Job Search Strategies Career Development Services Lake-Sumter State College
What We ll Cover Today Job Search Process Job Search Tips Resources College Central Network Career Development Services
Job Search Process Network Search Prepare Research
Step 1: Research
Step 1 : Research Industry Research: Become familiar with your industry of interest to learn about trends, opportunities and challenges. Major/Field Research: Conduct research to learn about the types of jobs found within each field. Company Research: Identify companies that hire candidates in your field. Use your network of contacts, job search sites, your local phonebook, top local employer listings and more to generate company leads. Salary Research: Be aware of what compensation is common for positions in your field of interest as employers may ask for your salary expectations on the employment application, during the interview or at the time of offer.
Step 1 : Research Know What you Have to Offer: Know your strengths and achievements Know your weaknesses and work on them
Step 2: Prepare
Step 2: Prepare Résumés/Cover Letters Create or update your résumé. Customize your resume to highlight your qualifications for each position Use keywords Be sure you do not have misspellings or grammatical errors Cover letters should also be customized for each position and should be submitted only when requested. Submit your résumé /cover letter to Career Development Services for a critique. You may schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor or submit your documents to careers@lssc.edu for an email critique.
Step 2: Prepare Continued Interviewing Preparation is key to succeeding in an interview. Know what you have to offer the employer. Evaluate the job description and the company and be prepared to explain how your skills are exactly what they need. Interview information, tips and sample questions can be found on our website Mock interviews are also available through CDS to help students practice BEFORE an actual interview.
Step 2: Prepare Continued Dressing for Success Be sure to have a professional suit or professional business attire clean and ready to go as soon as you begin your search. Once a résumé is submitted you should be ready to receive an invitation to interview on short notice. For information on proper professional attire and appearance, visit our website
Step 3: Network
Step 3: Network One-on-one Networking Regularly keep in touch with faculty, family members, past employers, classmates. Attend local professional events and career fairs to interact with professionals in your field. Online Professional Networking LinkedIn provides a forum for posting your professional experience and educational background all while connecting with other professionals and potential employers. To learn more about creating a LinkedIn Profile, online networking, and more, visit our website.
Sample Linkedin Profile
Internet Persona Employers are searching online sites as part of the screening process You may never have the chance to redeem yourself if they find something incriminating about you (or someone whom they think is you) Google yourself and try to fix anything incriminating Be mindful of photos you are tagged in Check your privacy settings, including all photo albums Don t forget about blogs (those you write and those you post to) Keep future security background checks in mind
Networking Etiquette Instead of asking directly for a job, ask for tips, contacts and suggestions Avoid preconceptions about who might be helpful If you aren t getting responses, re-evaluate your approach and seek advice If you say you are going to do something, do it Always be mindful of your contact s time If a contact assists you directly or gets you in touch with someone who can help you, do something to thank them Networking is a reciprocal process be ready to re-pay the favor someday Stay in touch with your contacts consider this a lifelong process Don t burn bridges this is a small field and it will come back to haunt you
Step 4: Search
Step 4: Search Reach out to your network: Did you know that most positions today are found via your network? Be sure to stay connected with your contacts so that you can learn about opportunities that may arise. Online Job Search: Students/Alumni can begin their online job search on College Central Network (CCN) You can also visit the job seeker section of our website for additional online job boards. Local Hiring Events: Attend local hiring events such as career fairs and employer open houses to interact with local recruiters. Research participating companies in advance, dress professionally and bring plenty of copies of your résumé.
Attend Hiring Events Best way to interact face-to-face with employers Some trade shows also include career fairs LSSC s Hiring Events Please visit our website for up to date information about our Hiring Events at www.lssc.edu/careers. Career Fair Tips: Research companies attending in advance of the fair to become familiar with what they have to offer and what types of positions they trying to fill Dress professionally (just like you would for an interview) Bring copies of your resume Be prepared to highlight your skills and experience in a brief introduction to the employer
Top Job Search Mistakes 1. Posting your resume without worrying about privacy. 2. Using only the big name Web job sites. 3. Using the "fire-ready-aim" method of distributing your resume. 4. Limiting your job search efforts to the Internet only. 5. Applying for jobs without meeting the minimum qualifications. 6. Depending on e-mail as your only method of contact. 7. Assuming that you have privacy with e-mail and Internet use at work. 8. Expecting someone else to do the work (the job sites, a recruiter, your outplacement counselor, etc.). Assuming that e-mail is an informal, private, temporary medium. Source: http://www.job-hunt.org/jobsearchmistakes.shtml
Job Search Tips
Increase Marketability Your marketability in the job market is based on the total package what do you bring to the table? Education Internship experience Work experience Project experience/examples of work Leadership Technical Skills Relationships who do you know? Personality/Personal Attributes Image/Appearance (i.e., dress, grooming) Professionalism Ability to communicate Licenses/Certificates Security Clearance
What are Employers Seeking? Communication skills Fit within team Flexibility Maturity Professionalism Self-motivation Self-discipline Confidence Experience Enthusiasm Initiative Leadership Amiability Energy Positive attitude Willingness to learn Advanced skills
Advanced Skill Sets Can Give You a Competitive Edge Ability/Desire to: Build relationships Analyze, evaluate and interpret data Communicate to effectively justify and persuade Plan and manage projects Create new knowledge Engage in continuous learning Seek global understanding
Resources
College Central Network www.collegecentralnetwork.com/lssc One-stop shopping for your co-op, internship, part-time or full-time job search Local employers from a wide variety of industries post jobs and gather résumés here Once you create a profile and upload an approved résumé, you will have full access to view and apply for opportunities, research potential employers, and stay upto-date on effective job search techniques Ability to create an online portfolio that will allow you to showcase your work
Let CDS Help You! CDS can provide a variety of tools and resources to assist you on your job search: One-on-one career advising Résumé/cover letter tips & critiques Interview tips and mock interviews Job search strategies (full-time/part-time/internships) Salary negotiation tips Networking & professional etiquette tips Career-related presentations & webinars Off-campus online job listings Annual career fairs On-campus employer recruiting tables & interviews Career-related online resources & in-office library
Access Resources & Schedule an Appointment Today! Visit the CDS website to access tools and resources: www.lssc.edu/careers Office Hours (Walk-ins and Appointments): Leesburg: Monday Friday, 8am-4:30pm South Lake: Thursdays, by appointment only Sumter: By appointment only To schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor: Tel: (352) 323-3603 Web: www.lssc.edu/careers Visit us Online: Facebook: www.facebook.com/careerslssc
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