Ready, Set, Go Starting the Student Affairs Job Search

1
Ready, Set, Go Starting the Student Affairs Job
Search

• Dr. James Tarbox, Director
• jtarbox_at_mail.sdsu.edu
• SDSU Career Services
• Connecting You to Success!
• January 2007

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Job Search Basics

• Assessing self and market
• Building a resume
• Marketing yourself
• Preparing for the interview
• Locating support

3
Assess Yourself

• What defines you as a professional?
• Clarify the strengths that define your
• skills set
• professional experience
• potential to contribute

4
Assess Your Market

• What are employers requiring?
• Learn what is valued in terms of
• skills
• professional experience
• potential to contribute
• Who is hiring?
• Learn what is available, and what is coming open
  by
• making contacts with people who know
• making yourself known as valuable to people who
  can refer

5
Recall Resume Basics

• Effective Resumes
• Clarify who you are as a professional skills,
  experience, and potential to contribute
• Provide a clear and accurate snapshot of your
  employment and educational history
• Are in a format that recruiters and hiring
  managers can understand.

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Resume Basics (cont.)

• Traditional Chronological Resume

HEADING Experience Skills Education
Experience Job Title, Co., Location,
Date Description of skills and relevant experience
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Resume Basics (cont.)

• Non-traditional Functional Skills

HEADING Functional Skill 1 Functional Skill
2 Functional Skill 3 Positions Held -list
experiences Education
Functional Skill Instance of use
Instance of use Instance of use
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Resume Basics (cont.)

• Avoid
• Colored font
• Stylized graphics
• Pictures of yourself
• Personal web sites
• Any information that you are unable or unwilling
  to discuss
• Typos

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Resume Basics (cont.)

• Content how much is enough?
• If others are unable to tell what you did by
  reading the descriptions in your Experience
  section, you likely need to add content.
• Content how much is too much?
• If you feel the need to include in-depth detail,
  you are likely in need of some serious revisions.

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Edit Your Resume

• Avoid the Perfect Resume syndrome
• Consider having several versions
• Check for typos (and then check again)
• Use feedback to revise
• Seek it, especially from professionals in a
  relevant industry
• Assess it, especially if its dramatically
  different from anything youve heard

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Market Your Resume

• Places to get your resume looked at
• Faculty
• Peers in your graduate program
• Professional Associations
• Secure online vendors
• Family and Friends
• Aztec Career Connection http//career.sdsu.edu

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Preparing for the Interview

• Learn to talk about yourself in ways that are
• Relevant to the position and organization
• Concrete
• Balanced answer the question without
• Boring
• Confusing
• Leaving the listener uninformed
• Research the position, division, and organization
• Use research in the interview

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Preparing for the Interview

• Understand what motivates you about the position,
  and be able to demonstrate this during the
  interview
• Follow up in person, via phone, and thank you
  notes
• Be the professional that they want to hire

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In need of assistance

• Work with SDSU Career Services
• Daily walk-in hours
• Mon Wed 1 3 PM
• Thr Fri 10 AM Noon
• Individual appointments (call 619-594-6851)
• Work with
• Current or past faculty members
• Professional contacts and friends
• Aztec Career Connection http//career.sdsu.edu

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Conclusion

• Questions Answers
• Quick tips
• Always network
• Always learn
• Avoid taking things personally
• Avoid assuming ask questions
• Best of luck with the job search process!