Emerson College

Job Search Process

BEGINNING YOUR JOB SEARCH

Not many people realize that one needs to be prepared to begin a job search. Following is what you need to have in place before you even start applying for opportunities:

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Understand what types of positions you want to pursue and what skills you have to offer. Career Services offers appointments, self-assessment tools, and resources to help with this process

Know where you’d like to be geographically

Know what kind of work environment you would like to be a part of

Understand the minimum salary requirements that would be suitable to support your monthly expenses (bills, loans, etc.)

STRONG TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Prepare to be proactive about fitting different aspects of the job search process into your busy schedule

Set aside time each week to focus on job search strategies; it may be helpful to keep a calendar or daily planner on hand

GENERAL BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

Have a solid draft of your resume developed
This can and should be tailored to specific positions as you begin to apply. It helps to get as much feedback as you can on your resume – Career Services has a resume review service, and our Career Advisors are happy to address resume writing concepts and best practices in individual appointments

Create a solid draft of a cover letter that can be customized to fit specific positions

CONDUCTING THE SEARCH

Once you have prepared for your job search, you are ready to begin targeting specific employers for certain opportunities. General components of this process are listed below. However, these elements do not need to be approached in the order listed. It is very likely that you could be in between search cycles for different positions – for example, you could be interviewing for one position and tailoring a resume for another. All of these components are dynamic – these processes are ongoing and do not stop until your goal of securing a job is reached. Typical elements can and will include:

RESEARCH/KNOWLEDGE

  • Be well-versed in the industry you are entering, the jobs you would like to secure and companies that capture your interest. Refer to Career Services’ online job and industry guides. Also, browse through hard copies of industry-specific guides in the Career Services resource library, at 216 Tremont Street, 6th floor.

CUSTOMIZED RESUME & COVER LETTER ( Resume Writing; Cover Letter Writing)

  • Companies like to see targeted attention – be sure to relate your skills as best you can to the position requirements they seek

INTERVIEWING SKILLS (Employment Interviewing)

  • Informational interviews with alumni and/or industry professionals are a good practice ground
  • Career Services also provides a mock interview service. Email for an appointment

NETWORKING SKILLS (Networking; Informational Interviewing)

  • Roughly 2/3 of all jobs are filled by networking
  • Build your networking community by attending industry related events (these can be on-campus, through professional organizations, or career fairs)
  • Be visible to personal and professional contacts by maintaining contact every few months; stay in touch with internship supervisors, faculty members and other friends/family members who have been invested in your career development

HOW TO SUPPLEMENT YOUR SEARCH

Listed above are the general components of a typical job search. You can add more depth to your search by using some of these approaches:

JOIN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

READ INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS

Become well-versed on industry trends; know what is going on in the industry. Who are the up-and-comers? Who are the movers and shakers? Who are the trend-setters?

Most publications dedicated to specialized industries list job opportunities in the back sections.

The Emerson College library maintains a number of periodical databases you can use to search for publications by category. Ulrich's International Directory of Periodicals is a great starting point.

SUBSCRIBE TO ONLINE NEWSLETTERS

Many industry organizations have specialized newsletters that are sent on a regular basis that focus on related trends and these include job postings (most subscriptions are free and can be found on an organizations home page. Example: Ed2010.com sends out a daily e-mail that features buzz about the goings-on in the magazine world, along with dozens of job and internship openings.

NETWORK ONLINE

Become a member of an online networking community; these communities are based on the theory of “six degrees of separation” – we are connected to everyone in some way, shape or form. Most members are asked to join at someone else’s invitation; you can also sign up on your own.

You can search for those who have similar interests/professions as you. Some examples include: LinkedIn.com; Friendster.com; Spoke and EntreMate.

When it comes to job openings, it is important to take into consideration that your success with business networking Web sites depends on the word-of-mouth information you receive. The people you're connected to determine what you find out.

JOB SEARCH TIPS

Although it may seem like a time saver, do not send out the same cover letter and resume to multiple employers, only to differentiate them by changing the recipient’s name; this is obvious to the search committee, and does not help you stand out from the crowd.

After applying for a position, always follow up to check on the status of your submission and to see where the search committee is in the hiring cycle. Do not call the Hiring Manager if the job description specifies “No Phone Calls.”

Establishing a professional network can be intimidating – focus on developing relationships that will be meaningful for both parties; Seek out people who have common interests and who you can look up to as a mentor and will want to be involved in your career development. Simply asking people in your network for a job will not contribute to an ongoing relationship (Networking)

Develop a “30 second commercial” that describes your skills and how you plan to use them for a particular position – this can help you in both interviewing and networking situations. JobWeb.com ("So Tell Me About Yourself") and CollegeGrad.com ("The Thirty-Second Elevator Pitch Technique") have great advice about what preparing to “pitch” yourself to employers.

Keep an address book of professional contacts you meet

Before filing business cards, write a couple of notes on the back so you can have a reference point for further conversations.