CVs- especially
  during a recession.
• Employers may already have received
  speculative CVs and will usually review these
  first for potentially suitable candidates to
  interview. They may ask internally if their own
  employees know of any suitable candidates for the
  job ( networking).
• If none of these options brings any suitable
  potential candidates they may then advertise.

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Speculative Applications

• Speculative applications are especially important
  to small-medium sized firms ( up to 250
  employees ) who may have little budgetary
  resources for recruitment.
• The majority of firms in Ireland are SMEs.
• (Small medium-sized enterprises)

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Speculative Applications

• When targeting firms in your sector look at any
  contacts you have made to-date ( casual/formal)
• work placement firm
• College Websites Graduate/student jobs
• CIT-www.careersandcounselling.com
• Specialized sites for your sector- e.g.
  www.creativecareers.ie ( check our website)
• Golden pages, local business directories.
• www.idaireland.com, www.kompass.ie
• List of many companies in Ireland.
• Main recruitment websites careerjet.ie
  irishjobs.ie, monsterjobs.ie etc..

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Four methods of approaching Employers
speculatively

• Writing
• Emailing
• Phoning
• Walking-in ( door-stepping)
• Choose the one (s) best suited to you or use a
  combination.
• Follow up with a phone-call 7-10days later.
  Check back again a few weeks later

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Writing to or emailing a company

• The best method if you feel nervous about phoning
  or walking in without invite.
• If emailing write a cover letter in the main body
  of the email using plain text format and
  attached CV as MS Word Doc.
• Use a business-like email address e.g
  johnmurphy12_at_gmail.com not cookiejohn_at_gmail.com
• Check companys website or ring and ask for
  name/email of person who deals with hiring staff.
• Large firms often have a generic email address
  e.g hr_at_pmg.com
• Always follow-up your speculative application
  with either another email or a phone-call
  7-10days later.

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Phoning a company

• Getting past secretaries/receptionists can be a
  challenge!
• May be best to have emailed/posted the CV already
  so you can refer to that as part of your opening
  sentences.
• Your call is an interruption so check if its a
  good time to talk? If its not check when is a
  good time?.
• Plan carefully what you will say-you need to be
  to the point and positive. Practice with a friend!

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Walking in/door-stepping

• Requires confidence and neck!
• Dress smartly and either approach the main
  reception or the HR Dept if possible.
• Leave your CV and ask politely if it would be
  possible to have an interview.
• Prepare a one minute positive opening line
• E.g My name is John Murphy I am a final yr
  student of the Degree in Sustainable Energy
  Technology in CIT.I am really interested in wind
  energy projects as I have work experience in that
  area. Id be grateful for a few minutes of your
  time please?

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Follow up any negative responses

• If a firm tells you that you were unsuccessful
  with your application- ask them politely for
  feedback as to how they think you could improve
  your future chances e.g. more work experience
  ( paid or unpaid), a short-term course to aid
  your skills in a specific way etc..
• Be prepared for the fact that some firms may not
  be willing to provide any feedback or be vague
  with what they do say. But asking displays your
  interest in working for that firm may work in
  your favour at a later date.

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Work-shadowing voluntary work

• If on graduating, relevant paid work is hard to
  come by for awhile, consider offering yourself
  voluntarily to a firm for a day/few hours.
• Or ask about work-shadowing - you shadow an
  employee to observe and learn about their job/
  duties involved.
• You may have to explain work-shadowing as not
  all firms are familiar with the concept.
• Both options could be obtained using networking
  and/or speculative applications.

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Advertised Jobs - all sectors

• CIT Careers Counselling website
  www.careersandcounselling.com- check weekly
• www.gradireland.com register your email address
  for job email alerts.
• Check your Dept notice board cit email- notices
  emails from firms forwarded via your Dept from
  Careers Counselling Service.( several jobs on
  offer)
• Recruitment websites- Most positions advertised
  are for experienced people but as a graduate you
  could apply for jobs that look for 1or 2 years
  experience and try your luck especially if you
  have placement experience.
• Papers- Examiner-Money Jobs section (Fridays).
  Irish Independent Irish Times (Thursdays).
  Available in Careers Service.

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Working Abroad

• European jobs portal www.europa.eu
• Thousands of jobs in all sectors in Europe
  including Ireland and UK.
• www.prospects.ac.uk jobs and work and
  explore working abroad. Good facility to search
  for work internationally including Ireland.
• Check how to get recognition of your
  qualifications abroad www.enic-nairc.net

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Working Abroad Fair

• Silversprings Moran Hotel
• Thursday March 26th and Friday 27th
• 1pm to 8pm
• 10 euro admission fee
• Information on job opportunities and visas for
  work in Canada, NZ and Australia ( Europe
  Middle East also?)
• www.workingabroad.ie

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Recent UK Employer Survey Feb 2009

• Feb 2009 Employer Survey in UK (Association of
  Graduate Recruiters 800 graduate recruiters in
  this body)
• Just 30 of Employers surveyed felt a
  Postgraduate Course would give you an edge over
  other job-seekersfood for thought for final year
  students.
• If you are going to do a PG course, do it for
  positive reasons and not just to stay in college
  for another year during a recession.
• Why I am thinking of doing a PG course?, What do
  I want to gain from it?, How will it help my
  career/employability?

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UCC Postgraduate Fair

• Thursday 19th March
• 1pm to 3pm
• Stands from Postgraduate Offices of 11 colleges
  in Ireland (including the North)

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UCD Smurfit Business School Talk

• Wed March 18th 1-2pm IT1
• Masters in Business, IT Project management for
  Business non- Business Graduates.

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Survey continued..

• 6o-If you cannot get your ideal job after
  graduating get temporary work - so long as you
  are working. Combine with work-shadowing/voluntary
  work where possible.
• 44- be willing to re-locate for work.
• 65-Rigorous research into potential
  employers-know what employer wants from potential
  job candidates.
• Overall key message from survey Research jobs
  and employers prepare rigorously for interviews.

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Finally

• Careers folder keep all your contacts, CV,
  record of firms applied to, further study
  options, interview info etc in a careers folder
  (keep electronic and paper copies)
• Jobs market is being hit hard but it hasnt
  disappeared altogether! Be wary of media alarm
  messages.
• Vital that you put time and effort into your
  career planning to maximise success. Timetable
  it!
• May take you longer than you expected to find a
  Graduate job ..patience and persistence and a
  positive attitude needed.
• Research Research Research

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We are here to help.

• Careers Counselling Service, 2nd floor, Student
  Centre
• Appointments - Tues to Friday
• Drop in Mondays Thursdays
• 021 4326678
• www.careersandcounselling.com