career resource manual - UC Davis / Internship and Career Center

Job Search StrategiesThere are many ways to look for a job, some of which are better than others. Presented below are some of the most popular ways,as well as helpful hints and pros and cons of each.Strategy Tools Pros Cons Helpful HintsNETWORKINGApproximately 80% of jobsare obtained through networking.Talk to everyoneyou know to develop a listof possible contacts; ask forinformation on job/companiesand to circulate your resume.• List of contacts• Resumes• Business attire• Social media sites such asFacebook and LinkedInMay learn of unadvertisedopenings. May result in acourtesy interview. Oftenresults in a closer match ofyour interests to a job.A contact in itself is notenough to get you a job. Youmay exhaust all leads withoutlanding a job. Quite timeconsuming.• Follow through on all leads.• Keep broadening yournetwork of contacts.The Internship/Job SearchCAREER FAIRSAttend job fairs to networkwith recruiters and pass outcopies of your resume.INTERNETSearch online job banks andcompany websites. Submitresume online/post on jobboards.ON-CAMPUSRECRUITINGFollow specific pro cedures tosecure on-campus interviews.• Fair information isavailable aticc.ucdavis.edu• Bulletin boards and emails• Access to the Web• Electronic resume• Aggie Job Link• USAJobs• CA State Personnel Board• Scheduling interviews• Employer literature• Resumes• Business attireSmall amount of time todevelop network of contacts.Guaranteed access to morethan one employer ofinterest. Get pre-selected foron-campus interviews.Actual job openings. Manyemployers use a wide varietyof job listing services. Manylistings have free to low-costaccess. Worldwide geographicreach.One of the primary ways inwhich companies recruit fortechnical and business positions.Student traffic can be heavy.Arrive early to maximizetime.Competition is growing asuse of the Web increases.Pay attention to multiplelistings—one position postedon a few sites —to avoidapplying multiple times.May be less effective fornon-technical/business candidates.• Follow up on leads andnetworking opportunities.• Obtain a list of companiesin advance to create a planof action.• Use the internet frequentlyas information and siteschange quickly.• Use the interview scheduleas a way to identify possibleemployers, even if you don’tget to interview on campuswith those employers.ONLINE NETWORKINGCreate a profile on professionalnetworking sites suchas LinkedIn. Increasingly,recruiters are using onlinenetworking sites to sourcecandidates.• Access to the Web• List of people to invite inas your contactsGood way to find networkingcontacts, as well as professionalgroups for researchingand networking.Takes a small amount oftime to set up profile• Everything you post shouldbe strictly professional intone and content.• You can use socialnetworking sites likeFacebook, too.PRINT/ELECTRONICRESOURCESScan want ads. Mail resumewith cover letter tailored tospecific job qualifications.• Newspapers• Journals• Newsletters• Trade magazines• Cover letters• ResumesInvolves minimal investmentof time in identifyingcompanies. Resume andcover letter are sent foractual job opening.Resume and cover letter willcompete with large numberof others. Ads followjob market; least effectivein times of economicdownturn.• Use as a meter on the jobmarket in a certain careerfield.• Try to get your materialsin as early as possible.IN-PERSON VISITVisit many companies. Askto see someone in a specificdepartment. Submit resumeand application, if possible.• Business attire• Company address list• ResumesResume and application areon file with the company.Requires a great deal of timeto make a relatively smallnumber of contacts.• Research the companiesprior to your visit. Ask fora specific person or askabout a specific type of job.TARGETED MAILINGDevelop a good cover lettertailored to a specific typeof job and the needs ofthe company. Send letterwith resume to selectedcompanies.• List of well-researchedcompanies• Tailored cover letters• Resumes• Email and faxBetter approach than the massmailingmethod. Investmentof time and effort shouldmerit stronger response fromemployers.Requires a significant investmentof time in researchingcompanies and writing coverletters as well as following upwith contacts.• Try to find out who is incharge of the area in whichyou want to work; sendyour materials to thatperson. Great method whenused in conjunction withnetworking.Adapted and reprinted with permission from Career Services, Pennsylvania StateUniversity, University Park, PA.10 University of California, Davis