Colby-Sawyer College

Want Ads

• Position openings listed by employers in local and national newspapers, professional association journals, newsletters, and trade journals.
• Respond by indicated deadline with cover letter and resume.
• Highlight your qualifications, give examples, and justify that you meet every qualification sought.
• Subscribe to a major newspaper in your geographical preference area. ( Sunday editions have the largest listings.)
• Good source for trends and position descriptions.
• Keep in mind that 80% of jobs that exist are unadvertised.

Cold Calls

• Door-to-door approach to make contacts with hiring personnel.
• Very time consuming and results in high rejection.
• Effective in small towns or federal and political offices.
• Make cold calls when energy level is highest.
• Avoid Mondays and Fridays.
• Don't ignore support personnel, dress well, and notice bulletin boards for trends, contacts and openings.

Mass Mailings

• Involves sending large volume of letters (usually 100 or more) to employers in geographic area and/or career field of interest.
• Least effective method with low return rate of 3%.
• Limits your presentation.
• Necessary to market yourself well, individualized letters, and send resume/cover letter to specific person in the organization.
• Keep records of to whom and when letters are sent for follow-up purposes.
• Follow-up letters with phone calls.

Personnel Offices

• Can provide annual reports, prospectus, and information on organizational structure, products and services, job titles and descriptions, and internship opportunities.
• Usually make "no" decisions, but not "yes" decisions.
• Apply directly to managers and supervisors of desired division or department in addition to personnel.
• In person, dress well, be pleasant, and present a positive image.

Government Listings/Agencies

• Listings are posted with governmental personnel or employment agencies.
• Agencies represent primary source for finding governmental positions.
• They register, classify, and refer individuals to hiring officials.
• Coordinate aptitude testing and screening programs, and provide information on local employers and trends.
• Application process is lengthy and detailed, long waiting lists and stiff competition exist, and personnel offices screen but do not hire.
• Agency lists are obtained via telephone or internet directories under federal, state, and community headings, and in other governmental reference books.
• Find out where agencies list their position vacancies.
• Do not rely upon posted positions only-use contacts and networks to locate positions.

Career Development Center

• A resource center to learn job-search techniques you can use throughout your life.
• Prepares you for the job search with resume critique sessions and videotaped mock interviews plus other informational workshops and individual appointments.
• Recruitment program offers on-campus interviews and job fair access.
• Directories of companies and individuals to contact, company literature, job vacancy bulletins, and position openings are on file.
• Become acquainted early with resources, services, and personnel.

Employment Agencies and Executive Recruiters

• Provide placement services for clients and employers for a fee.
• Can cost as much as 15-20% of your first year salary.
• Important to research agencies thoroughly before applying since quality of service varies widely.
• Check with local Chamber of Commerce to find out if agency is a member of a national employment agency association.
• Some agencies place you quickly to receive payment without assessing your interests and aptitudes.
• Employers can also absorb charges.
• Suggest firms you want to interview with, stay in frequent contact, follow-up on referrals, and review positions carefully.
• Be prepared. Know what type of position you want and what you have to offer.

Internet/Web-based Services

• Matches an individual's qualifications via computer with employers stated needs.
• Some specialize in certain job categories.
• Candidates may or may not be charged a fee.
• Can conduct a long distance search without traveling.
• Minimum time and effort are required.
• Can conduct job search at any time of the day or night.

Referrals/Networking/Informational Interviewing

• Most widely used and most effective method among the hidden strategies.
• Make contacts with those who can hire and those who can direct your to others in a position to hire.
• Contact professionals for advice, information regarding job duties, field trends, openings not published, and for additional contacts.
• Develop a list of people, professional groups, and existing groups you can contact including friends, relatives, alumni, influential leaders, colleagues/peers, faculty, present, past, and potential employers, and people in informational roles.
• Learn about career fields and companies and get to know professionals that can identify potential positions and the people who can hire.
• Conduct informational interviews in your targeted area.
• Attend organized networks, introduce yourself to as many individuals as possible, serve on committees to gain exposure and display your abilities, tell others of your interests and plans, and carry extra resumes.
• Keep contacts informed of your progress and follow-up on all job leads.

Internal Campaigning/Internships/Volunteering

• Marketing yourself within a company or agency through a paid position, field experience, internship, volunteer position or through temporary services can help you obtain a permanent paid position in a firm.
• Solicit parents, colleagues, alumni, etc. to serve as references and help you obtain these positions.
• Get to know those in position to hire or promote.
• Demonstrate your capabilities, talents, and skills.
• Volunteer for new projects and gain information about the field, available positions, and trends.
• Obtain referrals from the contacts you make.
• Be visible and do excellent work.

Targeted Mailings and Telephoning

• Market yourself with a limited number of employers within you specific career field and geographic areas of interest.
• Capitalize on influential references.
• Indicate you interest, communicate your qualifications using specific examples, and demonstrate how you can fulfill their needs.
• Contact a specific person who is in a position to hire you.
• Obtain accurate names, titles, and addresses via directories and phone calls.
• Send quality materials and follow-up with phone calls.
• Consider using the telephone form initial contacts and introduce yourself in a professional manner.
• Be aware of changes in time zones.
• Contacts can often be made early in the morning or shortly after business hours begin.
• Good communication skills and follow-up are essential.

Positioning

• Requires hanging around people and places where important trends are discussed and/or job opportunities are identified.
• Gain information about unpublished job opportunities and acquire names for personal referral and networking by watching job posting boards of companies, attending professional meetings, and walking around reception areas of airports, travel agencies, and stock brokerage firms.
• Opportunities usually exist where social interaction occurs on a regular basis.
• Find out when and where professionals in your career field of interest "hang out" and listen for job leads.

Watch for Spot Opportunities
Look for changes or spot opportunities in companies such as:

• Growth indicated by the development of new product lines, additional buildings, and new locations.
• Mergers or divestitures.
• Promotions.
• New staffing.
• Deaths.

"Change" means "opportunity". Make a hiring opportunity for yourself. Convince an employer that the organization has a need and demonstrate how you can meet that need.
Contact Managers of Divisions or Departments within Organizations
It is more effective to contact a department head. It will mean a great deal more if a manager directs your credentials to Personnel than if your resume is one of several hundred that arrive that day. Mangers are also aware of job vacancies before Personnel is informed.