crash courseon careersTHE JOB SEARCH

HOW TO SEARCH FOR A JOB

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careers.ubc.ca

Big Picture

• Recent grads can expect job search to last 6-12 months

• As part of your job search, you may do some or all of the following:

• apply online• approach companies with a general resume• identify other “target” jobs• volunteer• work a temporary job• conduct an info interview

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Where is “The Hidden Job Market”?

Apply Online

Identify other “target” jobs

Approach companies without active postings

Volunteer

Work a temporary job

Conduct an info interview

80%

20%

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How do most people find work?

• Online job posting• Volunteering• Career fair / drop off resume in person• Referral or recommendation

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• Typical day may look like:– 8:00 am check email and respond

– 9:00 am search for job postings

– 10:00 am volunteer

– 1:00 pm write cover letters and resumes

– 4:00 pm play a sport/see a friend

• Looking for work can quickly become a 8-4 job

How would I spend my time?

FOLLOWING UP: PERSISTENCE OR PETULANCE?

Photo credit: Trace Meek via Flickr

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Common Challenge # 1

Situation

• Employers send out an auto-response after you submit your application

AND/OR

• Days go by and you haven’t been called by “Dream Company” for an interview

Strategy

• Wait 5 business days after submitting your application to hear back.

• Follow up with a phone call or email to restate your interest in the job

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Common Challenge # 2

Situation

• Employers ask you to submit your application to a generic address , e.g. careers@dreamcompany.com

Strategy

• Find someone to follow up with at the company.

• When you speak with them, or send an email, ask if they’ve decided yet who will be interviewed.

• If not, be prepared to share your top 3 reasons why you should be.

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The Rules of Follow-up

• It can take people up to 5 business days to respond to voice mail or email. Be patient.

• Be consistent. Follow up again if you have yet to hear back.

• Try to mix up your method of following up. Phone calls or emails are appropriate.

• *** If the employer has said “NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE” consider that a warning – try an email instead

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Finding Someone to Follow Up with

• Call the general line and ask who is responsible for hiring this particular role

• Ask for their email address and phone number. You can also ask if that person has a preference for phone calls or emails

• Instead, try using sites like LinkedIn to search through a company profile for the Human Resources staff.

• Some of these staff will openly post their email addresses on this site, or on the company’s website

• Avoid following up to general inboxes careers@company.com. They are often filled with applicants and spam.

Sample Follow-up email

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The realities of job search

• Most candidates do not follow up

• Even more are concerned that following-up is being “too aggressive”

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From the employers point of view…

• They have a large stack of unknown people

• Hiring is time consuming and can be risky

• There is less risk and less time if a company already knows about a potential candidate

There are a number of ways you can make a

company aware of who you are

Apply online

VS

Referred by a friend

Information Interview

Meet recruiter @ career fair

Follow-up by phone/email

Apply online

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Finding Career Fairs

• careers.ubc.ca Event Calendar• Employers on campus, career fairs, recruitment fairs

• Most occur September-November and January-March

• biv.com Date Book• Events around the Lower Mainland

• Colour coded by event type

• Local newspapers

• Company websites

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Information Interview

• 15-30 minute meeting

• Convenient for interviewee

• You ask questions that matter to you:• How did you get started in the industry?

• What major did you pick? How important is it that I have a particular major?

• Do I need to go to grad school? If so, when?

• Where did you find your first job?

• What did you learn that you didn’t anticipate?

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Friends and family can also help

• Some of the people in your “network” can suggest potential employers that may be of interest

• Some postings get circulated by email before they are posted online. Friends and family could forward anything of interest on to you

• Friends and family could talk to potential employers they know (colleagues, supervisors, etc.)

• Family probably should not submit applications or drop-off applications for you

YOU

Family

Friends

FacultyPast Employers

Mentors

Community

Your friends, family, community, or profs can suggest positions before they’re posted online

YOU

Family

Friends

FacultyPast Employers

Mentors

Community

Remember, each of these people has their own network as well

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Final Tips

• Follow up

• Look for options in a variety of places

• People will help you with your job search, so reach out!