Job Search 101: essential steps to start your career

Since the prospect of looking for your first job out of college can feel overwhelming, it helps to break the project down into manageable components. The essential steps in any successful job search are:

PREPARATION

• Clarifying your interests and values

• Identifying your skills

• Researching potential employers

MARKETING YOURSELF

• Creating an effective resume and cover letter

• Developing strong interviewing techniques

• Finding and pursuing job leads and job openings

The skills you will develop as you conduct your first job search will be useful to you at different stages in your career. Although the steps described here are important, the process isn't necessarily linear, and there isn't one right way to do it. You'll probably find yourself using some of the steps and not others at different times in your working life. And remember, the staff of your campus career center can help you at any point in the process.

PREPARATION

Self-assessment

Students who have spent time reflecting on their personalities, abilities, and likes and dislikes are the most likely to experience success in their job searches. "Self-assessment" exercises can help you explore your values, skills, and interests. There are a variety of self-assessment tools available, including the computer-based Pinpoint, the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, card sorts, and others. These exercises, with the guidance of a counselor at your campus career center, can help you identify what you enjoy doing and what you do well, and can provide you with ideas about careers to explore further.

Researching potential industries and employers

The next step is to research those industries and functional areas that interest you, with the help of your campus career center's online and print resources. Obtaining as much information as you can about particular companies or types of jobs, through research, networking, or hands-on experience, will help you identify more specifically the type of work that suits you best. And the better suited you are for a particular job, the more competitive a candidate you will be.

As you conduct your research and explore various options, pay attention to issues regarding the world of work, including changes in labor markets and the emerging global economy. These trends have impacted many industries, including the nonprofit and government sectors. An ability to speak knowledgeably about these issues will give you a competitive edge in a job interview.

Once you've learned more about yourself, the world of work, and the marketplace, you'll be better prepared to select one or more industries and/or functional areas to target.

MARKETING YOURSELF

Your goal in the job search is to market yourself to as many appropriate employers as possible. The most effective job search strategy depends on using all possible avenues to finding a position, rather than relying solely on one approach.

Resumes and cover letters

Your career center staff can help you craft an effective resume and critique cover letters and other job related correspondence. At most campus career centers you can meet one-on-one with a counselor, attend a resume writing workshop, and use any of the online and library materials on writing effective resumes and cover letters.

Interviews

Once your resume gets you in the door, the interview is the critical factor in determining

if you are a good fit for the organization. One of the best ways to strengthen your interviewing skills is through a “mock” or practice interview with a career center counselor. You can usually set up an appointment to do so at your career center.

FINDING JOB LEADS AND OPENINGS

The on-campus recruiting program

Register with your school’s recruiting program to meet with a range of visiting prospective employers interested in hiring students from your college or university. Fall is often the heaviest time for such visits as employers seek to meet with graduating seniors, but many employers visit in the spring, as well.

Networking and informational interviewing

Many people find their jobs as the result of networking. Be sure to make use of your school’s alumni network, details usually available through your career services office. An alumni network typically involves graduates of your school who are willing to provide career information to students, either over the phone, online, or face-to-face.

Online resources

Your campus career center’s website also provides access to a wealth of online resources, including job listings. In addition to BostonWorks for Greater Boston openings, many carry access to some or all of the following, among other sources:

• VAULT, WetFeet, Hoovers - these sites provide access to online guides covering career advice, industry profiles, and company profiles in addition to discussion boards. Many career offices offer this service at no charge to students and alumni.

• Current jobs for graduates – www.graduatejobs.com

• Career Search - an extensive online database that includes over one million companies along with contact names, addresses, phone numbers and background company information

• Other national, regional, and industry-specific job links.

Library resources

Your career center library most likely houses a range of print and video resources, including company directories, the JobBank series for out-of-state employer information, and industry- and career-specific books.

Professional and trade associations

Attending professional association meetings can help you learn more about your field of

interest and connect you to people who may be able to assist you in your job search. You campus career center most likely has directories of associations to get you started.

Professional journals

Keep up with the latest trends and ideas by reading current literature in your field of

interest. Many centers as well as your college’s library have subscriptions to such publications as ADWEEK, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Hispanic Business, and numerous other professional journals. It is safe to say that nearly every industry has one, and if your school does not carry the print edition, it may be available online.

Career fairs and events

Keep abreast of your school’s sponsored career fairs and events throughout the year. An events calendar is typically available on your career services website.

With all these resources at your disposal, the rest is up to you. So get prepared, then get out and market yourself. Remember, you are the product, and the employers are your customers. You can and will make the sale. And when you do, congratulations! You’ve passed Job Search 101.

This article is adapted from materials published by the Hiatt Career Center, the career services office at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.