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The Job Search Process

On average, you can expect to have 3-5 career changes and up to 6 job changes within a career. So for better or worse, you need to learn how to look for a job!

Each time you change jobs, for whatever reason, you need to start at the beginning of the process and work through it again. The specifics of your job search will change each time but the process remains the same. Since these changes will happen despite careful planning, learning what the job search process entails now will arm you with a valuable lifelong skill.

How Much Time Will the Job Search Take?

Generally, job search success is directly proportional to the amount of time you are willing to spend in your search and the number of strategies you use to identify potential openings. Sources suggest that you:

      1. Be prepared for a long job hunt - 6-24 weeks. Be realistic – the right job may take time to find.
      2. It may take up to 10 job interviews before you are offered the job you want.
      3. Employed now? Spend at least 20 hours per week on your job hunt. If you’re not working, spend 40 hours a week. You are working for yourself now.
      4. Carefully plan your time and your job search methods. In other words, act like you work for yourself and you want to give your employer’s a good day’s work!

Your perseverance will eventually pay off. Keep in touch with your support system of family and friends to help you when you are feeling discouraged.


What Do I Need to Know Before I Start?

There is no magic way to find a job. It is hard work, takes time, and at times may be boring and frustrating. It will take all your skills in planning and follow through but when done faithfully also pays the ultimate reward: A satisfying job for you! Some rejection will be a normal part of job-hunting. Rather than letting rejections discourage you, let each one teach you a new way to improve your skills for your next opportunity.

Your job search is your responsibility. You are the one who has to get out there and make things happen - no one can do it for you. The Career Services staff is available to assist you with each of the job search steps. Job search workshops are offered several times each semester on Creative Ways to Find a Job, Resume and Cover Letter Writing, and Interviewing.


What Are the Steps of the Job Search Process?

A list of job search steps follows. The order may vary depending on your specific needs and goals.

1. Self Assessment

The first step in your job search involves self assessment. Before you start looking for a specific job you need answers to such questions as: What are my work-related skills, interests and values? What have I learned from my academic, paid and volunteer experiences? What kind of position am I seeking? What are my career goals? What kind of lifestyle do I envision for myself?

  • Informational Interviews – The focus of informational interviews is to find out more about a company or a career field. However, a hoped-for by-product is to find out about specific openings and how the organization does its hiring.

Also, check out these websites:

2. Come up with Some Job Search Strategies

The successful job search requires a definite plan of action. How will you develop a list of potential employers? How will you contact them? How can you build your network to include them? What are your communication strengths and how can you best use them? Conducting a job search without a plan will cost you in both time and money.

  • Networking - Let people know you are looking! Talk to family, faculty, and friends. Everyone is a potential contact.
  • Cold Calls - This is the old “knocking on doors” technique where you call companies or go in person to personnel offices to inquire about possible openings. Using this technique, however, requires careful preparation as you will leave an impression with every person you meet in the process. You need to be prepared to interview on the spot. Dress nicely and bring several clean copies of your resume with you.
  • Journals and Newsletters - These are job announcements found in professional journals and newsletters which are more career specific than those found in daily newspapers. For example, mechanical engineers have the ASME, and its monthly publication, Mechanical Engineering, to browse and research.
  • Mass Mailing - Sending out a large number of cover letters and resumes is a common but passive strategy. It is important that you know the odds - for every 80 letters you mail out you can expect 2 - 4 positive replies. You need to consider how much time and money you want to spend for this kind of return.
  • Want Ads - Like mass mailing, want ads don’t always yield a high positive return, although some fields use them more regularly than others. A better use of newspapers is often for the information you can gain about an area, a company, or people who work at a particular company through its news.
  • On-Campus Recruiting - If there is a company coming to campus with a position that interests you - pursue it! Watch our Announcements for the next company coming to campus.
  • Career Fairs – Lakeland Career Services has a large Career Expo annually in November. Come and meet employers to network and position yourself for a later application. Most representatives will take your resume.
  • Experiential Learning - These include opportunities such as cooperative education, internships, volunteer work and even student employment in your field of interest. More and more employers are looking for people who already have experience or related experience in their field and some have begun to hire only from their intern pool.

And check out these websites:

  • WSJ.com Career Journal - The Wall Street Journal's career site offers a wide variety of tips on career planning and development. From the tabs at the top of the screen, select "Job Hunting Advice."
  • College Grad Job Hunter - Job search tips for new graduates.
  • Creative Job Search - Lots of good advice from Minnesota Department of Economic Security.
  • Job/Work Search - Job Search Strategies from the University of Waterloo Career Development Manual. Check out steps 2, 3 and 4.
  • Job Hunters Bible - (What Color is Your Parachute) A guide from Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the famous "Parachute" series.
  • JobWeb – More great advice.
  • The Career Clinic - This radio program features advice and discussion by many stars in the career development field. Listen to the broadcast via RealAudio.

3. Write Resumes and Cover Letters

These are the two most basic marketing tools for your job search. Developing an effective resume and good targeted cover letter is essential. The Career Services staff can assist you with their development.

4. Research Jobs and Companies

  • Hoover's Online - Offers limited free access to Hoover 's company profiles. More information available for a fee.
  • Annual Report Gallery - Links to online annual reports. Some are in PDF format.
  • Annual Report Service - Links to online annual reports. Some are in PDF format and may be requested in hard copy.
  • The Riley Guide - Links to lots of sites to help you research.
  • Internet Nonprofit Center - Information about nonprofit organizations.
  • Volunteer Action Center - From Florida International University . If you are interested in a career with a non-profit organization, you may be interested in these profiles.

5. Ace the Interview

Getting the interview is the goal of your tools - the resume and cover letter - and the outcome of a successful plan of action. It is easy, however, to be so intent on getting interviews that you neglect to prepare for them. Have you researched the organization? Are you prepared to communicate what you can contribute? Have you studied the kinds of questions often asked?

6. Get a Job Offer

"You've got the job!" are the four words job hunters most want to hear. But what then? Are you prepared to evaluate the offer to see if it matches your interests and, more importantly, your work values? Could you turn down a job offer you felt was wrong for you? How will you make your decision? Have you determined what your basic monthly expenses are so you can see if the offered salary will cover them and allow you to begin at least a modest savings plan?

 

Updated 05/11/07

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