The Bagley Center: Career Services

1
The Bagley CenterCareer Services

• Realistic Strategies for Career Search in a Tough
  Economy

2
Intro to Workshop series

• These workshops are designed to instill some
  seriousness about what you will be facing as you
  move closer to graduation
• To create an awareness and provide strategies for
  your career search
• realistic salaries
• job search strategy
• networking and technology
• and waiting out the tough economy with some
  possible sensible options

3
Workshop Schedule

• Sept. 24 Realistic Income/Realistic
  Expenseson the website http//www.plymouth.edu
  /career
• view as slide show
• Oct. 15 The Practical Job Search
• on the website http//www.plymouth.edu/career
• view as slide show
• Nov. 19 Networking Technology
• Dec. 3 Waiting out the Market Sensible
  Options

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2nd in a series of 4 workshops

• This is the 2nd of a series 4 workshops ----and
  for those who will be attending these workshops
  you are going to hear similar content in the
  beginning of each one
• the Tools to prepare for the job search.
• and then well focus on the workshop which is
• --------
• The Practical Job Search Who, What, Where,
  When, How?

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Tough job market be defensive!

• This workshop is essentially about being
  defensive in a bad market, listen to this short
  video produced by Vault.com
• Job Talk Graduating into a Tough Job Market
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-detail.jsp?v
  ideo_id4340cat_id240nameJobTalk
• The need for planning in a tough job market now
  more than ever you need an organized plan to
  attack the job market and secure employment
• good planning and research --and an early start
  may make up for a weak resume or being less than
  competitive in an overpopulated field

6
Employers projected overall increases in
college hiring (2004-2009).

• NACE Research Job Outlook 2009 Fall Preview
  Shows Smaller Increase in Hiring Anticipated
• The good news? Employers responding to NACEs Job
  Outlook 2009 Fall Preview survey plan to increase
  college hiring for the sixth straight year.

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Employers projected overall increases in
college hiring (2004-2009)

• The bad news? For the first time in that span,
  the projected percentage increase in college
  hiring is below double digits, as the largest
  percentage of employers have plans to maintain
  their college hiring levels, as opposed to
  increasing their number of new college hires.
• Employers responding to this survey plan to hire
  6.1 percent more new graduates in 2008-09 than
  they did in 2007-08. While its a positive
  projection, it pales when compared to the
  expected percentage increases in the last five
  Job Outlook Fall Preview reports (see chart
  below), although it is important to note that the
  downward turn began last academic year when, in
  the fall, employers anticipated hiring 16 percent
  more new college graduates then adjusted their
  hiring projection to an 8 percent increase for
  the Job Outlook 2008 Spring Update.

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Employers projected overall increases in college
hiring (2004-2009According to National
Association of Colleges and Employers
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Workshop 2 The Practical Job Search Who,
What, Where When, and How?

• Discover some ways to approach your job search
  inexpensively with a timeline that works for you
• Who is my audience?
• What is my goal? What are the legal issues?
• Where are the jobs?
• When is the best time to begin this search?
• How do I begin prospecting the market for jobs?

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My Objective

• Core Preparation The Job Search Tools
• Resume, cover letter, portfolio, interviewing
  techniques
• The Job Search Strategy Who, What, Where, When,
  How?

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Core preparation the connection
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The Job Search Tools

• Resume
• Paper
• Video
• Digital
• Cover Letter
• Paper
• Email
• Portfolio
• paper
• Electronic
• Interviewing Techniques
• In person

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The Tool Resume

• Paper - see guidelines and sample resumes
• http//www.plymouth.edu/career/career/resume/
• Video Resume, produced by Vault.com
• The Vault Video Guide to Video Resumes
• (select watch in full screen/ 2.27 min.)
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-detail.jsp?v
  ideo_id3541cat_id200nameJobSearchandInterv
  iewAdvice

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Online applications

• Online applications to be covered in the next
  workshop
• Nov. 19 Networking Technology
• Digital Resume to be covered in the next
  workshop
• Nov. 19 Networking Technology

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The Tool Cover Letter

• Paper guidelines and samples
• http//www.plymouth.edu/career/career/resume/Cover
  Letter.html
• Email guidelines for writing cover letters
  produced by Jobsearch.about.com
• Email Cover Letters
• http//jobsearch.about.com/cs/coverletters/qt/emai
  lcover.htm

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The Tools Resume Cover letter

• Whatever the versions (paper or electronic) both
  MUST be perfect
• Relate your resume to the skills in the adwhat
  separates you from others
• Ensure you have a solid resume and an outstanding
  cover letter
• Quality counts especially in tough times
• Both the resume and cover letter MUST be perfect
• --there is no room for error
• --errors will disqualify you as candidate
• For resume guidelines visit
• http//www.plymouth.edu/career/career/resume/

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The Tool Cover Letter

• Your cover letter must set you apart from others
• The cover letter reflects
• your voice
• your defense
• your support
• the direction you are taking in the field in
  relation to the positions you are seeking
• For cover letter guidelines visit our website
• http//www.plymouth.edu/career/career/resume/Cover
  Letter.html

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The Tool Portfolio

• put together strategy for portfolio
• collection of samples of your best work
• Including English papers
• science projects
• letters of recommendation for performing an
  activity
• pictures showing how you are using a specific
  technology
• how you are being recognized for a special
  achievement

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The Tool Portfolio

• paper portfolio
• electronic portfolio produced by Experience.com
• Choose Electronic Portfolio under the main title
  Professional Webinar Archive
• Select Download PowerPoint slides only (.ppt
  file) on this link http//www.experience.com/alu
  mnus/channel?channel_idschool_resourcespage_idt
  raining_development

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The Tool Interviewing

• Interviews Dos and Donts video produced by
  Vault.com
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-detail.jsp?v
  ideo_id2520cat_id200nameJobSearchandInterv
  iewAdvice
• (select watch in full screen/ 4.19 mins.)
• What to wear video, Dress for Success produced
  by Vault.com
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-detail.jsp?v
  ideo_id2520cat_id200nameJobSearchandInterv
  iewAdvice
• The follow-up/thank you letter guidelines
  produced by Vault.com
• http//www.vault.com/nr/main_article_detail.jsp?ar
  ticle_id7043cat_id0ht_type10
• http//www.vault.com/survival/center.jsp?type2ca
  t_id1993

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The Tool Interviewing

• Interviewing at job fairs
• How do you stand out at a career fair?video
  produced by Vault.com
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-category-lis
  t.jsp?cat_id200nameJobSearchandInterviewAdv
  ice
• The Vault Video Guide to Career Fairs video
  produced by Vault.com
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-category-lis
  t.jsp?cat_id200nameJobSearchandInterviewAdv
  ice
• What important questions should you ask at a
  career fair? video produced by Vault.com
• http//www.vault.com/multimedia/video-category-lis
  t.jsp?cat_id200nameJobSearchandInterviewAdv
  ice

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The Tool Interviewing

• Know what works-what does not work
• Conversation is key to your success
• Employers seek
• a well-round background
• experience and activities that build leadership,
  communication, customer service, and related
  skills
• Show your ability to transfer experience through
  examples during the interview
• It is not your major as much as it is the skills
  the employer is seeking
• Determine the skills learned through courses
  taken at PSU vs. skills the market is seeking
  (use your academic bulletin to review the skill
  words in the course descriptions)
• http//www.plymouth.edu/undergrad/pdfs/2008-09Acad
  emicCatalog.pdf

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The Tool Interviewing

• Show your ability to transfer experience through
  examples during the interview
• It is not your major as much as it is the skills
  the employer is seeking
• Determine the skills learned through courses
  taken at PSU vs. skills the market is seeking
  (use your academic bulletin to review the skill
  words in the course descriptions)
• http//www.plymouth.edu/undergrad/pdfs/2008-09Acad
  emicCatalog.pdf

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The economy

• Lets take a look at the economy

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Labor Market Demand vs. Supply

• Economic environment moves in business cycles
• Employment or the total number of jobs in an
  economy moves through economic booms and economic
  downturns or recessions, also known as business
  cycles

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Labor Market Demand vs. Supply

• Employment can change due to changes in the types
  of products that are demanded and produced in the
  economy. For example, the Internet use soared,
  employment in the American economy became more
  concentrated in computer related industries.

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Labor Market Demand vs. Supply

• The service sector has a large concentration of
  its workforce in managerial, professional,
  technical and high level sales occupations that
  are frequently labeled as college labor market
  occupations because of the high concentration of
  college graduates in these occupations.

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Labor Market Industry/Occupation

• To locate the information on the Labor Market
  which shows the Demand vs. Supply in your
  occupational focus, use this link
• http//www.bls.gov
• Industries are classified based on the product or
  services they provide
• For Example
• Professional Business Services
• Educational Health Services
• -----------------------------------
• For example The State of NH current employment
  statistics at a glance are on the following
  links
• http//www.nh.gov/nhes
• http//www.nh.gov/nhes/elmi/unempnrbrief.htm

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Next steps after Job search tools

• Self Assessment
• Research involves focusing first on your degree
  and next on the geographic area where you would
  like to be employed.
• From major to occupation to Industry
• From major/occupation/industry to geographic

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Self-Assessment

• Career decision making requires a
  multidimensional approach that involves three
  domains
• Abilities
• Interests
• Values
• Check out CHOICES 2009 (free to students in
  PSU computer clusters) This assesses interests as
  it relates to occupational areas.

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Self Assessment Ability, Interests, Values

• Ability is not intelligence It is the skills,
  talents or things you can do. What do I know,
  What can I do?
• Major work abilities include artistic, clerical,
  interpersonal, language, leadership, manual,
  musical/dramatic, numerical/mathematical,
  organizational, persuasive, scientific, social,
  spatial, technical/mechanical

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1. Self Assessment Ability, Interests, Values

• Interests Do I want or like to do this type of
  work?
• The word like or want indicates your interests.

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Self Assessment Ability, Interests, Values

• Values What do I want to get out of my work? Ex.
  Independence, high salary, job security, etc.
• Top values good salary, job security, job with
  variety, working with people, high achievement

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Self Assessment Ability, Interests, Values
Experiences

• Add to these domains Experiences
• Part-time, seasonal, or full-time experience

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How to develop job search plan

• Who..is my target audience?
• What.is my goal?
• What are the legal issues?
• Where...are the jobs?
• When.do I start my search?
• Howdo I develop a list of prospective
  employers?.. and How to I accept an offer?

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Who is my target audience?

• From major to occupation to Industry
• SEE handout Steps to research potential sites
• Example You are a marketing major seeking a
  position in the Worcester, MA area

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Who is my target audience?

• From major to occupation to Industry see handout
  Steps to research potential sites
• Step 1 Research the occupational titles and the
  skills required for the field of marketing.
• Heres one way For research purposes, go to
  www.boston.com, select the tab, Jobs, enter
  marketing in the key word box. This research
  will give you
• a broader view of the occupational titles
• the skills required for marketing positions
• what industries offer marketing positions
• Marketing can be found in more than one industry
  such as media, sports, hospitality, health care,
  finance, technology, non- profit organizations,
  and tourism.
• These are only a few examples.

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Who is my target audience?

• From major to occupation to Industry Geographic
  Location see handout
• Steps to research potential sites.
• Step 2 Now that you have completed Step 1, you
  can begin the geographic search for the
  Worcester, MA area.
• For research purposes, here are just three
  examples of websites to investigate
• Use www.google.com using the key words,
  marketing in Worcester MA or use an industry in
  your key word search for example, health care in
  Worcester MA
• Use www.bigyellow.com using the key words
  marketing and then choosing the location of
  Worcester MA
• Use www.boston.com (or your nearest newspaper)
  using the key words marketing and then choosing
  the location of Worcester MA
• Use www.chamberofcommerce.com to locate the local
  Chamber of Commerce sites for a listing of
  employers in the area
• From this geographic search, you will find a list
  of employers and their contact information

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Who is my target audience?

• Now that you have completed Step 2, you can use
  the contact information to learn more about the
  employer.
• Heres how
• For research purposes, use the link from your
  search results above to get to the companys
  homepage.
• You will want to learn
• what product or service they provide
• if there is staff with a focus on your area i.e.
  is there a marketing manager?
• the size of the company (at least a sense of the
  size)
• look for the person to contact that is most
  related to your focus. For example, who is the
  Director of Marketing, what is their email
  address and contact information?

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JOB SEARCH ECONOMICS

• coordinate your interviews on the same date or in
  the same geographic area-- saturate a locality
  instead of wasting time and money jumping from
  town to town or city to city
• Using networking such as our Alumni assoc to meet
  people and develop industry contracts
• Take the financial advantages of a job fair over
  going to employers one-by-one on your own

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What is my goal?

• Goal find a job
• Use a proactive or reactive approach as indicated
  in the previous slides and check out the
  associated links on the PSU Career Services
  homepage
• http//www.plymouth.edu/career/career/checklist.ht
  ml/

42
Legal issues of finding a job

• Research the issues in your field and the issues
  in general you need you to know before you jump
  into the job market Register with
  Experience.coms Plymouth Careers through
  myPlymouth to stay on top of current issues being
  legal issues being presented. Or use
  www.google.com and use keyword legal issues for
  employees
• Interviewing legal and illegal interview
  questions
• On the job issues surrounding uses of
  employers property and social networking

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Where...are the jobs?

• Proactive vs. Reactive job search
• Geographic focus?
• Occupational focus?

See handout Prospect Listhttp//www.plymouth.ed
u/career/workshops/documents/prospect_sheet_101508
.doc
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Where...are the jobs?

• Proactive searches vs. reactive searches
• Proactive where are the employers?
• Chamber listings
• Professional memberships in your occupational
  field
• Organizations

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Reactive job search

• Reactive responding to the ads
• newspapers, journals
• Job fairs, latest job fairs see
  http//www.plymouth.edu/career/career/employment/j
  ob_fairs.html
• And also
• How to prepare for job fairs videos produced by
  Vault.com, see link
• http//www.vault.com

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Reactive job search continued

• PlymouthCareers using your myPlymouth homepage
• Alumni through PlymouthCareers using myPlymouth
  homepage

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Developing a prospect list

• Prospect List (http//www.plymouth.edu/career/work
  shops/documents/prospect_sheet_101508.doc)
• How to develop a prospect list
• What should I include and how should I track my
  progress?
• This is just a sample adjust to your needs.
• Idea use Excel for your prospect list in order
  to sort you follow-up column

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When do I start my search?

• Timeline start early
• Challenge of finding a job in tough economy

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Developing Timeline

• Sept. 08 -----------------Nov--------------May 09
• Sept Job Search
• Oct resumes sent to employer on your prospect
  list
• Nov follow-up with email to employer
• Dec initial interviews
• Jan Add more employers to the prospect list
• Feb resumes sent to these employer
• Mar Job Fairs regionally and nationally/intervie
  ws
• Apr final interviews/negotiating
  acceptance/declines
• May graduate with a full-time position

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Accepting a Job

• How to accept?
• How to decline?
• How to analyze?
• See guidelines produced by jobsearch.about.com
  for details
• http//jobsearch.about.com/b/2004/09/04/accepting-
  a-job-offer.htm
• See NACE Job Choices on JobWeb link
• For guidelines on accepting a job
• http//www.jobweb.com/students.aspx?folderid134

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Job Searching Inexpensively

• Being smart with your money in a tough market
• Focus on how to do a job search economically
• Thinking of the job search as an expenditure at a
  time when money may be scarce, how you can the
  most for your buck in looking for a job.
• Getting a job without being poor from getting the
  job
• Using the internet to save money in your job
  search electronically mailing resumes and cover
  letters scanning documents interviewing by
  webcam (practice!)

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The Bagley Center

• We are right here on campus bring your resume
  and cover letter to our office for a critique
• Mon-Thurs 10 am to 4 pm an advisor is
  available to work with you on your resume and
  cover letter as well as your job search strategy.

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How am I going to begin?

• Possibly treat this workshop as an assignment
• when am I going to begin my job searchmy
  timeline
• what will I need for a salary/check cost of
  living
• how do I stack up against the market/competition
• Create a realistic job search budget
• Interviewing adds up when buying clothes and
  traveling to the site

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Thoughts to walk away with.

• This is not a to do list it is meant to
  cultivate some thoughts about
• your own approach to your job search
• how your job search relates to your occupational
  area
• the supply/demand that are projected for your
  occupation

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What next?

• Devote time each week to your job search and
  attend the next workshop
• Networking Technology
• look in your brochure ( link here)
• and mark your calendar for November 19th for your
  next workshop, networking and technology as a
  rational strategy for job search

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Changes in Recruiting Methods

• How do employers plan to alter their recruiting
  methods in this job market? They plan to do so by
  focusing on branding and making use of social
  networks.
• employers plan to change any of their recruiting
  methods for 2008-09 graduates vs. how they
  recruited 2007-08 graduates. nearly one in five
  employers will either begin using social
  networking web sites or increase their use

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Please mark your calendar

• Nov. 19 Networking Technology
• Dec. 3 Waiting out the Market Sensible Options

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Services to students

• Open Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 400 p.m.
• Located between Blair and Hall
• No appointment necessary
• Meet on a first-come first served, drop-in basis.
  Advisors do not counsel by email.
• Open during Spring Break Summers
• Services offered to graduate students and alumni
  of PSU.

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Questions?

• Do I have the answers?
• rdecotis_at_plymouth.edu
• Email me with your questions or comments.