Networking Remember that many jobs are found through networking. To access this hidden job market, you need to network with your friends, professionals, professors/instructors and relatives. These contacts should become the beginning of your network. Your goal is to make a list of these people and use your contacts to begin and expand your career network. • Remember, you increase your chances of finding a job by increasing your contacts. • Current employees and senior managers of an organization are more likely to pass your resume along to friends in the business, thereby multiplying your leads. If your education prepared you for a specialized field, contact everyone you know in that field including your professors/instructors, who may be working in your area of interest and have contacts to share with you. For example, if your major and job interest is in accounting, develop a list of accounting firms or companies using accountants who are known to you, your family, friends or professors/instructors. Contact these people and tell them you are interested in a job in their field. If they do not have an opportunity for you, ask them if they can refer you. Always ask your contacts for permission to use their name when applying. Utilize Contacts with Alumni Consider joining and becoming active in your college’s alumni association to expand your networking contacts. After all, you can assume that most of the members are already employed and may have contacts in your field of interest. Below is an example of successful networking: One young man, a business student, mentioned to a neighbor that he was looking for a job. Two days later, the neighbor’s friend, a manager who was looking for a manager trainee, called the
Evaluating Your Employment Needs and Preferences For you to be successful in any position, it not only has to be a good fit with your skills but also a good fit with your needs. When selecting positions to apply for, you need to know what is important to you about a job. Circle your answers to the following questions: • Do you prefer a small business or a large corporation? • Do you prefer a structured environment or one that is fast-paced? • Do you need a company that is accessible to public transportation? Yes No • What is the distance you are willing to travel? 0–15 miles 16–30 miles • Are you willing to work in downtown Pittsburgh? Yes No • Do you need a flexible schedule? Yes No • What benefits are most important to you?
– Tuition assistance – Health insurance – Vacation/paid time off/sick leave – 401(k)/retirement plan • In what atmosphere do you thrive best? Professional Casual • Are you willing to work: – Nights/evenings
– Overnight – Weekends – Holidays
• Which would you prefer: Working for a start-up company or an organization that is established? • Are you interested in a set salary or a performance-based salary? • How will this position balance with your other life priorities, such as family and further education? All these questions should be considered during the job search and when you are seeking a position. As your job search progresses, your needs may change, which may result in adapting your job search to fit these changes. As you begin networking and developing contacts in your job search, keep your needs in mind.
student and asked him to come in for an interview and subsequently hired him.
Start to develop a list of people to network with in your career search. Make a list of five people you will contact to start networking. (List the person’s name, company, position, date of contact, telephone number, email address and result.)
4 CCAC Job Search Manual
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