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