Step 3-Searching for opportunities

 Finding job opportunities requires focus,

perseverance, energy and determination coupled
with the ability to be alert, to listen and to
investigate.
 Job opportunities are all around – the key is
knowing where to search.
 The most obvious areas to start looking for job
opportunities are:
• advertisements in the media – newspapers,
professional or special interest magazines, radio,
television, etc.;
• careers teachers/advisors at your school, college or
university;
• careers fairs and employer ‘road show’ visits;
 Step 3-Searching for opportunities
• websites;
• employment agencies – general and specialist;
• government sponsored career advisory services,
etc.;
• careers centres or job centres.
 Less obvious, but equally effective, areas to search
include:
• networking;
• cold calling;
• news items in the business/financial/academic
media (newspapers, television, radio), where
employers predict expansion, new products, etc.
 Use all of these channels if appropriate to your
needs.
Careers advisory services, careers fairs, etc.
 Make full use of the opportunities available in your
school, college or university.
 They are staffed by specialists whose objectives are
to help you find the right job opportunities.
 Most schools, colleges and universities have
established (locally, regionally or nationally) good
communication links with potential employers.
 These links have developed over time:
• at school level, through work experience projects;
• at further education colleges and universities,
where partnership schemes have been developed
with employer organizations.
 When you leave, keep these contacts alive as part
of your networking activities.
 Networking
 A network is a simple, informal structure made up
of a series of communication links between people.
 Businesses and organizations use networking as a
major method of developing relationships – gaining
information to promote the business/organization
and its products or services.
 Your network grows every time you meet someone
new.
 Networking requires you to establish and list the
links you have with people you know, and those
with whom you have a common interest or
association through work, friendship, pastime or
other activities.
 Networking
 When you make a contact, your network grows by
that person.
 As a result of this new contact, that individual’s
network also links into yours (similarly, you are
added to theirs).
 Imagine you have 10 key contacts and each of
them has 10 key contacts, and each of them has a
further 10 contacts – your network now has the
potential of reaching 1,000.
 Even though some of these contacts may appear in
several of the networks, the potential power of this
cascade effect is awesome – and with nurturing can
be a very useful tool throughout your career.
 Networking
 Your existing contacts may be limited at the
moment.
 However, if you examine the list of people you
know, you already have the basis of a network.
 This will include friends, family, teachers, tutors,
mentors and acquaintances and will provide a solid
base for you to start from.
 These contacts have their own networks, which
they may allow you to use.
 The extent of these linked networks of contacts can
be surprising, and people are usually willing to help
if they can – provided they are asked properly and
don’t feel that they are being imposed on.
 Networking
 Guard your network well and treat it with respect –
people will respond to genuine approaches for help
(but do not take liberties).
 Developing, building and maintaining an effective
network properly is a skill that needs effort.
 It can pay handsome dividends at any time,
providing you:
• have the respect of the person whose support you
are seeking;
• recognize that losing that respect will damage your
reputation.
 Networking
 For networking to succeed there are a number of
basic disciplines and requirements, including:
• creating a positive impression on people;
• ensuring your contacts have confidence that your
motives are genuine;
• developing, maintaining and updating a system of
recording and recalling
• the names and activities of your contacts;
• categorizing your contacts in order of importance –
close friends, relatives and associates (the ones
most likely to help); acquaintances; and finally,
contacts referred to you by others;
 Networking
• keeping in touch with your network (in particular,
close friends and associates) – not just when you
need something;
• informing the contacts used for help of the outcome
and progress made;
• responding to your network in the way you would
want the network to
• support you;
• listening and remaining alert – information on job
opportunities can come from anyone;
• keeping your network record up-to-date as it
grows.
 Networking
 Networking is actually an everyday habit we are
involved in without thinking about it.
 The skilled networker organizes and structures the
information gathered over a long period of time and
calls upon it as a possible source of information,
help or reference in, amongst other things, job
seeking.
 The way you record your network information is a
matter of personal choice: for example, business
cards, simple index cards, address books, electronic
aids, etc.
 Store the information in a way that enables you to
retrieve it quickly. The information you collect will
build a database of invaluable contacts over time.
 Networking control sheet
Contact Telephone, Contact Intro Details Outcome Follow up
Name fax, email code duce of of
details d By approach approach
/request

Note: * Contact codes 1. Known to you personally; 2. Met (introduced

by a friend); 3. Not met (friend recommended approach).
** Details if not directly known to you.
† If the contact comes from a network contact remember to advise
them of the outcome of the approach and thank them for their
help.
 Cold calling
 Cold calling is another accepted selling practice,
where people are approached, uninvited, to try to
create sufficient interest in a product so that a sale
can be made.
 This method is also used in job searches; the only
difference here is that you are the product.
 Having decided on the career path that you want to
follow, the next step is to identify the companies or
organizations that could be approached.
 Research will provide the contact names within
each organization, details of locations, products,
performance, etc.
 Cold calling
 Ringing the organization and asking for the names
of key staff (Personnel Manager, General Manager,
etc.) is logical as it will ensure you have totally up-
to-date information.
 You need to check the correct spelling of names,
addresses, etc., and confirm job titles when
gathering information.
 Develop a script explaining your reasons for
approaching the organization – for example:
‘I am an engineering graduate and have read about
the expansion of your product range in the business
press. If possible I would like to come along to discuss
with you what opportunities you may have for
graduates, now or in the future.’
 Cold calling
 You may also give further details about your
qualifications and your special interests.
 If the initial response is negative, suggest that you
will send your CV for their future consideration, and
then after a period of, say, two weeks, follow up by
confirming whether your papers have been received
and checking if there has been any change in their
recruitment situation.
 Vary your approach by using telephone, email or
letter – try all three methods.
 The telephone is the most direct and instantaneous,
but see which approach most suits your style.
 Cold calling
 If you are particularly keen to join a specific
organization or business you may consider offering
to ‘job shadow’ to gain experience.
 Job shadowing is a practice where an organization
permits an individual to follow closely one of their
employees in the day-to-day work environment.
 This has three main advantages:
• gaining first-hand experience of the organization,
the people, work and culture;
• becoming known to the employer and having the
opportunity to impress;
• enhancing your CV with relevant experience and
showing initiative.
 Cold calling
 The disadvantage is that you should expect that
normally these positions are unpaid.
 However, some organizations make some form of
payment to cover expenses.
 Cold calling is possibly the hardest of all the routes
and as such results achieved compared with
approaches made will be the lowest.
 However, you only want one job – so keep going.
 If, as a result of a cold call, you are invited to
‘informal conversation or talk conducted in an easy
familiar manner’ make sure that you are well
prepared.
 Treat the meeting as an interview – with the same
principles of preparation, conduct and seriousness.
 Advertisements
 Look through recruitment advertisements in the
press.
 Most national and regional papers have special days
– check which they are, for example many of the
‘quality’ nationals run ads on Thursdays and
Sundays.
 They also often run special features aimed at
people leaving school, college or university.
 The job advert sometimes provides the background
to the company and the purpose of the role for
which it is recruiting, but not always.
 You need to do some research into the background
of the company before replying.
 Advertisements
 This can tell you about the company’s values,
strategies, products and future developments,
which may be useful to refer to in your application.
 It will certainly be of value should you be selected
for an interview.
 Use your tool kit as the basis for your replies to
advertisements and remember to personalize each
letter.
 Websites
 There is an increasing variety of specialist
recruitment websites offering routes to job
opportunities.
 A growing number of companies are recognizing
the potential of the Internet to reach wider
audiences, and use their own and online
recruitment sites to advertise job opportunities.
 The advantages to employers are:
• the size of the potential market;
• speed – jobs are advertised quickly without the
need to conform to newspaper press deadlines; and
• the fact that their opportunities will be included on
a searchable database accessible by potential
candidates.
 Websites
 Use your IT skills to search them out and see ‘what
is on offer’.
 Such sites often offer advice on job searching, so
time spent exploring them can be very helpful.
 Every available opportunity warrants in-depth
research.
 Job search campaign – control sheet
 Make a list of all the contacts and names that you
have decided to approach – use a simple form to do
this.
 Make sure you collect as much information as
possible from your network database – names, job
titles (titles can be very important to people in all
organizations – give someone the wrong title and,
believe it or not, you could blow your chances),
telephone numbers, addresses, etc.
 Rank these prospects according to their appeal (be
realistic and positive).
 Use it as your Action Control.
 Job search campaign – control sheet
Organiz Telepho Conta Sourc Vacanc Dates Intervi Comm
ation ne, fax, ct e y of ew ents/
name email name contact Yes/No outco
and details me
address

Note: If your source comes from your network, remember to advise

your contact of the outcome of the approach and thank them for their
introduction and help.
 Making your approach and securing an
interview
 You have identified the business/organization you
want to approach.
 The first step is to fine-tune the research you
started earlier in order to get maximum
information.
 This will allow you to tailor your letter of application
appropriately and incorporate comments that are
relevant to that business/organization.
 The research also gives you information to use if
you are called for interview – for example,
knowledge of their products, philosophies, goals,
social awareness, development programmes,
history and financial performance.
 Making your approach and securing an
interview
 Once you have made your applications you have to
wait a reasonable time for responses.
 It is not unusual for two or three weeks to elapse
before you get a reply as most jobs have a large
number of applicants.
 If a closing date has been advertised then you may
receive an acknowledgement, but this is not
guaranteed.
 Patience can be a virtue – it can also be seen as a
lack of interest, therefore a follow up on your
application after a sensible amount of time might
be appropriate.
 Making your approach and securing an
interview
 When you receive a positive response you have a
short time before the interview in which you can
complete your preparations and any research you
wish to make on the company/organization.
 You could consider making a ‘spying visit’ to the
location, preferably during a working day, to get a
feel for the environment, and to check transport
arrangements and local amenities.
 You might discover where other employees go for
lunch – relevant information can sometimes be
overheard – and you can get a flavour of the local
culture.