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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1982)
Finding a job: One step at a time The who, what, when, where, why and how of job-searching By DEBBIE HOWLETT s fou may or may not have much luck with this step by-step approach to finding a job — then again you may or may not have much luck without it What follows is a semi-comprehensive guide to finding a job The steps set forth here have been gleaned from conversations with University officials, stude&ts. employers and most specifically from Larry Smith, Director of Career Planning and Placement They are all employed, so one might surmise they knew what they were doing when they were hired The first step in finding a |ob is to decide what you want to do A seemingly easy task until you have to determine whether the $40,000 you plunked down on an education was spent in a field you re still interested in - Smith suggests a number of possibilities to ferret out the type of job or career area you're most in tune with The University's testing center and career information sys tem can pinpoint your interests and abilities and direct you to a suitable occupation Smith says the testing provides entree to a shopping list of careers The best time to start exploring your options rs during your sophomore year after you've made the adjustment to University life and.can focus your interests When you find out just what it is you want to do, the next step is to do it In class, out of class, for free, for money, for any reason — do something that will help you once you're out of school Gather eyeball to eyeball experience. 1 Smith says Identify your primary career interest-s You need to know who your audience is — get an idea of the world in which they operate Students usually gain experience in their chosen fields through volunteer .channels, although there are some chances'at finding work that actually pays This careenrelated experience is not only to boost the number of entries on your resume, but to provide insight into how well you'll adjust to and enjoy a chosen career During your junior year. Smith suggests some serious thought about where you . want to start working and who you want to work for A resume anct contacting people in your career area could .with some per severance land you a summer job or an internship About the time a student thinks he or she might be interested in getting into a certain field is about the time the student should be thinking of how to "sell themselves. Smith .says A good sales pitch includes a well structured resume, a letter of introduction and some hard work All of those items are essential in a final job search during your senior year but a little practice can be obtained in a work search during your junior year maybe for a summer job in a related field Your resume should highlight your job objective, your education personal tidbits and a list of any experience that could be applicable — the more the better But to get a prospective employer to take a closer look at the resume Smith suggests an appetizer' — a letter of introduction ’that gives the employer a sample of you but leaves the company wanting to know more The letter can include some major accom plishments and interesting facts that tell the employer Hey1 you'll want to hire me There are a couple of ways to go about the job search Smith suggests a letter campaign either a mass mailing of about 200 letters or a targeted approach to 20 or 30 carefully selected companies With the mass approach. Smith says you can expect a1 lot, of replies — mostly 'no " With the targeted approach, more research and selection is involved but fewer rejection slips end up in your mail box The final step in a job search begins as early as the first step, although all the steps culminate at the same time Letters, re sumes and interviews are the means to an end — being hired The more of those ybu * have, the better your chances become Taking that last step of preparing for interviews requires additional research into the company and its background, Smith sayjs A few calls to an employee you know or'someone who is familiar with the company will suffice Smith stresses the need to know about intervievys themselves — -how they’re con ducted. how they're organized, what ques tions a prospective employer might ask To that end. Smith has a handy item in the placement office: a list of 50 of the most commonly asked interview questions He also suggests a little practice with a roommate or friend But the most important interviewing skill Smith talks about is the ability to talk-about yourself 'You have to feel comfortable talking;, so you don't'feel-like you re bragging." Smith says It's a kind of just the facts, ma'am.'attitude You'must note, however, that all of this hard work won't get you anywhere if there are ho |obs to be had So how do you know where the |obs are9 About 80 percent of ail job openings are never even advertised. Smith says That makes your contacts an important — probably the most important — job search tool Smith says potential contacts are every where Your friends and relatives, your parents friends, your friends' friends, professors, former employers and office personnel have all been known to provide job leads Make friends with the secretaries," Smith says,, they usually know about the openings first ( Well, there it is, 'as much job finding help as space allows, but there is one final ■ suggestion, if all of the preperatipn and work doesn't pan out there's always the Army
