JOB SEARCH

GUIDE

Career Services
Center for Experiential Learning
Keuka College
279--5274
Phone: (315) 279
279--5329
Fax: (315) 279
 I. Self-assessment

Personal values

Work values

Skills assessment

II. Researching job fields

III. Researching employers

What to research

Internet resources for researching employers

IV. Networking

Networking tips

Sample job search networking letter

V. Developing effective searching tools

Pursue advertised vacancies

Develop a contact network

Contact employers directly

Follow-up and record keeping

Be persistent

Job search websites

VI. Applying for jobs

VII. Following up
Competing effectively in today’s market requires self-knowledge, initiative, persistence, and a lot of
hard work. Getting a job is not something that happens overnight. The entire job search process usually
involves:
• Self-assessment
• Researching job fields
• Researching employers
• Networking
• Developing effective searching tools (such as your resume, cover letters, and interview skills)
• Applying for jobs
• Interviewing for jobs
• Following up

SELF-ASSESSMENT
One of the most important aspects of searching for a job is first knowing yourself. Not only do you need
to know what skills and characteristics you have to offer an employer, you should know what type of job
will suit your interests and values. Use the activities below to get an idea of what things are most
important to you regarding your career.

A list of personal values is provided below. Using the following scale, rank each value according to its
importance to you: 1 = not important
2 = somewhat important
3 = very important

___ Good Health ___ Strong religious values

___ Many close friendships ___ A chance to make social changes
___ A large family ___ To be remembered for my accomplishments
___ A fulfilling career ___ Helping those in distress
___ A stable marriage ___ Freedom to live where I wish
___ A financially comfortable life ___ Time to myself
___ Independence ___ Enjoyment of arts, entertainment, and culture
___ Creativity ___ A life with many challenges
___ Participating in an organized religion ___ A life with many changes
___ Having children ___ Opportunity to be a leader
___ A variety of interests and activities ___ To make a major discovery that saves lives
___ Freedom to create my own lifestyle ___ A good physical appearance
___ Owning a house ___ Opportunity to establish roots in one place
___ A happy love relationship ___ Opportunity for physical activities
___ Fulfilling careers for me and my partner ___ A chance to get into politics
___ Contributing to my community ___ To live according to strong moral values
___ Abundance of leisure time ___ Opportunity to teach others
___ Ability to move from place to place ___ A chance to become famous
___ A stable life ___ To help others solve problems
___ A life without stress ___ To make a lot of money

Now go through the list and choose five of your most important personal values:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Categories of Work Values are listed below. Make a selection based on the importance of each
work-related value.

WORK TASKS Not Somewhat Quite Very

Important Important Important Important

Produce a product I can see at the end of the day

Work on a project that takes a long time to
complete
Complete tasks by the end of the day
Perform different tasks every day
Perform similar tasks routinely
Engage in adventuresome/risky tasks
Work with hands or hand tools
Work with numbers
Help people who have needs
Influence the opinions or decisions of others
Engage in physical tasks
Engage in intellectually stimulating tasks
Engage in creative tasks
Engage in research

WORK SETTING Not Somewhat Quite Very

Important Important Important Important
Indoors, in my own office
Indoors, in a large office with many colleagues
Indoors, other than an office
Outdoors
Combination of indoors & outdoors
Work in an urban/suburban setting
Work in a rural setting
Home-based work setting
 INTERPERSONAL ASPECTS Not Somewhat Quite Very
Important Important Important Important
Work independently with no supervision (own
boss)
Work independently with some supervision

Work with one or more colleagues as a team

Plan work for and supervise others

Be supervised by a good supervisor/boss

Work with supportive co-workers

PAY, BENEFITS, REWARDS Not Somewhat Quite Very

Important Important Important Important
Good benefits package

Work for a high base salary

Work on a commission basis

Job security

Starting salary upon graduation over $35,000

Opportunity to obtain large salary increases

Receive immediate public attention for

accomplishments
Social prestige/respect/recognition

Now go through the lists and choose five of your most important work-related values:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Skills Assessment

Know your basic skills and be ready to portray them in a cover letter, your resume, and in an
interview. Use the checklist below to get an idea of skills that you may have that employers look
for:
 Active listening  Instructing  Planning
 Awareness of others  Interpersonal  Problem solving
 Communication  Management  Public speaking
 Critical thinking  Mathematical  Technology
 Decision making  Organizational  Time management
 Information gathering  Persuasion  Writing
RESEARCHING JOB FIELDS
There are various tools you can use to research job fields. Use the resources listed below to investigate
job disciplines you might want to become a part of.

Use these websites to explore job fields related to your major:

www.careers.siue.edu/majors/majors/default.html (career fields, employers, strategies)

www.cas.muohio.edu/~advising/Majors/toc.html (interests, competencies, careers, grad schools)

www.uncw.edu/stuaff/career/Majors/ (careers, skills, websites, career planning websites)

www.utexas.edu/student/careercenter/careers/ (jobs related and not directly related)

www.career.fsu.edu/ccis/matchmajor/matchmenu.html (job list for each major)

Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)

Provides career information on most job titles, including required training and education, earnings, job
outlook, job description, and working conditions.

America’s Career InfoNet (http://www.acinet.org/acinet/)

Find information on careers, salaries, educational requirements, and labor market trends. Job search
assistance is also available.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://stats.bls.gov/)

Provides information from the fact-finding agency for the federal government in the broad field of labor
economics and statistics.

ONET (http://online.onetcenter.org/find/)
Review occupational information, jobs related to your skills, work requirements, and occupations related
to those in which you have an interest.

RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS
(From www.distinctiveweb.com/research.htm)
Crucial to a successful job search campaign is knowing how to research potential employers. The
more you know about a company or organization, their business objectives, goals, mission,
vision statement, etc. the better able you will be to communicate your value to them. You may
wish to convey your understanding of their needs in a tailored resume and cover letter, and you
will definitely want to communicate this during your interview. The hard work that you put into
your research will almost always pay off by reflecting your interest and enthusiasm to
employers.

Begin by trying to locate general information about each company you are interested in. Focus
on details that will relate to your skills, knowledge, and qualifications. You may wish to develop
a filing system to organize the information that you obtain. Here are some items you can gather:

Brochures and sales flyers

Magazine and newspaper articles about the company

Trade journal articles

Press releases
What to Research:

What is the age of the company/organization?

What is their location? How long have they been established there?

How many locations are there?

What are the services and products that they sell?

What is the size of the company/organization?

How many employees do they have?

What are their sales? Assets? Earnings?

What has their growth pattern been like?

What are the various divisions and subsidiaries?

Who are their competitors?

What are the names of key executives?

What is the general reputation of the company/organization?

Is the company publicly or privately owned?

Is the company foreign owned?

How successful is the company? What have been their major achievements?

Have there been any major issues or events in the recent history of the company?

What are the objectives and philosophy of the company/organization?

What is their forecast of anticipated growth?

If you are ready to go onto the internet to begin your research, keep a few things in mind:
 Know what you are looking for before you go online. Keep a list beside you so that you can
cross items off as you locate them. It is too easy to get distracted if you do not remain focused!
 Bookmark major sites as you come across them. Most browsers will even allow you to
create folders or directories to organize the links even further. Make the effort to stay
organized now and you will be glad you did later on!
 Print out a hardcopy of important information. Or you could save a copy of the document
to your hard drive instead.

Internet Resources for Researching Employers

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
You may want to begin by contacting the chambers of commerce in the communities your
companies are located in. You will find a searchable comprehensive directory of North American
chambers of commerce at (http://Chamber-of-Commerce.com)

SEC DOCUMENTS
Find SEC documents for 10,000 public companies including insider filings, annual and quarterly
reports. (http://business.lycos.com/companyresearch/crtop.asp)
SEC Documents by company name or ticker symbol.
(http://www.freeedgar.com/)

IPOs
Up-to-date reports on new filings and initial public offerings.
(http://www.edgar-online.com/ipoexpress/)
AMERICAN STOCK EXCHANGE
A listing of companies can be searched by stock symbol, company name or company homepage at
(http://www.amex.com/stocks/stocks.htm)

THE BIG BOOK

This is an outstanding resource for finding companies listed by industry or state.
(http://www.bigbook.com)

PATENTS
Search for information about patents by invention type or description. (http://www.delphion.com)

SECRETARIES OF THE STATE CORPORATE REGISTRATIONS

Links to the secretary of state in each of the 50 US states and their corporate registrations; many
allow online lookups of basic information. (http://www.nass.org/busreg/corpreg.html)

THOMAS REGISTER
Search 155,000+ companies by trademark or type of product. (http://www.thomasregister.com/)

U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Government Agency homepages can be useful for both research purposes and for finding job-
listings. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/independent-agencies.html)

ANNUAL REPORTS
Links to annual reports of thousands of companies; a free service.
(http://www.annualreportservice.com/)

BUSINESS WIRE
Company press releases by industry. (http://www.businesswire.com/)

WALL STREET RESEARCH

Links to company's SEC filings, stock quotes and history, press releases, earnings estimates, and
more. (http://www.wsrn.com/index.html)

NETWORKING
Even though networking is one of the most successful ways to find a new job (US Bureau of Labor
Statistics claims 85% of jobs are obtained via networking and direct company contact), most people rely
solely on the internet. Some call networking the art of building alliances. Simply stated, it is using your
current contacts and generating new ones in order to locate opportunities. You network all the time and
probably don’t even know it. You are networking when you:

Attend professional or trade association meetings

Talk with your professors and alumni

Volunteer for a local church function

Visit with other members of your social clubs or religious groups

Talk to your neighbors

Strike up a conversation with someone else waiting at the doctor’s office

Post messages on mailing lists or in chat rooms
 NETWORKING TIPS
 Begin networking early. Don’t wait until spring of your senior year to begin networking.
 Make a list of everyone that you know. Write down family, friends, neighbors, co-workers,
colleagues, teachers, etc.
 Make a list of people you want to know. Think of people who can provide good information about the
kind of job you want.
 Know specifically what you want. The more specific details you can provide to your contacts, the
better chances people have to help you out.
 Keep records. For future reference, jot down notes including names, companies, and conversation
details. Maintain contact with these people or you will lose valuable links and credibility.
 Get involved. The more clubs and organizations you belong to, the more contacts you have.
 Be polite and personal. Get to know people not only from a professional perspective, but a personal
one as well.
 Set up informational interviews. Explain that you are researching the current job market for
opportunities and would appreciate insights and advice. Refer to the Interview Guide for more details.
 Pick up the phone. In some cases, a quick phone call is more efficient than several e-mails and is more
personal. Face to face is even better.
 Remember names. Make it a point to remember the names of your new contacts.
 Always reciprocate. When you ask others for help, be prepared to return the favor. Keep supporters
informed about your progress and successes.

SAMPLE JOB SEARCH NETWORKING LETTER (from About.com)

Your address
Your phone number

Date you send the letter

Contact Name
Contact Person’s Job Title
Company
Address
City, State, Zip

Dear Mr. Contact,

I was referred to you by Diane Smithers from XYZ company in New York. She recommended you
as an excellent source of information on the communications industry.

My goal is to secure an entry-level position in communications. I would appreciate hearing your

advice on career opportunities in the communications industry, on conducting an effective job
search, and on how best to uncover job leads.

Thank you so much, in advance, for any insight and advice you would be willing to share. I look
forward to contacting you early next week to set up a telephone informational interview. Thank
you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

YourFirstName YourLastName
DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE SEARCHING TOOLS
(From www.MonsterTrak.com)

A. Pursue Advertised Vacancies

The most commonly used job search technique is to respond to advertised vacancies, both in print
and electronically. Sources of vacancies include:

Online job listings.

Campus interviews.

Newsletters from trade or professional associations.

Newspaper classified ads (most major cities are online).

Employment services and agencies run by government and for-profit businesses.

Personnel department postings and phone lines.

Unfortunately, the most popular method for locating positions, responding to advertised vacancies,
is not the most effective. According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, nearly 80% of
the openings available at any one time are never advertised. Job-seekers should respond to
employment ads, but the main thrust of your efforts should be toward establishing networks and
identifying the hidden job market. To increase the odds of your success in responding to advertised
vacancies, by telephone or letter, keep these tips in mind:

Do not waste time responding to long shots.

Use your cover letter to answer every requirement in the advertisement.

Personalize your response as much as possible. Direct your materials to specific individuals,
not "To Whom It May Concern," or "Dear Sir/Madam," unless the advertisements are blind
newspaper ads (name of organization withheld). A quick phone call can provide appropriate
names. In a blind ad, address your letter to a specific position title, (e.g., Dear "Marketing
Manager").

Try to contact or write to the manager who will make the final hiring decision as well as the
personnel representative named in the advertisements. For more information, see the Resume &
Cover Letter Guide.

B. Develop a Contact Network

Once you have targeted a career or specific position, you should acquaint yourself with
professionals in that field or organization. These professionals offer you an insider's view and can
constitute your contact network, which can open doors that might otherwise remain closed. Your
network can also consist of family members, friends, classmates, professors, and electronic
discussion groups.

C. Contact Employers Directly

There are several methods and combinations of methods that can be utilized to contact employers
directly.

Send a letter of application and your resume to the Human Resources department or specific
managers. This direct contact method is most successful for candidates in high-demand fields
(e.g., engineering and computer science). The success of this method is greatly increased when
letters are followed up by phone calls, which may result in an invitation to visit the employer.

Contact managers in organizations by phone or letter to request an appointment to discuss the
information you have obtained by reading annual reports, trade literature, etc. For example: "I
understand XYZ is planning to expand its foreign market. I am completing an international
business degree and am very interested in this expansion. It seems a very progressive move.
May I have 20 minutes of your time to discuss it?" Indicate your desire to meet with them even
if they have no positions currently available in their department. Some job seekers find it
useful to state that they will be looking for jobs in the near future, but are now just gathering
information about organizations. Do not expect to be interviewed for a job at this juncture
 During your appointments with department managers, emphasize your knowledge and interest
in their organizations.

Always follow up all interviews with thank-you letters, phone calls, and, when appropriate,
resumes that have been revised based on information and suggestions provided by managers.

Even if managers have no positions available, once they have had a personal interaction with
you, they may think of you the next time they have, or hear of, an appropriate opening. It is
critical to stay in touch with these managers, at least on a bi-monthly basis.

Many job seekers have used informational interviewing to create new positions by identifying
organizational needs (through the interview, research, etc.) and proposing these needs be filled
with their own skills.

D. Follow-Up and Record Keeping

No matter what job search strategies you choose, follow-up and record keeping are important for
success. Maintain a careful record of all interviews, thank-you notes sent, referrals made and
follow-up actions. Job seekers who fail to maintain this information often lose valuable contacts as
well as credibility with prospective employers. There are models for keeping such records in the
various job search manuals in the Resource Room.

E. Be Persistent
Job searching is hard work and there are times when you will get discouraged. But if you keep up
with it, you can avoid feeling anxious and will actually have more energy. If your search is not
producing the results that you would like, avoid blaming yourself and try a new strategy. Do not be
reluctant to submit your credentials on more than one occasion to an organization for which you
would like to work. This attitude demonstrates your enthusiasm and interest.

JOB SEARCH WEBSITES:

Keuka Storm Tracker—Keuka's own online
Storm Tracker www.keuka.edu/stormtracker job, Field Period, work study, and volunteer
search engine.
Search jobs and post your resume for
Monster.com www.monster.com
employers to view.
USA Jobs www.usajobs.gov Explore Federal job listings.
America's Job bank for positions all over the United
www.ajb.dni.us
JobBank States. Search by keyword or zip code.
NYS Department Job listings for NY state.
www.labor.state.ny.us
of Labor
Career Builder jobs.careerbuilder.com Online job search engine.
National recruiting network and suite of web
NACE Link www.keuka.edu/experiential/careerser
based recruiting and career services automation
Network vices/NACElink.html
tools.
Online finance and communications job and
Vault www.vault.com
career information site.
Directory of national and global online
Newspapers www.dailyearth.com
newspapers.
Arts www.artsopportunities.org Art jobs and resources.
Business www.careers-in-business.com Business career fields information and links.

American Society for Clinical Laboratory

Clinical Science www.ascls.org
Science.
Communications www.talentzoo.com Talent Zoo
Criminal Justice www.policeemployment.com Local and federal law enforcement jobs.
Environmental www.environmentalcareer.com Environmental job postings and information.
Higher Education www.higheredjobs.com Jobs in higher education.
Higher Education chronicle.com/jobs Jobs in higher education.
History www.historians.org AHA history jobs and resources.
Law www.lawjobs.com Careers in law, other law-related resources.
Mathematics www.math-jobs.com/us Math Jobs U.S.
Nonprofit www.idealist.org Non-profit jobs and internships.
Nursing www.nursingjobs.com Nursing opportunities.
Occupational American Occupational Therapy Association
www.otjoblink.org
Therapy (AOTA).
Political Science www.apsanet.org APSA—networking a world of scholars.
Psychology www.psyccareers.com Psychology careers.
Science www.sciencejobs.com/splash.action Premier solution for science recruitment.
Sign Language www.aslta.org ASLTA
Job site for all types of social services
Social Services www.socialservice.com
positions.
Teaching www.-teachers-teachers.com Teaching jobs and resources.
Teaching NEA National Teacher's Association.
www.nea.org/jobsearch/archive.html
Resources
Teaching www.k12jobs.com Teaching and administrative positions.
Theatre & Drama www.theatrejobs.com Theatre job listings.

APPLYING FOR JOBS

Before applying for a job, be sure you know and can communicate your knowledge, skills, and experience
that are relevant to the position you are applying for. Your ability to successfully portray these items is
important since your application is often your first impression for an employer or recruiter. Here are some
helpful hints when applying for jobs:

 Proofread! Be sure that there are absolutely no spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors on any
documents. It is a good idea to have at least two other people look over your materials.
 Follow directions. Send all documents mentioned in the application instructions. Leaving anything
out reflects lack of attention to detail.
 Cover letters are a must. A cover letter should always accompany your resume, even if the
application instructions do not request a cover letter. It shows good manners and business etiquette
while portraying to the employer the purpose of your resume.
 Use PDF, not DOC. When sending documents to an employer or recruiter, save them in PDF form so
that no formatting issues (i.e., different default margins, unaccepted fonts, etc.) occur.
 Use e-mail etiquette. When communicating with employers or recruiters via e-mail, treat each e-mail
as a professional letter. Do not use internet slang, check for mistakes, and maintain professionalism.
 Use a catchy subject line. Be sure to include the job title or job code if you are applying for a specific
job via e-mail. If you are inquiring about the possibility of openings, state this in the subject line. You
must have relevant information in the subject line to avoid it getting thrown out as junk mail.
FOLLOW UP
Following up with contacts, recruiters, employers, etc. is vital. It demonstrates a sense of professionalism,
courtesy, and perseverance. Thank you letters, phone calls, or some type of correspondence should take
place after:
 A job interview
 An informational interview
 A contact has helped you/provided you with information
 Someone was extremely helpful to you at a career fair
 You visit a contact at their work site
 Anyone you wish to express thanks to and/or develop a relationship with

You should follow up with hiring personnel within two weeks of sending in application materials and
within 24 hours of an interview. Thank you letters can be typed, handwritten, or e-mailed. Hard copy
letters are the most formal and are always appropriate after an interview. Handwritten letters are more
personal, and can be appropriate for brief notes to a variety of individuals you met during an interview or
who may have helped you in other ways. E-mail is appropriate when that has been your method of contact
with the person you want to thank, or if your contact has expressed a preference for e-mail, or if you want
to send a quick thank you to be followed up by hard copy.

The process of finding a job can seem like a job in itself; it is a lengthy, intricate, time-consuming
process that requires motivation, persistence, and a lot of work. If you would like assistance with
any part of your job search, please contact the Center for Experiential Learning at (315) 279-5274
or experiential@mail.keuka.edu. Also, refer to the Resume & Cover Letter Guide and the Interview
Guide. Good luck!