Get That Job!

Career Services Directors Offer Advice

By Mary Chapman

Particularly in this economy, landing that perfect job takes all the know-how you can muster. As such, who knows more about job-search strategies than college career services directors? After all, these are people who hear directly from students and recruiters, and who understand market trends. However, they all have individual approaches and ideas about what works, and what doesn't. Check out what each of them has to say about how you should go about nabbing that dream job.

 

Marcia Robinson
Director for the Center for Career and Professional Development
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

"Pump up your attitude, rejuvenate your connections and flex your job-search muscles, and you will be successful."

Advice: Be open to industries you might not have thought about and try to make the distinction between your major and your career. Although the urge might be great to "take anything," be cautious and look for organizations that offer long-term career opportunities – not just a job.

Recommended Resources:

Fortune Magazine's Top 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2008, Black Collegian Magazine's Top 100 list, jobweb.com (find and join a professional association), "The Leadership Challenge" by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner; http://bullseyeresumes.blogspot.com.

William Carson
Director, Center for Career Development
Morgan State University

"Persistence is crucial. Be optimistic with a big splash of realism!"

Advice: The most important thing is researching the job and employer. The job process is also a marketing process. It is almost impossible to market a product (you, the job candidate) effectively unless you have a clear understanding of what the consumer (the employer) is willing to buy. Take an inventory of what you have to offer. As such, the resume is your primary marketing tool. Its primary objective is to get you an interview. So, you should have more than one version of your resume if you are going to be applying for more than one type of position. Avoid using "resume wizards" or other templates provided in popular software packages. The formats are usually poor and inflexible.

Once you have identified a company you might be interested in, develop a plan of attack. Maintain good records of where you've made contacts, what the outcomes were, and when you need to follow up. Remember, too, when asked what kind of job you are looking for, the answer is not the same as your major, unless it's a professional career like accounting. There is no occupation called political science.

Recommended Resources:

Web sites:
www.ThurgoodMarshallFund.org, jobpostings.net, careerbuilder.com

Davita Bonner
Director, Career Services
Bethune-Cookman University

"Networking is essential to success in landing a new position."

Advice: Students and recent graduates should utilize their college's career center on a regular basis, and establish a good rapport with advisers and other faculty. It's also very important to attend career information sessions, even when you don't think a company has what you're looking for. You may be pleasantly surprised. Students should also brush up on and practice interviewing skills. In addition, they should prepare a polished, updated resume, and disseminate it to a variety of prospective employers. Have a professional examine your resume for errors and structural issues. Be versatile in your job search.

Recommended Resources: Careerbuilder.com and MonsterTRAK.com.

Gwendolyn Young
Director of Career Planning and Placement
Allen University

"You are the master of your fate, therefore, walk boldly into your future. Dream big. If you believe in yourself, continually strive to achieve by reaching beyond your grasp, your dreams can, and will, come true."

Advice: As students move through the early years of college, we urge career exploration and experiential learning that will develop and broaden skills that employers look for. As students become more focused in their junior and senior years the job search becomes a continual proactive process of setting goals, studying the marketplace and targeting companies and job openings that are compatible with your training, experience and passion.

When looking for that ideal job draw on the work you have done – an internship, a volunteer effort or some community activity – and be sure to put it on your resume. Make sure you have an attention-getting cover letter, and you're on your way. If you have worked smart, your experiences have not only built a skills base, but have created a network of contacts to which you can turn for job leads. Envision how your training applies in a variety of work settings. Don't limit yourself to those jobs obviously linked to your major. Arrange informational interviews to learn more about potential employers.

When you land an interview, prepare as if you were stepping onstage to deliver a performance. Demonstrate interest, competence and self confidence. Present yourself as the consummate professional from the way you communicate to the traditional, tasteful dark business suit you will wear.

Recommended Resources: The book, "What Color is Your Parachute."

Teresa Simpson
Director, Career and Testing Center
Lamar University

"Success is a journey, not a destination."

Advice: Beginning as freshmen, students must build a strategic plan for career development. Even a part-time job will make students more marketable for opportunities that will eventually transition into professional offers. We teach that even a part-time job is more than a part-time job. It's about building relationships, and making sure you get all you can from that job. Being strategic stands you a better chance of job placement than just going into the career services office your senior year. If you wait that long you risk limiting opportunities.

So many companies are going into behavioral-type interviews, where recruiters ask more open-ended questions designed to elicit an overall impression. The days of sitting across from a recruiter and he or she asking what your strengths and weaknesses are, and expecting brief answers, are over. Nowadays they might ask something like, "Give me an example of when you've been in a leadership role and were forced to overcome a personal weakness, and the outcome was positive." They want to visually have you take them through those efforts in order to give them a sense of your confidence and ability.

Recommended Resources: Collegeboard.com, Vault.com, experience.com and collegegrad.com.

Karen Rutherford
Director of Career Services
Benedict College 

"Be flexible, and ready."

Advice: Some students say they only want this or that job, but be open. A job offer may not be in your major initially, but if you do well you can get to know people and eventually get something in your major. You also may need to be flexible in terms of environment. Everybody wants to go to Atlanta and Charlotte, but that may not work this time. Early on, you need to be flexible with pay, too. 

Start looking for jobs early, but don't just look. Too often students start but don't complete the application process. Follow all the way through. I'll ask students, "What happened with your application? They say, ‘Oh, I don't know. I haven't heard back.' " Well, find out. And remember, even in this technological age, it's often still who you know. Go to career fairs, network. 

Recommended Resources: Black Collegian Magazine, your college placement center, the Urban League, NAACP, and federal Web sites. 

Cheryl Peek
Director of Career Services
Calumet College of St. Joseph 

"Job seekers should treat their job search like a job."

Advice:  Be committed to finding the job for you. It is not enough to wait a few months before graduation and send out a few resumes, or to make a few calls a week or every few weeks. Beginning in your junior year you should devote time each week to job-search activities. Network, network, network. This can't be stressed enough. Education is not always the primary key to career success. Sometimes, who you know can be as important as what you know.

If you are having trouble getting interviews with the larger, more well-known companies, try applying to a quality, smaller organization. These companies are also looking for good talent, and unlike many large companies, can often offer more in-depth experience and room to grow.

Recommended Resources: The Web sites collegegrad.com, jobbankusa.com, hotjobs.com, bestjobsusa.com, wetfeet.com, firstgov.gov and getthejob.com. Also, these books: "Networking for Job Search and Career Success" by L. Michelle Tullier, "Best Jobs for the 21st Century" by Michael Farr, "Guide to Internet Job Searching" by Margaret Riley and Frances E. Roehm, "100 Best Careers for the 21st Century" by Shelly Field, and "101 Best Cover Letters," by Block and Betrus.

Dava Snell
Career Development Counselor, Career Services
Troy University 

"Find one thing that you truly feel passionate about. If you go with your gut instinct and really put yourself out there, you are on the right track for a perfect professional career. Never be afraid to just ask for what you want." 

Advice: Always look at each job posting and consider what aspects are most important to that company. Every company has different values, hopes and requirements for prospective employees. If you read the job description carefully you can tailor your resume to that company. It's also important to research companies, not only to see if the company is right for you, but to impress recruiters during interviews. Charm is key! 

Recommended Resources: Troy University uses Ecampus Recruiter. 

Timia Trower Whittaker
Associate Director of Career Planning and Placement
Allen University

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

Advice: Dressing well and impressively introducing yourself are important for a successful interview. Dress conservatively, though. Don't try to be fashion forward. Classic styles are always best. Men should wear a dark, solid, navy blue or dark gray suit with a white shirt and dark tie. Stay away from bow ties and short sleeves. Shoes should be tie-ups, not slip-ons. Wear little to no jewelry (men should not wear earrings to interviews). Hair should be neat and professional.

Ladies should wear a dark-colored skirt or pants suit with a modest, coordinated blouse. The skirt should be at or below the knee so that sitting is comfortable. Wear conservative, closed-toed pumps with one or two-inch heels, and neutral-colored pantyhose. Limit jewelry. Hair should be polished (pulled back into a bun is always a safe bet).

Both men and women should carry a portfolio or briefcase to interviews, containing extra copies of resumes and references. When introducing yourselves, stand, smile, speak your name clearly, make eye contact, use a firm handshake, and say the name of the person you are introduced to (i.e., "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Smith").

Recommended Resources: The books, "The Only Resume and Cover Letter Books You'll Ever Need," by Richard Walsh, and "The Polished Stones Business Etiquette Program," by Angela Carr Patterson.
 

Athena S. Jackson
Director, Career Development Center
Florida Memorial University 

"Career success. It's yours for the taking." 

Advice: Do your job-searching homework before you graduate. Research the career that you have chosen, and find out what the industry trend is. Also, get involved with professional organizations, your college's career development center, employment agencies and government programs. Seek out every opportunity to network. And remember, there are many companies that are offering jobs that are not major specific. This can jumpstart your career into your desired direction. 

When opportunity knocks, be prepared to enter the door academically equipped, socially skilled and professionally packaged. 

Recommended Resources: MonsterTRAK.com, Careerbuilder.com, the NACElink network. 

Ruben Britt Jr.
Assistant Director of the Career and Academic Planning Center
Rowan University

"Knowledge is better than riches."

Advice: Develop a clear definition of the job that you're seeking. Assess your experience, skills and abilities to determine what types of jobs match up. Devise a resume that highlights your skills and capabilities that are applicable to the job you seek. Utilize career service professionals from your school. Take advantage of your professional network to learn of job leads (nearly 70 percent of all U.S. jobs are gotten through networking). Always submit a well-written cover letter and resume in a 9x12 envelope. Make a follow-up phone call a week after sending out your resume and cover letter. Devise a record-keeping system to keep track of employers you have contacted. 

Recommended Resources: Black Collegian Magazine, nationaljobbank.com, Equal Opportunity Magazine, Hoover's Business Directory, Job Hunter's Sourcebook, Federal Jobs Digest, and Careers and the Disabled Magazine, superjobsearch.com, usajobs.opm.gov, careerhunter.com, and jobweb.com.