JOB SEARCH GUIDELINES Strategies and Resources for Finding Internships and

JOB SEARCH GUIDELINES Strategies and Resources for Finding Internships and Career Jobs Whether you are seeking an internship to gain career-related experience before graduation or searching for a professional job after graduation, a job search requires considerable planning. To prepare for your job or internship search, we recommend following several steps: • • • • • • • • • Assess what you want and develop a focus for your job search with realistic timelines Know yourself (your skills, interests, values, competencies, background…) Research employers Prepare well-written resumes and cover letters Develop your interviewing skills Network and continue to expand your professional network Participate in campus interviewing and meet employers on campus at career fairs Identify resources to help you find potential employers you can contact directly Set your job search strategies in motion and keep searching until you reach your goal ASSESS WHAT YOU WANT BEGIN WITH A SELF-ASSESSMENT We encourage you to begin by reviewing your interests, values and skills. Career Services offers career counseling, a career library and assessments to facilitate your exploration: • • • Career counselors are available to assist you with your self-assessment, career planning and job search strategies. Call 520.621-2588 for counseling appointments. The Career Information Center in SUMC411 has a library collection of print resources about careers, resumes, interviews, graduate schools and salary. The Career Services Web page has an extensive list of links about career exploration, job searching, graduate school planning, occupational information, employer information, job listings, career fairs, campus recruiting: http://career.arizona.edu/ DISCOVER is a career exploration program that provides interests, values and abilities inventories in relation to careers, along with extensive descriptions of hundreds of occupations. http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?discover (free for current students) “What Can I Do With This Major/Degree” provides strategies for building a career related to over 60 college majors: http://career.arizona.edu/students/?majordegree Arizona Career Information System is a free career exploration program providing interests and skills assessments with extensive career information. http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?azcis • • • IDENTIFY THE CAREER EXPERIENCES OR JOBS YOU WANT Take what you have learned about your interests, skills and career goals during your selfassessment and apply it when conducting your job search for career experience or professional full-time career positions. What motivates you? What type of experience interests you? What types of skills would you like to use and want to continue to develop? What do you want to get out of an internship or a professional career job? What environment would be OK for you - business, education, government or non-profit? RESEARCH OCCUPATIONS AND EMPLOYERS Research can help you evaluate potential employers, feel prepared for interviews, develop questions you can ask during interviews and career fairs. Research can help you evaluate job offers and organizations based on what is important to you. When researching an employer, it is important to learn what they do, why they exist, how financially stable they are, what the work culture is like, and what jobs are available. Determine why you would want to work for an organization and how your qualifications will match the positions you seek. • • • Research an employer’s products and services, size, organizational and financial structure, training programs, reputation, current industry issues and their competitors. Review current job listing descriptions to evaluate the education, skills and experience employers are seeking in job applicants. Information Stop, Career Options, and Web Resources on the Career Services Web site http://career.arizona.edu/Students/ all have many links to help you research career fields and identify potential employers. DISCOVER career exploration program provides extensive descriptions of hundreds of occupations (information includes nature of work, skills required, job outlook, salary). http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?discover The Occupational Outlook Handbook has profiles of thousands of occupations in great detail, including nature of work, job outlook and salary: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ CareerSearch Employer Database: profiles over 4 million national employers searchable by industry and location http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?careersearch UA’s Campus Interviewing Program provides an opportunity to interview with national employers for internships, summer career jobs, and full-time career jobs http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?interviewing Employer Information Meetings: many employers recruiting UA students host information meetings and the schedules are posted on Wildcat JobLink. Career Fairs: meet with employers when they visit campus during career fairs http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?s=1&ss=4 • • • • • • 2 University of Arizona Career Services www.career.arizona.edu (520) 621-2588 September 2008 RESEARCH OCCUPATIONS AND EMPLOYERS • • • • • National Association of Colleges and Employers Salary Survey of job offers listed by major for U.S. college graduates (published quarterly and on reserve in SUMC411) University of Arizona Salary Survey data is posted online: http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?orig=home&key=annual-salary&base=6 Check the Wildcat JobLink for jobs and internships http://career.arizona.edu/?search Almost all internship and full-time career jobs are listed on the Internet and allow job seekers to post resumes for positions directly through an employer’s Web page. Positions are also posted on professional association Web sites, field-specific Web sites and the commercial job listing Web sites. Some employers advertise their positions in the classified sections of the newspaper or in career specialty journals. Employer Web pages provide annual reports, company information and job descriptions. There are over 7000 employer Web sites linked to Wildcat JobLink and millions of national employers linked through the CareerSearch Employer Database. • DEVELOP RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS It’s much easier to write your resume and answer interview questions successfully when you have completed a self-assessment, know what kind of opportunity you are seeking and know what an employer is looking for in a candidate. Career Services offers many resume and letter writing resources. To create your resume, you might: • Attend a Resume Workshop and read the Resume and Letter Writing Guidelines, online as a PDF http://career.arizona.edu/pdf/resumes/ResumeGuidelines2008.pdf and also available in print in SUMC411. Use UA Resume Builder: http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?optimal to help you create your first resume utilizing a variety of formats and examples. Emphasize the skills you have which employers seek from all candidates: academic excellence, written and verbal communication, interpersonal, leadership, teamwork, problem solving and computer skills. • • Need a second opinion? • • You are welcome to have your resumes and letters checked by Career Services staff during Walk-in Hours : http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?resumecheck You are welcome to schedule an appointment with a Career Services counselor to assist you with your resumes and cover letters: http://career.arizona.edu/students/?counseling 3 University of Arizona Career Services www.career.arizona.edu (520) 621-2588 September 2008 PREPARE FOR INTERVIEWS! Preparing for interviews will help you feel more confident and researching employers will help you choose the employer most suited for you. Prepare to describe your skills, characteristics, experiences and qualifications related to the position and carefully review the job description. To prepare for an interview, you might: • Attend an Interviewing Workshop through Career Services and read the Interviewing Guidelines, available in print in SUMC411 and online as a PDF on http://career.arizona.edu/pdf/interviewing/interviewing2008.pdf Meet with a Career Services counselor to discuss your interviewing strategies and to practice your interview skills during a mock interview. Mock Interviews are available during Mock Interview Events and also by scheduling a career counseling appointment, 520.621.2588. NACE Salary Survey: reported salary ranges by academic major and job functions. Books on interviewing, salary and professional attire Career Library in SUMC 411. Use the UA Resume Builder Interview Prep program to practice interviewing. Interview Prep helps prepare you for interviews with multi-media interview scenarios developed by employment professionals. 1. To begin, you need is access to a computer with a web cam and microphone. 2. If you do not have your own, Career Services has a computer with web cam and microphone available for you to use in the Student Union, Suite 411. 3. Use your UA NetID login and password to log on to www.career.arizona.edu 4. Open http://career.arizona.edu/students/?optimal The system will give you a temporary password allowing you to set up your UA Resume Builder account using your email address as your login. Then you will need to create a new password. You may use your UA email as your login, but do not use your UA NetID password for your UA Resume Builder account password). 5. Start a new Interview Prep session from the Skills Center. Configure your interview. Select the length of the interview, from 5 to 20 questions. Pick a recording format: audio and video, audio only, or no recording. 6. Select the type of interview you want to practice from a variety of employment and graduate school interview formats. You also have the option to build your own interview from a long list of questions or have questions chosen at random for you. 7. Choose an interviewer. You can have an interviewer selected at random for you, or select an interviewer yourself. Scroll to see all available interviewers. Your web cam and microphone are immediately detected and you're ready to begin. 8. Start the interview. You have two minutes to answer each question. You can accept or redo any answer you provide. 9. Finish your Interview Prep session and then click on its icon in the Skills Center to view your responses in a split screen with the interviewer. • • • • 4 University of Arizona Career Services www.career.arizona.edu (520) 621-2588 September 2008 JOB SEARCH METHODS – use a variety! CAREER SERVICES Employers use Career Services for campus interviewing, to post job listings, to request resumes of students and to visit campus during career fairs. • The Campus Interviewing Program provides services for students from all majors who are looking for career experience in their field of interest before graduation, including cooperative education, internships and career-related summer jobs, in addition to opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students seeking jobs in their career fields upon graduation. http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?interviewing Employer Information Sessions are hosted by many employers through the Campus Interviewing Program to provide an opportunity for students to learn about an organization and to meet with employer representatives. Career fairs on campus are coordinated by Career Services and other departments including engineering, business and retail. Check the fall and spring semester Career Services Web calendar for dates http://career.arizona.edu/Students/?s=1&ss=4 Wildcat JobLink lists student employment including work-study and part-time positions on and off campus, internships and full-time career jobs across the U.S.A. http://career.arizona.edu/?search • • • NETWORKING Networking is the active process of developing and maintaining contacts through professional, personal, academic and social contacts and is a way to tap into the "hidden job market.” • Tell people you know that you’re looking for a job or internship, and ask if you can give them your resume to pass along to others. All of the people you already know and people you have yet to meet, are potential members of your professional network. Your network may include faculty, friends, relatives, current or past employers, student clubs and groups, community associations, classmates, alumni, co-workers, career services staff, academic advisors, professional organization members, neighbors, librarians, hairstylists, realtors, cab drivers, etc. When job searching, you should always be networking. You never know who might have a contact for you, either now or later. Know what you want to know before you ask someone for assistance. Practice talking about yourself and what you’re looking for; use excellent manners and represent your intentions honestly. Help others as you build your career and become someone that others turn to for networking help. Even when you are not in the job search mode, continue to maintain your professional and personal network--reciprocate and help others when they ask you for assistance and keep in touch with your contacts. • • • 5 University of Arizona Career Services www.career.arizona.edu (520) 621-2588 September 2008 INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWING Informational Interviewing is related to networking. In an informational interview, you gather occupational and career information by talking to people who work in your area of interest. Informational interviews can have a variety and combination of focuses. They can allow you to learn the details about a specific job in a particular organization, develop contacts with people who either do the hiring or are notified about job openings, and they can be used for career information gathering. • • Identify possible contacts. A good start is using your network (see previous page). From there, continue to broaden your network to include people you may not know. Call and begin by introducing yourself. Explain how you got their name and why you are contacting them. Ask for a meeting and make an appointment to meet in person or to arrange a phone interview. Most informational interviews take about 15-20 minutes. Stick to that timeline and be respectful of the time they give you. It is not always possible to meet in person, but it is preferable. If you are unsure of what to say, have a script ready before you call. Explain that you are seeking information and advice about the organization and the career field. Create your own script and tell the person a variation of the following: "Hello. My name is Jessica Catz and I am a regional development student at the University of Arizona. I am planning to participate in a city planning internship before I graduate next year and am interested in finding out more about the City of Scottsdale. Since you are working in this career field, would it be possible to set up a time to meet in person at your convenience or could we arrange a time to talk by telephone if this is not a good time now?" • Be on time. Dress professionally. Bring a resume. Thoughtfully prepare a list of questions before your appointment. In these interviews, you are the interviewer, so be prepared. Decide what you want to find out. Think about what you want to know. For example: • What is this organization like? • What are the responsibilities and skills of your job? • What kind of education and skills are important for this type of work? • What skills should I focus on developing now? • Would you describe the types of things you do in a typical day or week? • What do you like best about the work you do? What do you like the least? • What advice do you have for someone interested in your career field? • How did you get into this line of work? • What do you look for in a potential employee if you are hiring someone? • Are there other people you could recommend that I talk to in your field? • ? Create your own questions – what do you want to know? At the end of the informational interview, thank the person for their time. Ask if they have names of other individuals you might contact. Send a thank-you letter, always! • • • 6 University of Arizona Career Services www.career.arizona.edu (520) 621-2588 September 2008 SET YOUR JOB SEARCH IN MOTION You’ve finally got your “target” list of job possibilities - what now? Keep your search organized. Track the jobs you apply to and keep notes on your employer research. Keep copies of resumes and applications. Meet deadlines. Prioritize your list of jobs to target. Research all employers of interest to you, whether 15 or 100. Pick out your top 15 organizations. Identify job positions and apply. Follow up by phone or email. If your top choices do not pan out, move down your list. Proofread your resume carefully and write a specific letter for each job. Have your materials critiqued by others. Target specific positions. Highlight your qualifications. Interview well. Prepare. Practice. Research employers. Have a mock interview. Dress up. Send thank-you letters. Follow up with employers after interviews. Evaluate offers and make informed decisions. Pay attention to your gut reactions to an organization and job offers. Evaluate how the job matches your criteria. Negotiate before accepting or declining offers. Obtain assistance from Career Services. Searching for internships and jobs can be stressful. Career Services is here to help you. We provide many job search resources. We offer career counseling to help you assess your career issues and develop your job search strategies for getting started toward accomplishing your career goals. Career Services provides many job search services and resources: • • • • • • • • • • • • • Resume, letter, interview, job search and salary resources Workshops on resumes, interviewing, job searching and other topics Mock Interviews Resume Checks Career, occupational, salary and employer information in SU411 and online Wildcat JobLink provides nationwide listings of jobs and internships Campus Interviewing Program with national employers UA Career Fairs with national employers Employer Information Sessions Online resources: UA Resume Builder (with Interview Prep), Going Global, Vault Online Career Library, CareerSearch Employer Database, and much more… Career planning and job search counseling by appointment: call 520.621.2588 Office is open 12 months of the year Innovative Web site: www.career.arizona.edu 7 University of Arizona Career Services www.career.arizona.edu (520) 621-2588 September 2008