Effective Career Search Strategies

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Effective Career Search Strategies

• Michael Penwell, Career Advisor
• Office of Career Services
• Lycoming College
• www.lycoming.edu/careerservices
• careerservices_at_lycoming.edu
• Phone [phone] Fax [phone]

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Career Search Strategies

• Are you prepared?
• Self-assessment
• Resume
• Cover letter
• References
• Company/Agency Research

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Career Search Strategies

• Know your skills / Know yourself
• Develop a clear job objective
• Research career fields
• Generating a career match
• personal/professional skills, interests, values
• career requirements - responsibilities, required
  skills, salary, hours worked

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Define Your Ideal Job

• Skills you want to use?
• Knowledge and experience you possess?
• Salary?
• Level of responsibility?
• Preferences?
• Type of people
• Type of work environment

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Skills Assessment

• Self-management skills
• Transferable skills

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What Employers Want

• Desired Skills
• Interpersonal
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Computer skills
• Problem-solving
• Oral communication
• Written communication

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What Employers Want

• Level of education
• Work experience
• Internship experience

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What Employers Want

• Desired Personal Characteristics
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Motivation
• Initiative
• Self-confidence
• Enthusiasm
• Flexibility

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Sources for finding a job
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Job Seeking Methods

• Informal Networking
• Help Wanted Ads
• Employment Agencies
• Other

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Informal Networking

• Informal networking (63)
• Family
• Friends, acquaintances
• Teachers, Professors
• Neighbors
• Previous employers
• Club, activity group members

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Help Wanted Ads

• Newspapers (delivered and online)
• Professional, Trade journals
• Self-advertisement
• Online job search engines!

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Employment Agencies

• Job service agencies
• Employment agencies
• Government offices
• Chamber of Commerce
• Small Business Administration

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Miscellaneous

• Phone directories
• Industrial directories
• Local library
• Internet, internet, internet!

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Online Career Services

• Company websites
• Industry job websites
• Regional job websites
• Professional groups
• -ex. American History Association
• General job search sites
• -ex. MonsterTrak.com, experience.com

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Services we offer you _at_ Lyco!

• Career Advising with yours truly!
• Career Interest Assessments
• Resume and Cover Letter review
• Campus programming

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Researching Prospective Employers

• Info
• Contact information
• Revenue and earnings
• Value ratings
• Employee perceptions
• Main competitors
• Products and services (strengths weaknesses)
• Current company or industry news/events
• Market trends and job security

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Researching Prospective Employers

• Info
• Company description
• Key people
• Geographic locations
• Parent or subsidiary information

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Effective Career Search Strategies

• Job Searching can be a full-time job in itself
• Schedule two interviews per day
• An interview is defined as any communication with
  someone who can assist you in locating
  employment.
• Follow-up on all contacts

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What questions do you have?

• Let us help you explore this exciting time!
• Set up an appointment with us by
• -email Careerservices_at_lycoming.edu
• -phone [phone]
• -Walk-in