In the spirit of the Olympic games, we want to introduce you to something we like to call “job search olympics.” The athletes in the Olympics who are the most successful are those who prepare the most, build upon their strengths, and set realistic goals. By following the steps below, as well as others suggested by your Career Services Office, you can separate yourself from the competition and become the Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt of job search success.
- “Bump…Set…Spike” (Volleyball): This job search process has three main parts: assess, prepare, and act. Start by assessing your values, skills, strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and work criteria (e.g. who are you and what are you looking for). By knowing yourself, you will be able to approach the job search with greater confidence and clarity.
Second, prepare yourself for a successful job search by knowing how, where, and with whom to network. In addition, develop a résumé and cover letter that is customized to each position and organization you are interested in (e.g. know your opponent).
Lastly, apply and interview for positions that match your qualifications. We may not all be the best setter or striker, as long as you meet the “essential qualifications or skills” they are seeking you will be successful. By knowing the position description, yourself, and your résumé, and practicing with a career counselor or through Interview Stream you’ll be able to adapt to any question.
- “Pace Yourself” (Track): You may have heard that the job search is a full-time job, but if you go into a full-time job working 60-80 hours a week, you will burn out very quickly. My recommendation is to pace yourself. The average job search can take between 4-6 months (6-8 for government positions). Consider taking the “deck of cards” approach. Grab a deck of cards — including jokers — and shuffle the deck. For this tool, cards have their face values and aces = one and Jacks, Queens, and Kings = 10. For each day of your job search, flip over a single card from the deck. Whatever value it reads is the number of positions or networking connections you will make that day (or week). If you happen to flip over a joker, you have earned yourself a day off! No matter the strategy…remember to pace yourself and avoid job search burnout; finish the race strong!
- “Making a Big Splash in the Candidate Pool” (Swimming): If you have ever attended a career fair you most likely heard at least once (if not multiple times) the phrase “apply through our website.” Employers (or recruiters) tend to use this for traffic control…helping streamline candidates interested in their organization. A recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers asked employers how to make an electronic application outstanding — here is what they recommended:
- Follow directions. Be careful to enter the correct data in the correct field. (Don’t swim out of your lane)
- Tailor your application information to the position. Don’t copy and paste text from your generic résumé. Use the verbiage in the job description as your model. Employers search on key words when they’re looking for people to fill specific positions.
- Include numbers and statistics (quantify) in your application, if applicable. For example: counted five cash drawers daily; responsible for more than $10,000 per 8-hour shift.
- Make sure your résumé can hold its own in a very simple format. Fancy bullets, text, italics, and bold do not convert well in an electronic application. Also, don’t forget to spell check and grammar check your application before submitting it — it will be the employer’s first impression of you.
- Follow-up your electronic application with a personal email to the recruiter. A follow-up phone call is acceptable if the job description does not say, “no phone calls.”
Remember — stay focused, compete, and know your competition…go for the gold!
