When it comes to looking for jobs, there are a plethora of resources available. Like tools in a toolbox, they are all there to meet the same goal, so peruse the list and utilize any that you can to maximize your exposure to the job market. This will help you find the perfect job to meet your credentials, experience and interests.
On-Campus Recruiting
Employers sometimes come to campus to let potential employees (students) know about their company. They take questions and sometimes do interviews on the spot. You might need to set up an interview ahead of time, but it’s still a good opportunity to learn about companies who are interested in you. On-campus recruiting is often handled like a career fair. Companies send recruiters to a campus. Each recruiter sets up an informational table in a large room, and students go around the room to speak with specific recruiters. If you are part of a specific department, your department might set up a specific recruiting fair (such as a science or engineer recruitment fair). Check with the Career Center on your campus or with your department to see when these fairs will be in your area.
Career Fairs
How To Prepare For the Fair:
- Check to see that you know exactly where the fair is and who will be there. You may need to pre-register or pay a fee before getting in.
- Do some basic research on the companies that will be there.
- Make sure you’ve got the right clothes to meet with the company reps. You should dress up. Nice blouse and skirt to suit and tie.
- Make sure your resume is in order. You may need to tailor it to certain company’s needs in an employer.
- Decide which companies you want to visit with first. If a company is popular, it is better to get to the table sooner than later in order to visit or sign up for an interview.
- Practice what you’ll say. Talk to a mirror with a confident smile. Practice your handshake too! Write down some questions you want to ask each company specifically.
- Prepare to bring a pen and paper along with your stack of resumes. You may want to jot notes during the long day.
- Get some good sleep!
Career Fair Tips
- Be courteous and respectful to the recruiters. Say your please and thank-you’s, smile, and don’t stay too long at each table. The recruiters have many to people to see and may consider it rude to take up too much time.
- Take information from the recruiters you speak with. This shows you’re interested in them, and it will help you to stay organized later on in your job search.
- Ask the recruiter what your next step should be in working with their company. Each company may have a different hiring program.
- Follow the plan you’ve developed for yourself. However, be flexible. These fairs are busy events, and you might not get done what you need to.
- Network when you can. Make friends with recruiters as well as others seeking similar jobs. You never know when you might have a connection, or could make a future one.
Headhunters or Recruiters or Employment Agency
Using a headhunter can speed up the process of finding the right job for you. The headhunter’s job is to familiarize themselves with you and find out how to present you to employers in the most beneficial way.
Reasons to Use a Headhunter
- They’re paid only if you take a job they find. Companies hire them to find them the best employees.
- They can negotiate your salary in some cases.
- You can use more than one.
- Used in coordination with your personal search, you can get a job faster.
- Headhunters have great connections with companies already.
Tips When Using a Headhunter
- Go to a headhunter before you start your search. They might be able to give you some input on the personal part of your search, and in turn save you some time and money.
- Create a professional relationship. You want to have a good relationship with this person, because they are representing you to future employers. Give them only good things to say about you.
- If you like a particular company, ask the headhunter to contact these companies even if they don’t have postings.
- You can work with many recruiters at once. This is helpful especially if you’re looking at jobs in different cities or states.
- Don’t sit back and let your headhunter do all the work. You still need to network and send out resumes on your own for the best results.
- Only use a headhunter who works for you. If they don’t answer the phone, or don’t seem to be getting much done. Move on.
- Listen. Any suggestions the headhunter gives about your job search or resume should be helpful. It’s they’re job to make you look the best. Make the changes to get the job.
The Yellow Pages
The Yellow pages has a listing of most companies in a city. So, if you are a Yoga instructor and want to know what studios or gyms there are, you could just flip open the book and find their names, numbers and locations, all in one spot.
If you don’t live in the town you are interested in finding a job in, check out yellow pages online for a particular city at www.yellowpages.com
Large Websites
Most employers use these all-in-one websites. On these sites you can post your resume or look for a job in a specific field or area of the world.
Websites for Your Planning Stage
In preparation for your job search, you probably also need some information on what a city has to offer, or how to create a website. Here are some helpful sites.
Local Websites
These sites will help you to find jobs posted by city. Although websites like craigslist are not as well known, they are slowly rising in popularity, and you might find a job not many know about.
- www.craigslist.org – local website by city
- Check the local newspaper’s online classifieds
- Kijiji – local website by city, owned by e-bay
Websites Based on Industry
If you know exactly what you want to do, you might try going directly to specific industry websites. These sites might give you some additional information in your field that the larger websites cannot.
Networking
- Knowing the right person at the right time may get you the job.
- Start networking as soon as you can- better to start this long before your job search. Consider who you know personally who may know individuals in the field you desire to work in. Perhaps your family physician, teacher, or uncle has a contact that may be helpful to your job hunt.
- Make sure you are on good terms with the individuals you network with. You don’t want a contact telling an inopportune story about you.
- Attend conferences and events where you can meet people in your field. Perhaps you aren’t lucky enough to have a personal friend in the field. You need to find connections by getting out there and speaking with people you want to be like.
- Keep in correspondence with your contacts. Help them to remember who you are. {link to a sample networking letter}
- Look for contacts where you work. These individuals may not only write references for you, but hook you up with a job!
- Join the alumni association on your campus or fraternity. An alumni association can systematically place you in jobs and provide networking opportunities.
- Join local or national associations allied with your job field. {link to association web resources in particular fields