JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES

1
JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES

• Career Services

2
STEPS TO SUCCESS

• Self Assessment
• Research Exploration
• Prepare Materials Develop Job Search Skills
• Networking
• Conduct Job Search

3
Self Assessment

• Identify your
• Values
• Interests
• Skills
• Accomplishments
• Experiences
• Goals

4
Research Exploration

• Conduct Informational Interviews
• Professional Associations
• Professors
• Professionals in the field
• Research the job market
• Where are the jobs?
• Who is hiring?
• What career fields are in demand?
• What are the qualifications needed (certificates,
  education, etc)
• Begin to target potential employers

5
Research Online Resources

• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• www.bls.gov/oco/home.html
• JobWeb
• www.jobweb.com
• Career Library section has extensive listings
  under General References to assist in employer
  research
• Vault Online Career Library
• www.fit.edu/career
• Go to the Career Resources Center Page and find
  Vault with provides industry and company profiles
• Career Services
• www.fit.edu/career
• Current lists of employers for each discipline
  locally and nationally

6
Preparation Materials

• Resume, Cover Letter, transcripts, etc
• Targeted to position industry
• References
• Past employers
• Professors/Instructors
• Volunteer Associations
• Interview skills
• Participate in mock interviews if possible.
• Practice answering interview questions.

7
Marketing Preparation

• Develop Marketing Conversational skills
• Networking, presentations, interviews, etc
• Professional interview attire (Eventually Career)
• Suit, slacks, shoes, accessories, etc
• Prepare for several options since you might have
  second third interviews
• Professional voice mail/email service and
  professional sounding messages and nicknames.

8
Networking

• Develop a career network
• (The hidden job market)
• Assess your current network and that of your
  parents, relatives, friends. Include a list of
  whom each of them know.
• Tell everyone you know that you are conducting a
  job search and ask for their assistance.

9
Networking Contacts

• Sources of Contacts
• Professors, administrators, graduate students, or
  alumni.
• Supervisors from any previous jobs including
  internships or part-time jobs.
• Members of professional associations.
• Friends, relatives, or contacts from community.

10
Effective Networking

• Making new contacts or cold calling
• Contact by phone or email first.
• Be sure to mention mutual acquaintances early on.
• Prepare a script of what you are going to say
• in advance (if on the phone).
• Proofread email messages and be sure to use
  proper spelling
• and grammar.
• Successful contact
• Be prepared to concisely discuss your
  qualifications and what you expect from this
  contact.
• Try to schedule a personal meeting or
  informational interview.
• Reassure the contact that you will only need 20
  or 30 minutes of their time.

11
Effective Networking

• Do not ask for a job during the first
• conversation.
• Ask for career information and advice in your job
  search.
• Manners go a long way.
• No way to get around Please, thank you, I
  appreciate, it was so nice of you
• Always follow up on successful contacts
• Be sure to thank them for their assistance.

12
Plan and Conduct Job Search

• Commit a considerable amount of time
• A job search can be thought of as a full-time job
  in itself.
• Start the process early
• Especially research and preparation. Do not wait
  until the last semester before graduation to
  begin the process.

13
Plan and Conduct Job Search

• Job Search Tracking
• Spreadsheet or binder with all your job search
  correspondence, notes, list of network contacts
  and applications, notes on when to follow up on
  applications, a calendar of important dates, etc.
  
• Refer to it frequently and follow up on
  anything that you need to take care of.

14
Conduct Job Search

• Pursue advertised vacancies
• College Central Network
• Popular job listing websites such as Career
  Builder, Monster
• Employer websites
• Professional association websites
• Classified ads most are online
• www.fit.edu/career/jobcenter/generall_inks.html
• Do not blindly submit resumes, make the
  connection

15
Plan and Conduct Job Search

• Improve your chances
• Target your resume to the job description.
• Personalize your response as much as possible.
• Follow up with hiring manager if possible.

16
Conduct Job Search

• Finding the hidden jobs
• Utilize your career network contacts. If you
  started that process early, they should know you
  well by the time you need to start applying for
  jobs.
• Get pass the Gatekeeper and follow up with hiring
  managers when possible.

17
Maximizing Online Resources

• Realize that most employers, especially large
  ones, will only accept resumes through online
  systems.
• Target your resume to their system and the
  openings they have available.
• Use online job listing sites to post your resume
  but also to learn who is hiring. Applying
  directly to the company is preferred.
• Do not get stuck in this trap avoiding
  employers with a difficult recruitment process

18
Maximizing Online Resources

• Protecting Privacy
• Be careful of posting your resume and personal
  information on job posting sites before reading
  their sites privacy policy.
• Never give out your Social Security Number or any
  financial information on third party job posting
  site.

19
Protecting your References Privacy

• Only disclose reference information when
  specifically requested by hiring employer
• This will allow you the opportunity to give your
  references a heads up when applying to positions

20
Final Advice

• Be persistent
• A successful job search takes a lot of hard work
  and time.
• Take control of your job search
• You are the one ultimately responsible for your
  job search.
• Be flexible!
• Do not create your own obstacles by developing
  job search goals that cannot be met.
• Stay positive!
• A positive attitude is a must.

21
Career Services

• Part-time and full-time job postings College
  Central Network
• Internships Co-op
• Federal Work-study
• Florida Work Experience Program
• Workshops
• Resume cover letter critiques
• Career Fair Employer Day
• Mock interviews

321.674.8102 www.fit.edu/career
Keuper Bldg Room 210
22
Questions? Contact Us

• Dona Gaynor, Director
• dgaynor_at_fit.edu
• Elizabeth Farney, Assistant Director
• efarney_at_fit.edu