ENG 412 Professional English

The Job Search

2

Chronological (arranged around dates)

Functional (arranged around skills)

Combination

1. You are putting together a CV. What format do recruiters generally prefer?

Test Your Employment Knowledge

3

Searching the Internet

Sending out hundreds of CVs

Networking

Reading the classified ads

2. Many experts in the field of recruitingthink that the best way for a college graduate to find a job today is by

Test Your Employment Knowledge

4

10 to 19 percent

20 to 29 percent

30 to 49 percent

50 percent or more

3. You begin your job search the way mostpeople do by looking through the newspaperads. What percentage of availableopportunities can you find in those ads?

Test Your Employment Knowledge

5

Potential employers and professional organizations

Family members, friends, neighbors, associates

School alumni and former instructors

Your dentist, your doctor, other service providers

All of the above

4. You’ve heard that “networking” is a good way to find a job. Who should be on your list of people to contact?

Test Your Employment Knowledge

6

Dress in your normal student clothes

Dress professionally in a suit

Wear a jacket and jeans

Call to ask interviewer

5. You’ve got a job interview with a company that has a casual dress code. What should you do?

Test Your Employment Knowledge

What Today’s Employers Require

Flexibility Flexibility and Adaptabilityand Adaptability

Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning

Teamwork SkillsTeamwork Skills

Strong Work RecordsStrong Work Records

What Today’s Employers Require

Leadership CapabilitiesLeadership Capabilities

Diversified SkillsDiversified Skills

Varied ExperiencesVaried Experiences

Multicultural and Multicultural and International AwarenessInternational Awareness

What Can You Offer?

Personal achievements

Educational preparation

Work experience

Extracurricular activities

Personal

characteristics

What Do You Want To Do?

SpecificSpecificCompensationCompensation

Type ofType ofOperationOperation

CorporateCorporateCultureCulture

Type ofType ofOccupationOccupation

GeneralGeneralCareer GoalsCareer Goals

LocationLocation

Nature ofNature ofthe Jobthe Job

Size ofSize ofCompanyCompany

FacilitiesFacilities

Building Your Career

Employment PortfolioEmployment Portfolio

Interim AssignmentsInterim Assignments

Workplace SkillsWorkplace Skills

Life-Long LearningLife-Long Learning

Conduct Preliminary Research

The Organization

Corporate name Age and location Products or services Industry Position Earnings and Growth Overall Structure

The Opportunity

Job Title Job Functions Job Qualifications Career Path Salary Range Travel and relocation

The Employment Search

BuildToward Career

BuildToward Career

1

PrepareRésuméPrepareRésumé

2

Preparefor Interview

Preparefor Interview

4

UnderstandInterview Process

UnderstandInterview Process

3

Take theInterviewTake theInterview

5Follow Up

and AcceptOffer

Follow Upand Accept

Offer

6

Employer Recruiting PracticesEmployer Recruiting Practices

NetworkingNetworkingand Personaland PersonalReferencesReferences

Look InsideLook Insidethe Companythe Company

UnsolicitedUnsolicitedRRésumésésumés

NewspaperNewspaperWant AdsWant Ads

EmploymentEmploymentAgency orAgency or

Search FirmSearch Firm

Most Preferred

LeastPreferred

Organizing Your Approach

Monitor Monitor DevelopmentsDevelopments in your Fieldin your Field

Research Specific FirmsResearch Specific Firms

Build a NetworkBuild a Network

Seek Career CounselingSeek Career Counseling

The “Hidden” Job Market Approximately 80% of available positions are never

advertised – they rely on personal contacts

Going Online

“The impact of the internet is so pervasive that it is reasonable to imagine that every source of hire has an internet component. It may have been part of the research done to find candidates or the source of information for the candidates. The internet is also increasingly the major means to apply and communicate no matter what the original source.”

CareerXRoad’s 2007 Annual Sources of Hire Survey

Off-line and On-line Job Search Print newspapers,

journals etc. Telephone and

Business Directories Networking (face to

face) A nicely designed

paper CV and a scannable version

Online newspapers, journals etc.

Online directories, industry sites and employer webpages

Networking (online groups, forums etc.)

A plain text CV to email or use to complete online application forms

Potential Employers use the internet, too!

Companies run online checks

Your Google results are your online presence or “digital footprint”

Your Online Presence

Personal website Blogs Online portfolio Facebook Twitter Linked In Other professional organisations

Clean it up- especially on

Remove any inappropriate profile infomation Remove any inappropriate images Delete any silly comments Ask other people to remove any inappropriate

content from you from their sites Check privacy settings, but do not rely on

them

Find people Get recommendations Join groups

Follow people and organisations Sign up to work related links Build your profile with tweets and retweets

Manage your online presence

Update regularly Be consistent Link accounts Keep informed of any changes

During Your Search Remember… No specific job strategy will work for every

applicant! Be flexible. Be persistent. Allow extra time to conduct your job search. 3 key steps - Assessment, Research and

Implementation.

7 Common Job Search Mistakes1. Relying on one strategy

2. Lack of focus/career objective

3. Failure to identify and use network

4. Targeting only large employers

5. Failure to follow–up

6. Unprofessional materials/appearance

7. Underestimate time needed to search

Keep It In Perspective

Don’t take rejection personally… Maintain a balance between job search and

everyday routine Remind yourself of your skills and

accomplishments Use your resources Be persistent - you will find employment