What's the job market like today? There's
good news and bad news. For experienced hires, there's
a good market right now. Newly formed companies are looking
for talent with a lot of experience. Business services
companies in the outsourcing field are
bullish in their hiring of qualified, experienced employees.
For the new hire right out of college, things can
be confusing: some surveys say that there will be 35% fewer jobs for college graduates in the coming years. Others maintain
that employers will hire 13% more college graduates in the
next several years. Therefore, to get the
job you want, you need to maximize every step in your job search
with a focused approach.
What makes an effective job search? Start with a plan, use your college's
career center, decide on an industry and on companies to
target in that industry. Build a well-written,
competent resume that crisply describes your educational background
and any work experience and extracarricular activities. Practice
interview skills and techniques. Dress like a professional
for those critical interviews. Develop a portfolio of
useful contacts among your parents' colleagues, associates, friends,
neighbors, and cultivate that network for information-gathering
and for leads. Research companies you're interested in. Gather
information that tells you about the company you're
interested in, and helps you to understand
what it takes to be successful in that first year on the job.
How do I make Career / Job Fairs work for me? Career /Job Fairs are of two types. One will be
organized by your school and take place on your campus. There
may be 25-30 companies in attendance and perhaps 300 students.
The other type is sponsored by various companies and advertised
in major newspapers. It will take place in a convention
center or sports arena. There may be as many as 50-60
companies present and often up to 2,000 job seekers.
Preparation is your key to success.
Have a game plan. Focus on 5-6 companies. Research
them thoroughly in advance. Spend time on the employment
page of their web sites. Do not just wander from booth
to booth at the fair. It wastes time for you and the recruiters.
Make sure your one page resume is clear and readable,
all spelling is correct, and formatting is consistent.
Bring 10-12 copies in a manila folder so that you
can easily hand over a copy of your resume without fumbling
through a backpack or briefcase.
Prepare a 30 second introduction for yourself that tells
the recruiter about you and why you’re interested
in that company. Rehearse it thoroughly so that it
sounds natural and brief when you deliver it.
Dress professionally. That means jacket and tie
for men, business dress or jacket and skirt or slacks for
women, shoes shined. No smoking, no gum chewing, no eating
when you meet the recruiters.
Try to control any nervousness. Stand firmly but
comfortably. No rocking back and forth on your feet, no
fidgeting with your hands. Clasp one hand in the
other, after you’ve
shaken hands with the recruiter, if you’re worried
about nervous fidgeting.
Get the recruiter’s business card if you’re
interested in a company. Ask the recruiter about
next steps and ask permission to follow up with them. Then
do so by sending a brief letter within the next business
week. Always look for next steps. Always show initiative.
Then follow up the letter with a phone call.
If you use a voice mail service, make sure that your
message sounds business-like and terse. No long announcements
with musical background, please.
What about using recruiters? Recruiters normally don't give the time of day to
college seniors and newly minted grads, unless they are campus
recruiters representing companies that visit your
campus.
In addition to campus recruiters, there are two
other kinds of recruiters. It's useful to know something about
them.
1. Retained search recruiters: You will hear the names
of their firms often: Korn Ferry, Ward Howell, Russell Reynolds
are examples. These firms recruit almost exclusively
at senior, very experienced levels, for top jobs. They
are called retained search recruiters because they
receive a guaranteed fee or retainer from the company that
is their client, for finding suitable candidates. They
do not work for the job seeker. They represent their
client, the company looking to fill a senior position.
2. Contingency recruiters: There are many of these,
from small one and two person operations to offices with 30-40
recruiters. These recruiters usually try to fill mid-level
or more junior positions. They are called contingency recruiters
because they receive a fee only if their candidate
is hired by a company.
Statistics tell us that recruiters usually know
of only about 5% of the jobs out there, so you must use other
sources and tools.
What about Internet job boards like Monster?
Like recruiters, job boards know only a small percentage
of the jobs in the marketplace. Like recruiters, they
are swamped with resumes and inquiries about each job they
post but since they do everything on the web, they will receive
thousands of inquiries and resumes where a recruiter may get
hundreds.
Job boards can teach you very quickly which "buzz
words" companies' search engines are scanning for in resumes,
and the job boards' websites often provide good advice on how
to build a good resume and navigate the job market.
However, job hunters often develop a false sense of security
that they're doing everything possible to get that first job
by regularly checking the job boards and submitting their resumes.
What's the best way to get started?
Get coaching on how to build and execute a focused job search. You and/or
your parents have paid a lot of money to get you that college education. Sometimes
a few dollars more invested in getting the right kind of advice can do a world
of good. Companies like Fundamental Shift can provide you with the tools,
the roadmap, and the discipline to improve your job search.
