Job Resume Banks

							Job Search
Strategies
               Featured Topics
•   Preparing for the Hunt
•   Know your Qualifications
•   Gathering of materials
•   Identifying avenues of attack
        Preparing for the Hunt
• Ask yourself
  – What do I want to do?
  – What do I need in a job?
  – How do I want to present my qualifications?
  – Where do I want to look and what will I do
    if my efforts fail?
          Know your qualifications
• Make a list of:
   –   Particular set of knowledge
   –   Skills (job, self-management, transferable)
   –   Abilities
   –   Experiences
   –   Talk to relatives, friends, and professors about job
       seeking efforts

   Must be able to clearly and accurately describe these
    qualifications to employers
                 Resumes
• Develop a few different types of resumes
  – Accomplishment
  – Chronological
  – Electronic
  – Functional

• Resume & Cover Letter workshop 4/2/09
             Search Methods
• Know where you can and should look
   – Personal contacts
   – Cold calling employers
   – Online and newspaper job postings
   – Tap into professional organizations
   – Ask for help
   – Keep a balance
             Online Resources
• Job search scouts/job search agents
• Resume banks (for employers to search for
  qualified job seekers)
• Have an electronic based resume
• Know your keywords (Keyword combinations,
  job titles, specific skills, or name of industry)
  http://www.onetcodeconnector.org/
  What career’s should I look at?
• Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov
   – www.careerclusters.org
   – www.nchste.org
• Looking at career options based on
  majors/minors:
   – NACADA (what can I do with a major in…)
     http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/clearinghouse/
     Advisingissues/whatcanido.htm/
          Websites to look at…
• Minnesota Career Information System
  – www.mncis.intocareers.org/
     • User Name: anoka-ramsey
     • Password: arcc
• Iseek
   – http://www.iseek.org/sv/index.jsp
• O*Net Online
   – http://online.onetcenter.org/
                Job Banks
• http://www.monster.com
• http://www.careerbuilder.com

• Be careful of what you post and where you
  post information online (Facebook, Myspace,
  Blogs)
      Strategic Searches off line
                                                   Direct
                             Networking          Employer
• Informational Interviews                        Contact

                                         Job
                                        search
• Networking
                             Informational
                                             Cold Calling
                               Interviews

• Cold calling

• Direct Employer Contact
       Informational Interviews
• Allows for you to:
  – Indentify possible employers
  – Research and evaluate various companies and
    positions
  – Develop contacts within a particular organization
    or industry
  – Gain insight on whether a job, position, or
    industry is right for you
 Tips for Informational Interviews
Securing a Contact:
• Look at staff directories
• Personnel departments
• Phone book
• Public relations information
• A referral from family/friends
• Consider those that work right here at ARCC
       What you should know/do
             beforehand
• Inform yourself about the field, the organization,
  and the person you will be interviewing.
• Prepare a list of questions you want to ask and
  some that you know will be interesting to answer.
• Practice “The Phone Call”
• Express Interest: listen, show enthusiasm and
  appreciation. Watch your non-verbals (make eye
  contact, speak clearly).
• Make sure you are clear when making the initial
  call that you are not looking for a job
                 Networking
• You know people, who know people
• Your network includes: friends, family, co-
  workers, college professors, professional
  organizations, volunteer groups, church groups,
  ect
• Get the word out that you are looking and what it
  is that you are looking for
• Its as easy as exercising common courtesy: asking
  a few questions, relay information, and saying
  thank you
              Keys to Networking
•   Always Be Prepared
•   Stay in Contact
•   Talk First with People You Know
•   Contact People You Don't Know
•   Get a Mentor
•   Keep Conversations Focused
•   Look for Opportunities to Give Something Back
•   Keep Your Promises
•   Join Professional Organizations
•   Ask for Information, Not a Job
               Cold Calling
• Targets unadvertised jobs
• Create an opening pitch that describes who
  you are and what you seek
• Inquire about openings now and in the future
• With small businesses ask for the hiring
  manager
• Ask if the person knows of any other
  companies within the industry are hiring
  (work their network)
       Direct Employer Contact
• Can be done in person or over the phone
• Requires preparation: research the employer,
  industry, and the job
• The goal is to present your qualifications
  directly to the hiring manager, not to just
  submit your resume
• Don’t just ask if the company is hiring, start
  with your skills and qualifications
           Basic Principles of Scripting
• Have an objective for the call (information or interview)
• Have a secondary objective
• Know the name of the person to whom you wish to speak. If you don't
  know the person's name, then obtaining it becomes your first objective.
• Outline in writing what you want to say. This is important in the early
  stages of cold calling or when the call is very important. Later on, you'll
  script most of your calls in your head. Don't read your script.
• The script will depend on the goal of the call and whether you know the
  person you're calling. A good script should include the following:
   – Introduction--Tell the person who you are.
   – Lead statement--Make a quick statement designed to get the person's
      attention.
   – Body--State your purpose for the call.
   – Close--Accomplish your goal, ask for information, schedule the
      meeting, etc.


http://www.deed.state.mn.us
/cjs/cjsbook/process4.htm
            Basic Principles of Telephone
•
                            Communication with a friend and
    Practice-- Start with low-risk calls. Practice your presentation
    read your script out loud.
•   Deal With Voice Mail-- Your message should be 30 seconds or less.
•   Select a Location--Call from a quiet place where you can concentrate. Don't call
    from a noisy restaurant, bus station, street corner, when the kids are yelling or the
    dog is barking
•   Organize--Have all your job search materials nearby and take notes
•   Listen Carefully-- If you sense you've called at a bad time, politely ask if there's a
    better time. It may be useful to tape record yourself while conducting a simulated
    call
•   Catch "Buy" Signals--A "buy" signal is evidence that you've captured the person's
    attention. "Buy" signals usually take the form of questions. When someone is
    asking questions about your qualifications, they are, for the moment, interested in
    you.
•   Handle Objections--Objections come in many forms. "We're looking for someone
    with more experience or education," or "Sorry, we're not hiring right now." Press
    on to your goal and continue to sell your qualifications. Look for ways to eliminate
    the objection.
•   Follow-up                            http://www.deed.state.mn.us/cjs/cjsbook/pro
                                         cess4.htm
                       Additional Tips
• Wear a smile on the telephone-- they may not see it but they'll hear
  it.
• Dress for making telephone contacts as you would for an interview.
  Your professionalism and preparation will be heard (you may also
  be asked to come right down).
• If you can't get past a shrewd receptionist, try before 8:00 a.m.,
  during lunch, after 5:00 p.m. or Saturday morning.
• Look for ways to compliment the person or the employer.
• Don't apologize for making the contact. You have a product they
  need and a right to present yourself.
• Don't sell yourself from a position of weakness or apologize for
  what you don't have or haven't done. Sell yourself from a position
  of strength and stress those skills, attributes and accomplishments
  attractive to the employer.
http://www.deed.state.mn.us/cjs/
cjsbook/process4.htm
              Find a balance
• Do not commit to just one style of searching
• Use what you are comfortable with to your
  advantage
• By using various methods you can cover a
  larger area more effectively and thoroughly
• Volunteer
• Don’t give up, this is not an easy task
        Discussion Questions?
• Where are you in your job hunting process?

• What is working and what is not working?

• Have you developed a strategic plan?

• What are some of the things you would like
  ARCC to do to help in your job hunt?
Questions?