Uncovering Job Prospects 

By Thomas J. Denham

Director

Siena College Career Center

 

Often job seekers hit a roadblock in the process of searching for their ideal career. “I've written my resume and my cover letter is coming along, but now what do I do?” is a common dilemma for many. If you have completed the self-assessment stage carefully, you will have defined your geographic area of preference and career field of preference. Now it's time to target all the employers in that geographic area who hire for those types of jobs. Here are some tips to get you started in this vital step in the process:

Determine the information you need. Some key points that you will want to discover might include: the mission and corporate philosophy, the size of the firm, potential growth of industry/field, company short and long-term outlook, type of people they employ, training, products/services, major competitors, types of jobs, turnover, salary ranges, and current news events.

Organize your prospecting. As you begin to uncover people and places to send your resume, develop a checklist chart to keep track of your progress. Create a spreadsheet, database or index cards with headings including: Name of Employer, Contact Person, Address/Phone, Date Sent Resume, Follow-up Call Date, Interview Date, Thank You Note, and finally, Offer. This way you have a written record of the action you have taken with each contact. Staying organized also will give you a better sense of the number of resumes you have sent out.

Research the career field, the employer and the job. Companies perceive your research into these three areas as critical in evaluating an applicant's interest, initiative and savvy. The purpose is to gather information to determine if the career field, employer and job are a good match, and to identify the needs of the firm for better marketing of your background. This will also give you increased confidence when answering questions in the interview.

Think in terms of three types of potential employers. You will want to consider your job search in terms of: 1) reach/ideal employers - hard to get into firms; 2) middle companies - where you will probably get an interview; and 3) employers that you would consider as safeties.

Approach job prospecting as a project. Since searching for places to send your resume will not come to you overnight, be sure you commit time to this project. You will need to put together a regular reading program of relevant books, newspapers, industry or trade publications, annual reports, employers' sales/marketing brochures, magazines and periodicals. You'll get out of this project exactly what you put into it.

 

Identify places to find job leads. No single source will have everything you need. Your first stop should be your city library. For example, The Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar , New York , has a Career Resource Center . This type of library within a library has directories, reference books, professional association information, job binders and someone on staff to answer some of your quick questions. The Career Center at your alma mater or local community college is another resource. They may be able to advise you of the recruiters they are working with.

Utilize electronic resources to acquire new prospects. Since the vast majority of employers have a presence on the Internet, the Web is an important tool in investigating companies and can help you to apply for the various career opportunities available. The Siena College Career Center web site at http://www.siena.edu/careercenter has sections including “Job by Geographic Region” “Jobs by Career Field” and “Employers Online” that have hundreds of links that can serve as a one stop online resource for job prospecting.

 

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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