1. Planning your career

Communication skills, such as researching and analyzing data, writing effectively and speaking persuasively, play an important role when you begin your job-getting campaign. To refine these skills further, it is necessary to learn how to plan your career, develop a resume, write application letters, conduct yourself during an interview, and write post-interview letters.

SELF-ANALYSIS

Your job campaign begins with a self-analysis. Think about your life, your interests, things you’re good at, and the experiences that have given you the most satisfaction. Also think about where you want to work. Such introspection will help you make sound career decisions.

RESEARCH

Many job seekers begin their search for occupational information by interviewing one or more people currently employed in the industry that interests them. Locate such sources by reading newspapers, asking friends, or consulting with your professors. Avoid, however, turning the informational interview into an employment interview.

Occupational information – the nature of the work, working conditions, employment levels, training and advancement opportunities, the future of the occupation, earnings, etc.

Industry and company information – analyze the economic, political, and social environment of the chosen industry; look for current company news, most recent annual report, advertised career opportunities.

Networking – seek the help of professional and personal acquaintances in your job campaign. Don’t forget to expand your networking efforts into cyberspace.

2. Organizing job search

To find a job that suits your qualifications, you’ll first need to collect information on yourself, on companies, and on jobs. As you begin to go to interviews, you will need to keep records of whom you met, what you were asked, and what action will come next.

List your skills in terms of organizational functions:

1. technical skills;

1. managerial skills;

1. marketing skills;

1. informational systems skills.

Gather information on industries and specific companies’ needs as well as on your skills and preferences. Then find out where these two sets of information overlap.

For an industry, find out the following:

1. is the industry growing or maturing;

1. are sales increasing or decreasing;

1. who are the major competitors;

1. where are the main firms located;

1. are the companies expanding or downsizing;

1. what is the future of this industry;

For a company you might like to work for, research the following:

1. company address and phone number;

1. who is in charge of the company;

1. who heads the functional area where you would work;

1. what does the company produce;

1. who are the company’s customers;

1. in what cities is the company located;

1. who are the company’s competitors;

1. what were last year’s sales;

1. what is the return on investment for the past five years;

1. how many employees does the company have.

When searching for a job consider the following: classified ads, career fairs, information interviews and networking contacts, and hidden job market.