Module 26

Researching Jobs

Module Overview

Many students wait until the last minute to begin searching for a job. In fact, some students graduate with no clue about finding the right job—one that allows them to best use their skills in an organization they want to work for. The fact that the job market at the end of the 20^th century and beginning of the 21^st was robust may also have given students the illusion that finding a job takes little or no effort or skill.

In an ideal world, the job search process would begin before students ever set foot on a college campus. Students would have a sense of their likes and dislikes, as well as their aptitudes and abilities. They would combine this knowledge with what lifestyles they hope to live and then take the appropriate coursework. Students would also intern or find jobs while in school to give them practical knowledge in the field. Lastly, they would seek mentors and cultivate networks to guide them in their studies and career moves.

Well, that’s the ideal world; reality is likely the opposite. For some students, the job application process means creating a generic résumé and cover letter, making a hundred photocopies, and sending them out to as many companies as they have stamps for. (Some career counselors even teach this approach.) Instead of this “shotgun” methodology, students would likely fare better treating the job search as an ongoing, proactive process, one that begins with research.

Research drives job hunting. Potential employees must understand what they have to offer and compare that information to what is needed in the marketplace. They should also learn everything they can about their fields and companies they hope to work for. Armed with this knowledge, the applicant can often avoid many problems people with little knowledge encounter.

þ What do I need to know about myself to job hunt?

Your knowledge, skills, abilities, interests, and values.

Knowing what you want from a job and what you have to offer is critical to the job hunting process. Doing so includes asking questions such as

· What achievements have given you the most satisfaction? Why did you enjoy them?

· Would you rather have firm deadlines or a flexible schedule? Do you prefer working alone or with other people? Do you prefer specific instructions and standards for evaluation or freedom and uncertainty? How comfortable are you with pressure? Are you willing to "pay your dues" for several years before you are promoted? How much challenge do you want?

· Are you willing to take work home? To travel? How important is money to you? Prestige? Time to spend with family and friends?

· Where do you want to live? What features in terms of weather, geography, and cultural and social life do you see as ideal?

· Is it important to you that your work achieve certain purposes or values, or do you see work as "just a way to make a living"? Are the organization's culture and ethical standards important to you?

Simply understanding these issues is not enough. Students should also investigate the marketplace—locally, nationally, and, increasingly, internationally—to understand trends, now and in the future.

þ What do I need to know about companies that might hire me?

As much as you can!

Sometimes job applicants arbitrarily choose which organization to apply to. Many students gravitate to organizations simply because they are large, well known, or convenient to where they want to live.

Students would likely fair better, though, in the job search if they examined organizations more closely, especially information about working at the company. Applicants should know

· What the job itself involves.

· The name and address of the person who should receive an application letter.

· What the organization does and at least four or five facts about it.

· Market share

· Competitive position

· New products, services, or promotions

· The kind of computer or manufacturing equipment the company uses

· Plans for growth or downsizing

· Challenges the organization faces

· The corporate culture

þShould I do information interviews?

They’ll help any job hunter. They’re crucial if you’re not sure what you want to do.

Information interviews are great ways to learn about jobs and organizations—and for a student to get his or her “foot in the door.” Students can especially benefit from information interviews because many organizations and potential employers are sympathetic to helping students in their education. Therefore, the same organization that might avoid such interviews after the student graduates may be more than willing to see the student while he or she is in school.

The length of the information interview depends on how much time the interviewee is willing to give, though many information interviews are no more than 15-30 minutes. Where possible, students should meet the interviewee at the actual worksite, though some may combine the interview with lunch. Many interviewees also give students a quick tour of the worksite.

Information interviews can

· Let you know whether or not you'd like the job.

· Give you specific information that you can use to present yourself effectively in your résumé and application letter.

· Create a good image of you in the mind of the interviewer, so that he or she thinks well of you when openings arise.

During the interview, students should introduce themselves to the interviewee and learn as much as possible about the job and the company. Students must also remember that the purpose of the interview is to get information, not to ask for a job. Students should make sure they don’t mislead the person granting the interview by showing up expecting a job interview.

Effective questions during the interview include

· Tell me about the papers on your desk. What are you working on right now?

· How do you spend your typical day?

· Have your duties changed a lot since you first started working here?

· What do you like best about your job? What do you like least?

· What do you think the future holds for this kind of work?

· How did you get this job?

· What courses, activities, or jobs would you recommend to someone who wanted to do this kind of work?

þ What is the “hidden job market”? How do I tap into it?

The “hidden market” is composed of jobs that are never advertised.

Referral interviews and prospecting letters can help you find it.

Many of the best jobs in the marketplace are never advertised. In fact, students with special skills—such as those in high-tech fields—may even find organizations willing to create new jobs that use the special skills they have to offer. Jobs such as these are part of the “hidden job market.”

Students can tap the hidden job market in several ways. Holding information interviews is a start. A second kind of interview—the referral interview—is another. In referral interviews, job seekers meet with people they know or who are in their field to find out what jobs are available. The goal is to create a network of contacts who can tell the job seeker about opportunities.

Referral interviews can start as information interviews. However, as with information interviews, job seekers must make it clear that they are not asking for a job—just for information about what jobs might be available.

þ What do I do if I have a major weakness?

Address the employer’s fears, calmly and positively.

For some students, entering the job market requires special consideration because of life events or situations. These can include:

· “All my experience is in my family's business.”

· “I've been out of the job market for a while.”

· “I want to change fields.”

· “I was fired.”

· “I don't have any experience.”

· “I'm a lot older than they want.”