Job Search Strategies

Erin Richey – Assistant Director, MBA Career ConsultantOffice of Career ServicesRobert H. Smith School of Business

What is the first word that comes to mind when you hear

the term “JOB SEARCH”?

Why Is A Job Search So Frustrating!?!

▪ The online application “black hole”

▪ Lack of feedback from employers

▪ It’s a “numbers” game

Job Search Stats for the Digital Era

InterviewSuccessFomula.com Study – Via Forbes.com article - http://ow.ly/mbq94

▪There were 3.6 million job openings at the end of 2012. About 80% of available jobs are never advertised.

▪The average number of people who apply for any given job: 118. 20% of those applicants get an interview.

▪Many companies use talent-management software (applicant tracking systems) to screen resumes, weeding out up to 50% of applications before anyone ever looks at a resume or cover letter.

Job Search Stats for the Digital Era

▪ On average, interviews last 40 minutes. After that, it usually takes 24 hours to two weeks to hear from the company with their decision.

▪ What do employees look for before making an offer? About 36% look for multitasking skills; 31% look for initiative; 21% look for creative thinking; and 12% look for something else in the candidate.

▪ In the U.S., 42% of professionals are uncomfortable negotiating salary. By not negotiating, an individual stands to lose more than $500,000 by the time they reach 60.

▪ More than half (56%) of all employers reported that a candidate rejected their job offer in 2012.

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Common Job Search Mistakes

▪ Casting too wide a net

▪ Relying solely on the internet

▪ Not tailoring resume & cover letter to each position

▪ Lack of follow-up

▪ Not tracking progress

▪ Over qualifying network connections

▪ Carelessness in application process

▪ Not spending enough time “in” your search

▪ Lack of a well-defined strategy

OCS Core Values

Developing A Winning Job Search Strategy

DISCOVER

▪ What do you want?– What do you enjoy? What are you good at? What do

you value?– Clarify focus areas

▪ Importance of Assessments

▪ Field, Function & Company Research– wetfeet.com– careers-in-business.com – Virtual Business Information Center – vbic.umd.edu

*Your OCS coach is a great resource for this stage*

DEVELOP

▪ Now that you know WHAT you want, it’s time to get organized

▪ Marketing Document Development– Resume– Cover Letter– Network Messaging Templates

▪ Strategy Development– Source identification– Timeframe & Location Preferences– Getting Organized– Setting Goals

CONNECT

▪ Networking in Action

▪ Importance of Networking

▪ Developing An Outreach Strategy–Networks Brainstorm–Networking Tracking Spreadsheet– Informational Interviews

▪ Networking Through Social Media–LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook–Making the Most of LinkedIn Webinar

ENGAGE

▪ Action Time!

▪ Tracking Your Progress & Keeping Score– Job Search Tracking Spreadsheet– Progress Scorecard

▪ “Good Week” in a Job Search– Full Time Search vs. “While Working” Search– Quality vs. Quantity

▪ Job Search Teams

▪ Paying it Forward

QUESTIONS?