When is the best time to begin a job search? If you're asking the question, the best time is now. Before your first interview takes place, plan your career moves. It's not unusual for an entry-level job seeker to spend six months to a year finding the job that best matches their interests and skills. For a full-time position after graduation, some begin a job search during the school year while others wait until after graduation. Your career interests, values and financial status also have an impact on when to begin. For an internship, part-time, temporary or seasonal position, any time is the right time!
If you're just starting at UVM, read the four-year action plan for finding a job.
If you already know you'll be seeking a teaching job, the timetable may be a bit different for you. Read the plan for finding a teaching job.
Once you begin a job search, how can you avoid job hunt anxiety? It may be easier than you imagine if you customize your own job search plan. Let us help you by answering some large and looming questions:
Identify employers that interest you early in the process. It may be helpful to select companies by the nature of the organization (e.g. for-profit, non-profit, human service, Fortune 500), by geographic preference,or by industry classification. Resources include:
An important part of your job search is to keep the process moving forward until the right offer comes in. Some tips:
DO:
DON'T:
What's an internship? Opportunities for internships exist in every type of organization, including non-profit agencies, corporations, small businesses and at all levels of government. Internships may be completed during the academic year while you are taking classes, or they might involve a more extensive program during the summer months. Internships may be paid or unpaid, may be full-time or part-time, and may involve academic credit.
An internship is an opportunity for you to gain knowledge and experience by participating in a workplace environment. Whether the experience occurs in an office, a lab, or a field setting, it is an opportunity to focus your interests and career objectives while gaining valuable skills.
Internship benefits:
Did we convince you of the value of internships in the job hunt? Good! Let us help you find an internship.
What's work-study? Federal work-study is federally funded program offered to some students as part of their financial aid package. This program allows students to earn money while learning valuable jobs skills. Qualified students work part-time in an educational environment. Students select from over 3,000 work-study positions, including departments on campus as well as non-profit organizations off campus. Federal work-study does not mean that students study while on the job.
We can help: Let us help you find a work-study job.
Part-time employment, regardless of the work you do, provides valuable experience that helps you build important transferable skills like time management, communication and problem-solving. Furthermore, like an internship, part-time employment as a means of career exploration will help you build self-confidence in the job search process as well as make you a competitive candidate for a position. Learn more about transferable skills.
We can help you gain part-time job experience: Learn more about securing a work-study position.
In the career world, networking has several purposes:
Learn more about informational interviewing.
Once you've identified several potential employers, there are several options for making contact.
It's advantageous to contact individuals who have the authority to hire. This may be a department/division manager or, in a smaller organization, a vice president. Most managers have the authority to hire or create positions for skilled individuals. At the very least, managers know of anticipated openings or projects in advance of the personnel department. An easy way to learn the name of individuals with the authority to hire is to consult the organization's most recent annual report then call the receptionist to verify the person's name and title.
This is a time-effective way to know within minutes if there may be opening to pursue. Getting through receptionists to managers may be difficult and many employers will simply suggest you send a resume. If you attempt this method, think through your phone call carefully and thoroughly in advance, since the person you call is likely too busy for unfocused inquiries.
It is appropriate to dress in suitable attire and apply for a position in person. Focus your attention on the personnel departments and main reception area. File an application, leave a resume and ask for an interview. Some organizations have scheduled walk-in hours during which screening interviews are conducted.
The most traditional approach is to send a resume and tailored cover letter to a person in an organization who has the authority to hire. Many employers prefer to receive written or online material before they will consider your inquiry to be a valid one. If you plan to use the bulk-mail/email approach and send multiple letters and resumes, research shows that as a general rule, you might get one response for every 15 to 20 letters sent. Although mailing alone won't do it, a concentrated effort to follow-up will. At the very least, if you use the bulk-mail approach, attempt to learn departmental managers' names and titles as much as possible to avoid the appearance of an unfocused resume dump.
Last modified January 06 2009 09:56 AM
