Since it鈥檚 never too early to plan for the future, and with the coming up on February 5, we thought we鈥檇 share some tips from the good folks at Dalhousie鈥檚 (CLDC) to help you prepare for the job hunt. Whether it鈥檚 a temporary summer job or a foot in the door to that ideal career, this strategy will help set you up for success.
1. Set a goal
Define what it is you're looking for, and be specific (i.e., define the type of work, area, etc.). Define realistic timelines for when you want to achieve your goal, and treat your job search like a full-time job. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really self-introspection,鈥� says Joana Augusto, senior peer advisor at the CLDC. 鈥淭rying to figure out what you want to do with your life, and what鈥檚 most important to you.鈥�
2. Identify your skills
After you know what you want, it鈥檚 time to figure out your skills. Look back at all your experience, paid and unpaid, and take note of what skills you have. These skills include technical skills and transferable skills such as communication and leadership. Prepare examples of when you have demonstrated relevant skills. Chris Glover, manager of the CLDC, says the worst thing for a student to do is to say 鈥渓eadership鈥� and stop there. You need to answer questions about when you were a leader: what did you do, what kind of results did you produce, and how is that important to the employer? 鈥淪o even though teamwork is all about the 鈥榳e,鈥� they still want to hear more about the 鈥業,鈥� 鈥� he says.
3. Research
Research job markets, employment outlook and job potential, required skills and education, salaries, working conditions, and the like. Search the Internet and job sites, magazines, job fairs, and other outlets such as your own personal network. The CLDC suggests identifying up to 10 potential targets.
4. Prepare and plan
Joana suggests having an action plan to determine what it is you want to do. This means scheduling weekly or daily. 鈥淪ay to yourself, 鈥楾oday I鈥檓 going to spend two hours building up my resume. And I鈥檓 going to do one hour of job search tomorrow,鈥� 鈥� she says. Simple things like having contact cards when you attend a job fair, or having a professional email address, can substantially boost your chances of finding that ideal job.
5. Connect and succeed
Once you figure out what you want to do and how you鈥檙e going to do it, it鈥檚 time for action. Joana says it鈥檚 not just starting to apply for jobs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 looking beyond that. It鈥檚 things like trying to figure out people you already know who might have a contact in the area and asking to meet with them for half an hour.鈥�
Don鈥檛 forget: just as you need to come up with specific examples of your skills in action, succeeding in the job search requires you to write specific resumes and cover letters for each job you鈥檙e applying for.
Sound daunting? Joana and Chris stress there are resources to support you at every stage. The fourth floor of the SUB is an excellent spot: will help you figure out where your interests lie and how to direct these into a career, while the can supply information on job markets and employment within each industry, as well as information on graduate programs and studying abroad. Or drop by the CLDC during business hours for a 15-minute resume or cover letter review by a career advisor.
If you show up with a resume at the Summer Job and Career Fair, you can sit down with an advisor at the CLDC resume review booth before you hand it out to anyone. To help you get the most out of the Fair, the CLDC is hosting 15-minute presentations on how to prepare for it at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on February 3 and 4, followed by resume and cover letter reviews.