Foundation: Career Search

While we strongly advocate for utilizing as many strategies as possible when conducting a career search! Such as building your community/network, participating in work integrated learning like internships and submitting online applications.

Even though it may seem easier sitting behind your computer, submitting online apps, and bypassing direct rejection—finding the courage and making the effort to connect with people leads to possibilities and is good for your mental wellbeing.

Another reminder, keep your social media accounts clean. Employers review profiles, which can influence their decision-making.

Here are three high level, career search steps:

1. Know the type of work you are looking for. Wandering aimlessly in a career search can prolong the search and exacerbate frustration.

If you do not have direction, please take the time to go through the Determining Direction Unit. 

2. Identify 10-15 companies for which you would like to work, and research specific information about each one..

• What are their values, vision, and mission?
• Review and follow their social media and news feeds.
• Search employees via LinkedIn.
• Research businesses who are in direct competition with the organization you are applying to.
• Look up the companies of interest on Glassdoor; read anonymous reviews (but make your own opinion) and find salaries.
  

This research is important for a few reasons:

• Should you reach out to someone on LinkedIn or request an information meeting (discussed in the Discovering Connections Unit) you will be informed and prepared for the meeting.
• In your cover letters and interview answers, you could express an interesting piece of information you found (to show your interest in the business) or your alignment with the organization’s values.
• You can confidently answer the interview question, “What do you know about our company?” or "Why do you want to work for "X" company.

3. Make a plan and commitment. Decide how many people you will contact each week. We highly recommend completing the Discovering Connections Unit. This unit outlines how to prepare to connect/build your community/network as well as taking on a 26-WEEK Challenge.

There are many words of wisdom that can be gleaned from Steve Jobs in this 2011 interview. The relevant point here is, ask and take action.

(Santa Clara Valley Historical Association, 2011) [video] (1:29)

Sidebar: Ask to connect to build your community/network. Most importantly! Do not ask for a job when you meet with your network. We invite you to go through the Discovering Connections Unit for more on this subject.

Optional

You could consider engaging “Emma” to analyze your LinkedIn profile.

Emma is a Chrome extension powered by artificial intelligence that analyzes LinkedIn profiles.

As a job seeker, you can run your LinkedIn profile through Emma to learn how people perceive it.

One caveat: LinkedIn does not like extensions that scrape data from their system. Technically, that violates their terms and conditions. So control your use, turn Emma off when you don’t need her, and hope LinkedIn ignores you (Svei, 2019, para. 1, 9, 15).