JOB SEARCH
STRATEGIES BEFORE YOU START
YOUR JOB SEARCH Determine your
destination First, you need to know
where you want to go -- your career objective. If
you are not sure what kind of position you want,
contact the Career Center. Your job search will
be much more effective if you have a goal. Develop your
plan The next step is to develop
a good job search plan based on your career
objective. Include the job search
strategies listed here that will work best for
you based on your career goals. Make sure
the plan has specific tasks with deadlines for
completion. Networking is a critical part
of any job search, so be sure it is a major part
of your plan. If you need help, contact the
Career Center. Implement your
plan The final step is to
implement the plan. Schedule time each week
to complete the specific tasks you have
pinpointed in your plan. Keep a record of
every job search activity you perform to track
your results and know what you need to do
next. It is also important to periodically
review and revise your plan. OPEN VERSUS
HIDDEN JOB MARKET There are two dimensions of the
job market--the open job market and the hidden
job market. The open job market consists of
those jobs that are advertised and open to the
public; the hidden job market consists of
unadvertised opportunities. Most jobs are
found in the hidden job market; only 15 to 20
percent of positions are advertised. As you
develop and implement your job search plan, it is
important to keep this in mind. In most
cases, you want to focus more time and energy on
hidden job market strategies. STRATEGIES FOR THE
OPEN JOB MARKET Strategy 1:
Respond to Job
Advertisements
Job advertisements are found in
newspapers, through
professional organizations, journals and
websites, company and
organization websites, internet job
banks, and other job banks Pros:Easy access; quick; direct path to
a job application Cons:Lots of competition for jobs;
small % of jobs found this way Strategy:Target positions you are qualified
for; research the organizations; in the
cover letter, make sure you emphasize experience
and skills listed in the ad to show you are a
good fit for the position. Strategy 2:
Post Your Resume Online Post your
resumeon-line with company websites,
professional organizations in your field,
and other on-line services. Pros:Highly visible; low time
commitment Cons:Impersonal; general resume Strategy:Research and pinpoint appropriate
resume posting sites (that is, sites in your
field that concentrate on entry-level positions);
decide what personal contact information you want
to appear on-line; determine notification
procedures; track where you post your information
and your results. Strategy 3:
Participate in On-Campus
Recruiting Sign
upfor
On-Campus Recruiting through the Career
Center. Pros: Convenient; low time commitment;
can interview with many organizations Cons:Tends to attract a higher number
of recruiters with sales, accounting,
information technology, engineering and
business opportunities that may or may not
be consistent with your
career objectives. Strategy:Research participating
organizations; develop a list of questions to ask
recruiters based on your research; practice for
the interview; dress professionally; take
marketing materials along in a professional
binder; follow up with a thank you note. Strategy 4:
Participate in Job Fairs Participate in Job
Fairssponsored and advertised by the
Career Center as well as other fairs that fit
with your career goals. See the Career
Center Website for a list of fairs that invite
participation by Elon students. Pros:Exposure to many employers
quickly; little time involvement; good research
and networking opportunity Cons: Some industries and fields
better represented than others; seldom results
directly in a job interview. Strategy:Same as On-Campus
Recruiting. Strategy 5:
Register with Employment Firms Register with
3rd party employment
services.There are three main types: Public
agencies operated through the state, private
employment agencies, and temporary
agencies. Public
Agencies Pros:Free; another way to get resume
out Cons:Generally don?t list many
professional positions Private Employment
Agencies Pros: Low time investment; free;
another way to get resume out Cons:Usually works better for
individuals with professional work experience;
recruiter's obligation is to the company that
hires them to find employees Temporary
Employment Agencies Pros:Can be a good way to check out a
company, gain more skills, and network within an
organization; sometimes leads to a permanent
position; free Cons:Lack of variety of career fields;
can take time away from job search Strategy:Explore employment agencies and
choose appropriate ones; look for agencies with
expertise in your field and who work with
entry-level clients; avoid agencies that charge
you a fee for services; don't let a recruiter
convince you to take a job you don't
want.
Strategy 1:
Mass Mailings to Organizations in Career
Field Mail out your
resumeto a
large number of organizations in your chosen
career field and geographic location. Pros: Get resume to a lot of
companies quickly; low time commitment; may find
open job market positions Cons:Extremely low percentage of
success Strategy:Use a directory through on-line
resources or print resources to get the names of
appropriate organizations and addresses; develop
a standard letter focused on your career
objective, education, skills and experience; ask
companies to contact you when openings that fit
come about; change the address for each
organization and use a contact name if
possible. Strategy 2:
Targeted Mailings to Identified
Organizations Mail out your
resumeto
specific organizations that you have identified
as top choices. Pros:Send out better focused resumes
and cover letters; more likely to get responses;
may find open job market positions Cons: Time consuming; low success
rate Strategy:Research and identify the top 10
-15 organizations you'd like to work for;
develop a tailored cover letter for each
organization on the list; locate the appropriate
contact person for each organization; let the
individual know that you will follow up with a
phone call; attempt to arrange an informational
interview during follow-up. Strategy 3:
Networking - The Most Effective
Method Network to find
hidden job opportunitiesby identifying individuals who can
assist you in your job search--and anyone can be
a potential networking contact.
Internships and co-ops are
excellent networking opportunities and can lead
to a permanent position. Pros:Most effective job search
method Cons:Time consuming but worth the
effort Strategy:Read the Career Center networking
brochure and contact the Career Center for
assistance. | 
