Job Search

1. Job Search Harper College Career Center Student Center, Room A347 847.925.6220 careercenter@harpercollege.edu

2. What This Workshop Will Cover: • Skills employers want • How to research employers • Where to look for a job • Reasons why you are not getting interviews • Tips for applying online

3. Questions to ask yourself before the job search: • What are my goals? • What is my job target? • What do I have to offer?

4. Communication Skills Honesty/Integrity Interpersonal Skills Motivation/Initiative Strong Work Ethic Teamwork Skills Computer Skills Analytical Skills Flexibility/Adaptability Detail-oriented According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) the top 10 skills/qualities employers are looking for are: Skills Employers Want

5. Skills Employers Want According to NACE, 74% of employers would prefer to hire candidates with RELEVANT work experience. • Consider an internship or co-op assignment if you are still in school • If you are not in school, think of how you can take your previous work experiences and apply them to the job that you are interested in. Make sure you make these connections on your resume.

6. Researching Employers • Check out which companies are hiring that fit your skills. Use the newspaper and websitesto obtain information about companies. • Write your resume addressing the employer’s needs and requirements. • Create several different versions of your resume for different job targets. • Ask friends and family if they know anyone who works at a company that is of interest to you.

8. Where to Look for a Job Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. Use several different methods to conduct your job search including: • Networking • Newspapers • Direct Employer Contact (i.e. Job Fairs) • Internet • Agencies (staffing and placement)

9. Where to Look for a Job: Networking Career experts estimate that a vast majority of job openings are never advertised or publicly announced, but filled through word-of-mouth or networking –known as the “hidden job market”. The likelihood of a job opening not being advertised at all increases with the level of the job.

10. What is networking? It is the systematic pursuit of new contacts and information. It is organized and planned. It is contacting other people and communicating what you want in a way so as to get information, leads or advice to help you land the right job. Where to Look for a Job:Networking

11. Why Network? Most of the best jobs are never advertised. Most organizations first look at people that they know and people who are recommended. The more you know about the industry and company, the better your chances are of landing the job—and the more people you’ve networked with in an industry, the more you’ll know. Where to Look for a Job:Networking

12. How do I Network? Do not just wait to bump into people. Initiate contacts for the sole purpose of networking. Set networking goals. Write down specific goals for how many networking contacts you plan to make each week. Regularly check your progress. Always ask if the person knows of anyone else you should meet. Ask if you can use his/her name when contacting the person. Maintain networking files. Keep a record of the outcomes of each contact and important information about the person. Where to Look for a Job:Networking

13. How do I Network (cont’d)? Meet in person whenever possible. Let the person know that you value their information and professional opinion. Say “thank you” often. Send a thank you letter or card. Set goals for each meeting. Don’t just get together and see where it leads; meet with a purpose. Make your own “business cards” to exchange with networking contacts. Where to Look for a Job:Networking

14. Your Network Brainstorm your networking list. Click here for a list of possibilities Prioritize your contacts A – well connected B – reasonably well-connected C- moderately well-connected or not closely connected to you Maintain your contacts consistently. Use this list to begin brainstorming and making a list of personal contacts Where to Look for a Job:Networking

15. Where to Look for a Job:Networking Your Networking Sound Byte • Prepare a short (40 seconds, 3-4 sentences) sound byte about yourself. • I am… • I can… • I need… • I’d like… • Be specific • Practice, practice, practice (but don’t sound rehearsed)

17. Where to Look for a Job:Newspapers • The Sunday classifieds have the most job listings. • Check out different categories of jobs. • Apply to jobs for which you are qualified. You should have 80-90% of the listed qualifications. • Required means required. If you don’t have a requirement, don’t apply.

18. Where to Look for a Job:Newspapers • Chicago Tribune www.chicagotribune.com • Daily Herald www.dailyherald.com • www.chicagojobs.com • www.suburbanchicagonews.com • Sun Times www.suntimes.com/classified/careers/

19. Job Fairs- Job fairs are an excellent source for prospective employees. Employers who recruit at job fairs may be building a pool of candidates and may not have an immediate opening. Job fairs are the easiest way for Direct Employer Contact. Use these contacts to find out about the company and their hiring needs. A goal of a job search campaign is to be face-to-face with employers (interview). The more you have the greater your chances for success! Where to Look for a Job: Direct Employer Contact

20. Where to Look for a Job:Internet • Be selective in your use of the internet. Don’t sit back and wait for it to find a job for you. • Use the Internet for research about the labor market, employer information, professional organizations, and salary ranges. • More and more employers are listing job openings on their web pages. • Be sure to follow instruction for online applications. Every website is different. • Click here for a list of job search sites.

21. Where to Look for a Job:Internet In addition to examining industry-specific sites, use the following website to conduct your job search: College Central- free online job database through Harper College where you can upload your resume and search for jobs. Go to www.collegecentral.com/harper to sign up. Click here for instructions.

22. Where to Look for a Job:Agencies (Staffing/Placement) Many employers are turning to temporary and contract agencies for employee recruitment. Staffing Agencies or Third Party Recruiters can be a good way to find a job in this job market. Be sure you are clear about your job or industry objective.

23. Tips for using Staffing Agencies: Job seekers working with personnel staffing services need to be wise consumers. Check into the firm’s reputation. Use the ones that are going to meet your present and future employment needs. Determine if any fees will be charged for services before accepting or signing anything. It is not recommended to pay any fees. Where to Look for a Job: Agencies (Staffing/Placement)

24. Tips for using Staffing Agencies (cont’d): Staffing services work with the job market daily, and can provide valuable information that is helpful in your job search. In all dealings, treat them as you would a potential employer. They represent a variety of companies and can expose you to many opportunities that are otherwise not available. Where to Look for a Job: Agencies (Staffing/Placement)

25. Tips for using Staffing Agencies (cont’d): Take ownership of your own career and job search. Do not assume if you are working with a staffing service that you can sit back and wait. Use as many resources as possible to help achieve your goal. Where to Look for a Job: Agencies (Staffing/Placement)

26. 10 Reasons Why You are NOT Getting Interviews • You only focus on big companies. Bigger companies tend to get the most applicants. Consider applying to companies that are small and mid-size as well. • You don’t follow directions. Many times a company has specific directions on their employment application that they want followed. Be sure to carefully read the instructions. • You need to update or change your resume. Be sure that you take the time to figure out what skills an employer is looking for and make sure your resume reflects those things. • Your cover letter is boring. Make sure your cover letter expands on a couple of different accomplishments from your resume and it’s not just restating the facts.

27. 10 Reasons Why You are NOT Getting Interviews • You don’t reference “buzzwords”. Some companies use scanning software to look through resumes. If your resume does not have some of the key words from the job description, it may get overlooked. • You didn’t proofread your resume or application materials. Be sure that your grammar and punctuation are correct before turning anything in. • You didn’t address your resume to the right person. • You don’t know anyone that works for the company. • You don’t follow up. • You’re not as qualified for the position as you think.

28. Reasons Why You are NOT Getting the JOB According to NACE’s Job Outlook, employers cited what skills they feel candidates are most lacking. • Communication skills (both written and verbal) • Workplace conduct: inability to work individually, lack of leadership and problem-solving skills, no strong work ethic, inability to make a smooth transition from college to the workplace, unrealistic expectations about salaries and promotions, lack of loyalty to the organization • Lack of work experience.

29. Additional Resources and Assistance • Currently enrolled Harper students may obtain more job search advice from a Career Counselor or the Information Specialist in the Harper Career Center. Call 847.925.6220. • More Information.