Your Guide To An Effective Job Search!
Your Guide To An Effective Job Search!
Your Guide To An Effective Job Search!
to an
Effective Job
Search!
“Successful job seekers must have both good information and well-developed job hunting skills. Three
important factors for a successful job search are an awareness of your skills and goals, an understanding
of the labour market and a well planned job search campaign”.
The following six steps will help you conduct an effective job search…
STEP 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT
Identifying your values, interests and skills will help you with
your job search. Although self-assessment can be a time consuming
process it will provide you with valuable information and help you
to facilitate career decisions and prepare you to market yourself
as a potential employee.
STEP 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT
VALUES
An awareness of what you value
in a career will help you when
exploring career goals and help
to attain satisfaction in your work.
Salary Working as part of a team
Which values are Benefits and pension Working independently
important to y o u ?
Professional status Mental challenge
INTERESTS
Interests are closely related to values and frequently trigger skill development. You can identify your interests by looking
at enduring themes in your life such as activities that persist over time, consistent choices or the way you spend your time.
A tip for discovering your interests is to keep a log of what you like to do and then rank them.
STEP 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT
SKILLS
A skill is something that you do well. Recognizing your skills and communicating their usefulness in
writing or verbally to a prospective employer will help you with your job search.
Be sure to list some transferable skills. Transferable skills are skills which are useful in a variety of work
environments. Some examples include word processing or database software knowledge and writing
effectively.
STEP 2: EXPLORE
The next step involves researching and exploring career options. This next step in the job search process will help you take
the values, skills, and interests that you assessed in step 1 and relate them to the demands of the work world. Personality
and career guidance assessments are excellent tools for this search. Internships, cooperative education positions, part-
time, summer jobs and volunteer opportunities are great ways to explore career options.
STEP 3: CHOOSE A PATH
5. Be Persistent
If your job search is not producing the results you are looking for try a new approach. If
your job search campaign has been successful, you may end up with multiple offers.
Determine which position you would like to accept and thank everyone else.
STEP 6: NETWORK
What is networking?
Networking is the art of building alliances. It's talking to people you know and asking them to introduce you to others. It's
not contacting everyone you know when you are looking for a new job and asking if they know of any job openings.
Networking starts long before a job search, and you probably don't even realize you are doing it.
What is a network?
A network is a group of people connected to you through family, friends, education, employment and community.
Why network?
Most jobs are in the hidden job market. Only 20% of available jobs
are actually advertised. Employers would much rather talk to
someone who has been recommended by someone they already
employ or know. It's easier for them because they have your first
reference and it saves them considerable effort in advertising the
position and sorting through resumes and cover letters.
STEP 6: NETWORK
You are networking when you:
• Attend professional association meetings or trade shows
• Talk to other people at sporting or music events
• Volunteer for a local charity or community event
• Join a social club or religious group