Spring Break
Many techniques should be utilized in job search
GUEST COLUMN
Lina Melkonian
Assistant Director
Career Center
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Locating the one position you really want will take longer and require preparation, perseverance and a touch of ingenuity. But don't let these demands of the job search mystify and overwhelm you. This is the time when you will put to work key skills you have already acquired in school - namely, research, communication and interpersonal skills.
Much as we all want the security of hard-and-fast rules for success, when it comes to looking for a job, there are no rights and wrongs that apply to all cases, and no one-size-fits-all formulas.
The hard work of job hunting begins with defining your goals. This entails asking the right questions, including "What skills and abilities do I have to offer?" "What are my accomplishments to date?" "What am I willing and ready to do?" "What are my career values?" "What occupations and industries interest me?" "What types of organizations have opportunities for candidates with my background?" "How am I more qualified than the run-of-the-mill job hunter?"
The reality of the business world is that employers are interested in candidates who have a sense of career direction and who can satisfy their needs. So think of yourself as your own company with a product or service to offer. The employment market intelligence you gather will largely determine your job search success.
Get answers to the important questions, such as "What are the organization's key products or services?" "Is the company growing?" "What makes the firm different from its competitors?" "What types of jobs are available for interns and recent graduates?" "Does the organization's culture appeal to me?"
Once you know where you want to go, you have to figure out how to get there. The most common approach to job searching involves chasing after jobs in the visible job market. While straightforward, this approach limits your access to only those jobs that are advertised through online job banks, classified ads, organizational Web sites, professional and trade journals, personnel agency listings and job fairs. Since it is generally accepted that only 15 to 20 percent of available jobs are ever advertised in the visible market, you will encounter stiff competition there.
So spend no more than one-third of your allocated job-hunting time in the visible market, and get out there and pound the "real" pavement.
Employers usually anticipate job openings long before they become available and are advertised. Most employers believe that the best candidates are those who are referred by their colleagues, friends and acquaintances, whose judgment they trust. This word-of-mouth technique is very powerful.
How do you become an insider in this hidden market?
It starts with researching and building your employer prospect list through news articles, organizational Web sites, directories and other secondary sources. Next, it entails increasing your prospecting effectiveness by involving people (primary sources) and connecting with them to weave a network of valuable contacts.
The ideal contact in your network is anyone who has relevant and timely information about job leads or someone who has the authority to hire you or refer you to someone who can.
Start with your existing contact base of relatives, friends, neighbors, professors, career counselors, past and current employers, colleagues and classmates. Everyone in your contact counts. Don't be shy about sharing with them your career aspirations and objectives.
Create and generate leads from scratch, and start developing a strategy for getting yourself known. Join professional societies. Attend conferences and trade shows related to your chosen field and tap into SJSU's alumni resources.
One of the most effective ways to connect with strangers is through informational interviewing.
That's right; go hunting not for a job but for information that may lead to a job. Informational interviewing gives you the opportunity to meet key professionals, gather relevant career information, investigate career options, get advice on job search techniques and get referrals to other professionals.
Keep in mind that it is a privilege to be granted an informational interview, so be careful not to abuse it by directly asking for a job. Conduct your informational interviews skillfully and thoughtfully and a job will follow. Check out the Career Center's Professional Network - a bank of SJSU alumni and other professionals who are willing to grant informational interviews.
Always remember that people give people jobs. When it comes to job search, it's not "whom you know," but "who knows you" that counts. So ask everyone for contact leads. Then ask every helpful contact, "Whom else do you know?" Most important, keep asking, "Is my 'net' working?" And keep networking until you find a job.
Hot Job Search Resources
At the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joint Library:
Access to great databases: The D & B Million Dollar Directory (industry and corporate data on publicly traded companies), the Rich's Guide to Northern California Companies (list of every company operating in the region), the Occupational Outlook Handbook (industry and job descriptions for virtually every type of job imaginable) and more.
At your San Jose State University Career Center:
Access to online and offline job resources, including the Professional Network, a bank of SJSU alumni and other professionals who are willing to grant informational interviews, plus individual assistance with resume writing, interviewing techniques, job and internship search strategies, and more.
Lina Melkonian is the assistant director of the Career Center.
Guest columns regularly appear Thursdays.
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