Employment Resources

Did you realize that most of us can expect to change jobs 10-15 times in our lifetime and make three major career changes? These statistics suggest that you will need to use job search skills many times in your future. So why not start developing them now? Searching for a job or internship without some predetermined plans and goals can be a frustrating and fruitless process. If you take charge of each job search by developing an effective plan, you will approach the process with less anxiety and, best of all, you are more likely to find a job you really want.

An effective job search plan involves:

• Taking a look at yourself
• Researching careers
• Developing job search preparation skills
• Articulating specific goals
• Employing a variety of methods in your search

Ask yourself the following questions:

What are my strengths, skills, and preferences? Brainstorm a list of skills and strengths that you’ve gained and demonstrated in your academic, co-curricular, and employment pursuits, i.e., good organization skills, presentation and writing skills, computer skills. Also identify values or preferences that are important to you in a work setting, i.e., enjoy working in a team environment, prefer a great deal of autonomy.

Can I articulate my previous experience? In thinking about your experience, consider summer jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, participating in student organizations, and classroom activities. Think about the skills you utilized, your duties and responsibilities, what you enjoyed and found rewarding, successes you achieved, and how your previous experience relates to the current position for which you are applying.

What limitations (if any) do I have for my career search? Have I selected a geographical preference? Do I have minimum salary requirements? Are they realistic?

What type work environment am I looking for? Work environments can often be categorized by size or sector. For example:

• Size of organization: small business, Fortune 500 organization,
• Sector: private, public, non-profit, government, education, health care, social service

Each organization has its own culture. It is important to learn about the culture of an organization and determine if it would be a good fit for my skills, goals, values and preferences.

What types of positions am I looking for? It’s ok to have more than one position in mind. The key is to articulate the specific types of positions in which I would be interested. Specificity can help me target your search and inform networking contacts of my goals. Keep in mind that some positions will be available in a variety of environments. For instance many organizations need accountants, marketing professionals, or computer professionals. What positions will be a good fit for my interests, values, skills, and goals?

Have I researched career fields of interest? The best way to know if I am interested in a particular career is to do some homework. Print and computerized resources containing information about careers are available in the Career Resource Centers. You’ll also find that talking to people in the world of work is an excellent way to learn about a career. If you wish to experience the career field first-hand, consider part-time employment, an internship, or volunteering in the field.

How do I know that this field/position will be a good fit for me? Review the information you’ve gathered about yourself and the information you’ve gathered about careers and determine whether or not there appears to be a good match.