Job Search Strategies

1. Job Search Strategies Academic Advising and Career Center (916) 278-6231 www.csus.edu/careercenter

2. Job Search Background August 2009

3. Before You Begin Your Job Search: Self-Assessment • Skill preferences • Transferable skills / Skill set • Work and Personal Values • Attitude • Work / Life Balance • Self-care strategies • Interests • Personality • Strengths • Aptitude

4. Least Effective Job Search Strategies • Applying for one job at a time • Conducting little or no research on the company, industry or position • Only applying for positions you find online • Using the same resume and cover letter for all positions • Never sending a thank you letter • Keeping your focus general, applying for anything • Wearing casual or business casual attire to an interview • Not including cover letters • Using poor grammar and having punctuation errors on your paperwork • Presenting a non-professional demeanor or attitude

5. Before You Begin Your Job Search: Targeted Search • Geographic area: • Industry: • Job Function: • Companies: • Targeted positions: Adapted from: Job-Search Secrets, Kate Wendleton, 1996

6. Expand Your Horizons: Creating Options • #1. Conduct Internet searches to identify career options within your fields of interest: • Go to Google and/or to professional association sites to learn career options in your field • Use the following search strings to identify career options. In Google, type: • biology careers • intitle:biotechnology careers • allintitle:”marine biology careers” • biotechnology inurl:careers • Career Opportunities for Chemistry majors

7. Expand Your Horizons: Creating Options YouTube Searches: Use YouTube to research career options in your field(s) of interest. In YouTube type: • In YouTube Type: • A day in the life of a __________ • _________ careers • Social Work careers

8. Disclosure? • Disclosure: a personal choice • Be strategic and know whether disclosure is necessary or beneficial • Connect disclosure proactively to accommodations, if necessary • Disclosure: When and to what degree • Turn disclosure into a positive professional proactive discussion, related to the position http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/411/411_Disability_Disclosure_complete.pdf

9. Assistive Technology • You are the expert in your use of assistive technology • Proactively discuss assistive technology, if needed • Be able to discuss proactively and positively how your use of AT will allow you to perform the essential duties of the position • Have vendor and price information ready for a prospective employer, unless you utilize your own

10. Community Resources and Services • What services do you wish to add to your team? • Do you know what is available? • How can their program or service be beneficial? • How do the services and/or programs relate to your goal? • How will the service positively impact your job search?

11. Social Security Work Incentives: Red Book • Are you on SSI or SSDI? • What SSA work incentives are available for you? • Who can assist you with understanding your rights? • How are the incentives beneficial regarding your job search and employment goals? • Does your position of interest offer benefits? • What criteria or benefits need to be a part of any job you consider? • How long will the SSA work incentive benefit me and allow me to successfully transition into employment?

12. Before You Begin Your Job Search: Checklist • Job search corner and organization • Update resume / documents • Professional dress • Attitude / Support • Career Counselor / Coach • Obtaining references • Preferred skill set • Job search business cards

13. Before You Begin Your Job Search: Checklist • Professional email & voice mail message • Assemble portfolio (optional) • Practice interview skills • Practice 30-second commercial • Consider transition experiences • Assess transferable skills • Review negotiation process

14. Social Media • One year ago this week, a survey commissioned by Microsoft regarding how online reputation affects candidacy for employment, and presumably internships, was released. • The survey showed: • Most recruiters and HR professionals surveyed check online sources to research potential candidates • 70% rejected candidates based on information they found online • 85% said that positive online reputation influenced their hiring decisions at least to some extent; nearly half said that a strong online reputation influences their decisions to a great extent • Recruiters and HR professionals said that use of online reputational information will significantly increase over the next five years Is Your Online Reputation Affecting Your Career? Mark Babbitt | January 11, 2011 ClassroomCubicle.com

15. Once You Have Identified Your Targets • Research trends / current issues in the field • Best practices • Legislative issues impacting field • Organization’s services • Research job duties • Identify related community services

16. Job Search Pointers“Getting from College to Career” Lindsey Pollak, 2007 • Get organized • Upgrade to professional contact methods • Email like a professional • Clean-up your internet image • Become an industry expert • Conduct informational interviews or job shadow • Explore a passion • Seek a mentor • Talk with people everywhere • Utilize professional associations, conferences and networking events • Leave your negativity at home

17. Job Search Pointers“Getting from College to Career” Lindsey Pollak, 2007 • Be able to introduce yourself • Don’t be afraid to risk or stretch • Work some new rooms • Dress for success • Update and remake your paperwork • Be the first to follow-up; keep in touch • Allow yourself to fail • Be nice to support staff • Persist and follow-up • Be available • Buy a professional suit • Don’t curb your enthusiasm

18. 10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #1: Give Yourself the Edge • Practice your interviewing skills • Be knowledgeable of the industry and company • Conduct informational interviews • Connect with professional Associations • Know what the company and industry expects • Integrate research information into your interview answers • Dress and speak professionally • Professional Paperwork

19. 10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #2: Network, Network, Network… • Faculty • Professionals in the field • Family and friends • Contacts made through informational interviews • Conferences / Trade Shows • New people you meet • Articles you read

20. 10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #3: Combine Your Job Search with Connecting with the World of Work • Alumni internships • Internships • Coop positions • Volunteering • Conferences / Trade Shows • Local Professional Association Meetings • Create a Job Search Club with Friends • Sacramento Professionals Network • http://www.sacpronet.com/~spnadmin/

21. 10+ Most Effective Internship Search Strategies • Go to: www.csus.edu/IRT/web/listserv/subscribe.html • Several examples include: • Enter: HEALTHCAREERS-L • Enter: INTERNSHIPNEWS-L • Enter: SOCIALANDRECCAREERS-L • Enter: CJCAREERS-L • #4: Sign-up for the NSM listserv and go to the Career Center website NSM page for links to internships:

22. 10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #5: Use Career Connection • Go to the Career Center website • Click: Career Connection • Click: New user registration • Enter username (Saclink ID) • Enter registration password (sacramento) • Create Student Account • Click: Submit • You will automatically receive a confirmation email with a new password that you can change once you login • Search internships by keyword, College or Academic Department

23. 10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #6: Volunteer Opportunities can be a great way to begin gaining experience • Use: • www.vounteersac.org • www.handsonsacto.org • www.volunteermatch.org

24. 10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • In Google Maps, type: Social Services Organization near Sacramento, CA • Use your best guess for the company category, then use the category Google uses to conduct further searches • #7: Google Maps: To locate agencies and organizations

25. 10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #8: Use allintext:, a Google search strategy to locate key words and phrases on web pages: • Go to Google.com and search on the following: • allintext:”career counseling internship” • allintext:engineering co-op OR internship • intext: accounting internship OR co-op OR “part-time job” • California intext:accounting internship OR "part-time job" OR co-op

26. 10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #9. Utilize some rare used Google search strategies, such as: Examples include: • graphic design ~internships Sacramento ~ means synonyms • “career counseling” ~internships –therapy - means eliminate pages with this word • undergraduate internship site:*.ca.gov • * means a wildcard showing everything with .ca.gov after it • Use Google Alerts to have search strings sent automatically to your email.

27. 10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #10: Job Alerts in indeed.com or simplyhired.com! • Example: • www.indeed.com • Create an account • Go to Tools and then my.indeed • Select, alerts • Select “advance search”, next to Find Jobs Button • Create an advanced search job alert to receive openings daily • www.spb.ca.gov/jobs/special/student_employment.htm

28. 10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies • Over 43 million professionals • Roughly 1 new sign-up per second • 150 industries • 5.1 million students • 37,000 college and university alumni groups • #11: Use Professional Networking Sites like LinkedIn

29. 10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies • Local, State-wide and National • Job Listings • Networking • Meetings and Conferences • Portal to contact people in the field • Informational interviews • Mentor contacts • Job postings • #12: Utilize Professional Associations • Search using Google: Social Work association OR society OR council

30. 10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #13: Create a Targeted Plan to Get Focused • Identify geographic preference(s) • Target an industry or company size • Identify a function or department • Identify positions of interest, if known • Identify specific companies

31. 10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #14: Utilize Job Posting Sites • www.indeed.com • www.simplyhired.com • www.careerbuilder.com • Including Specialized Job Posting Sites • www.socialservice.com • www.socialworkjobbank.com • Social Work Jobs in the Federal Government • NASW Job Link • Opportunityknocks.org • Idealist.org

32. 10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies • Employment Agencies, Search Firms, Contract Recruiters, Resume Referral Firms • Inquire about the positions being filled or number of openings • Your confidential information can only be shared with a prospective employer • All candidates must be treated equally and fairly • Who pays the fee? Make sure they are 100% employer paid • #15 Consider Third Party Recruiters

33. 10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #16:Utilize Internet databases and sources to locate organizations and agencies. Examples include: • www.opportunityknocks.orgJobs with non-profit organizations • www.nprcenter.org Non-Profit Resource Center, Sacramento, CA • www.dmh.ca.gov California Department of Mental Health • www.google.com Locate organizations using Google Search on: Community Services Directory of Sacramento

34. 10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies • Contact a specific person by email or business letter • Indicate if someone suggested that you contact them • New companies in the area • Significant changes in personnel or company structure • Identified need in the company that you can address or help resolve • #17: Target Individual Contacts

35. 10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • Conferences • Creating new job search strategies • Creating new niches for your talents • Finding hidden job opportunities • Weighing the risk and benefit of creative strategies • Connecting contacts through current events or media stories, i.e., Business Journal article, legislation, articles • #18: Creative Approaches

36. 10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • Go to Google.com • Type the following search strings: • internship OR co-op site:www.gene.com • biology intern federal site:*.gov • #19: Locate Internship Opportunities at a Specific Company or Sector:

37. 10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #20:Use Academic Departments to Locate Internship Links • Use Google to locate academic departments that have internship listings links: • Type the following search strings: • CSUS geography internships • department biology internships • department chemistry internships site:*.edu

38. 10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #21: Search the Internet to Locate Specific Companies • Specialized Industry Directory Websites • Google Directory • Use any of the following search strings: • Criminalist association directory • Bioscience and biotechnology companies in California • Research Lab directory • Use Google Maps to locate biotechnology companies around Davis, CA • Animation database

39. 10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies • #22: Search the Title, Text or URL of Sites • Go to Google: • Type any of the following search strings: • “stem cell” inurl:internship • Intitle:”physics intern” • geology inurl:co-op • California conservation inurl:intern • “stem cell research” California inurl:internship • allintext:”career counseling internship” • geology internship California site:*.gov

40. During and After Your Job Search • Debrief your interviews • Evaluate your strategies • Stay connected • Take time for yourself: reenergize • Get feedback on resume and interview techniques • Reward yourself • Use your resources • Believe in yourself!

41. Thank you Questions and Comments…