JOB SEARCH TECHNIQUES

 

Researching and Identifying Employers
What If You’re Working Full Time?
Answering Want Ads
Sample File Cards and File Folders

 

Researching and Identifying Employers

Resource Materials:
  • Library: employer directories by industry and/or job function, National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States, professional journals, Standard and Poors, Moody’s Manual, Dun and Bradstreet Indexes, Thomas' Registrar, Standard Directory of Advertisers
  • Career Development Center: information on organizations (Annual Reports, Employer Directories, annual alumni Employment Report)
  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Newspapers: classified ads, "business" news
  • Yellow Pages of phone book
  • The Internet - Visit our Research Employer, Industries, and Companies Online link, which lists sites offering nationwide directories for various business industries, school districts, hospitals, law firms, etc.  Includes a "how to" tutorial for researching companies online.

Resource People:
  • Personal contacts: professors, friends, neighbors, relatives, former or present employers, etc.
  • Alumni from institutions of learning that you have attended 
  • Information Interviewing with professionals (alumni, personnel people, etc.) who have the power to hire in your work area of interest.

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What If You’re Working Full Time?
  • You must be determined to keep at it

Use every spare hour, including evenings, weekends and lunch breaks.

  • Use evenings and weekends for homework

Researching organizations, etc., and to write your thank you letters.

  • Use lunch time

For actual calling upon potential employers, use lunch time (can squeeze in interviews over lunch).

  • Use late afternoons

Many people don’t leave work promptly at 5:00 p.m.  Ask if you could see them after hours.

  • Make use of holidays

           a. Those which everyone observes
           b. Those which some observe
NOTE: With "b" above you may have the day off and could meet with people whose employers don't observe that holiday.

  • Press Saturdays into service

People you wish to see may work on Saturday, or they may be willing to set up a Saturday appointment.

  • Use accumulated sick leave as time off

Some employers allow employees to accumulate sick leave as time off. Use that time to follow up on contacts.

  • Make use of vacation time

If you are dead serious about the importance of your job hunt, make use of vacation time for this purpose.

REMEMBER! THERE’S OFTEN A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN AMOUNT OF TIME DEVOTED TO THE JOB HUNT AND THE SPEED WITH WHICH YOU FIND THE SORT OF JOB YOU MOST WANT.

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Answering Want Ads
  1. All you are trying to do, in answering an ad, is to get invited for an interview (rather than getting screened out). So, quote the ad’s specifications, and tailor your resume or case history letter (if you prefer that to a resume), so that you fit their specifications as closely as possible.
  2. Omit all else from your response (so there is no further excuse for screening you out). Volunteer nothing else.
  3. If the ad requested salary requirements, some experts say to ignore the request; others say, state a salary range (of as much as three to ten thousand dollars variation) adding the words, "depending on the scope of duties and responsibilities," or words to that effect. If the ad does not mention salary requirements, don’t mention them either. Why give an excuse for getting your response "Screened Out"?
  4. When possible, know submission deadline and don’t miss it.

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SAMPLE CARD
  Source ____________________: Who or what referred you to this individual/organization

 

XYZ Organization
25 Hampshire Blvd.
Manchester, NH 03104

Ms. Jane Doe
Title
Phone

4/14/01 - Ms. Doe was in a meeting - told she'd be tied up all day.  Call back on 4/15.
4/15/01- Set-up appt. for 4/17/01 at 3:00 pm (networking meeting)
4/17/01 - Met with Ms. Doe - nothing currently available at XYZ Corp., however suggested two other contacts.  Very personable and wants me to keep her posted on my search (see interview notes for more info).
4/18/87 - Sent thank-you follow-up letter

 

 
* These cards can be filed according to a number of systems (i.e., by industry, type of organization, geographical location of the organization, etc.)  Each participant should review his/her own needs and set up the system accordingly.  (The trainer can circulate and work individually with students who are experiencing difficulty.

* Separate from the above, the cards can also be filed according to those which either have been contacted or remain to be contacted.  In addition, they can be filed according to those which require immediate action (i.e., the typing and sending of a thank-you letter after the interview) or follow up at a later point in time.

* Copies can also be made of each index card for a separate set of cards.  This second file system would set up in alphabetical order by last name of the contact person.  This comes in handy if an individual contact you and you're unable to recall who s/he is.

File folders can be used to store a variety of job search information.  The following provides some suggestions.

* Sample resumes              
*Copies of reference letters             
* Research materials accumulated
* Sample copies of contact letters         
* Rejection or acceptance letters of job offers
* Notes from all info, networking and job interviews
      

FILE FOLDERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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