By Diana Braley – Career Advisor – Westwood College Online
A large part of my job as a career advisor is guiding my students toward gainful employment while in school. This often involves helping them see that having a varied approach toward the job hunt has a much higher success rate than using only one method. Here are some stories from students who used different job search methods to get a job.
Attend a Local Career Fair
I worked with one student for a few weeks, and as we prepared his resume and cover letter to land a job in his field, he told me about an upcoming career fair. This career fair was an excellent opportunity for him: it was exclusively for military veterans and held in his city. Having been in the military prior to getting his degree in the Information Technology field, he attended the fair and told me afterward that one of the employers interviewed him on the spot. He then went through a series of interviews and landed a life-changing job with NASA.
If he had not attended that job fair (or if he had gone unprepared), he would not have found such a great opportunity. Preparation is one of the most important steps you can take before attending a career fair. Be sure to research the companies attending, know the kinds of jobs for which they are hiring, bring copies of your resume and a cover letter, and finally, know what you have to offer.
Sign Up With a Local Staffing Agency
Another job search method is signing up with temporary work or staffing agencies specific to your field. If you are an administrative assistant with great computer and customer service skills, this might be an effective route for you. It gives employers the chance to see what you can do and prove that you’re an excellent asset.
However, students often make the mistake of waiting for the agency to reach out to them. You must be proactive and engaged with the agency in order to get the results you want! If you wait for an agency to reach out to you with little or no effort on your part, you will probably be waiting for a very long time. Reach out, check in and ask about job leads in your field or areas of interest.
Use Local Job Boards
Finally, one of my most active students found great, local freelance opportunities in the graphic design field using her local Craigslist job board. This can be effective, but you must follow directions thoroughly and be proactive about connecting with the employer who has posted the job. That said, always be cautious and do your research on the prospective employer or company to make sure they are who they say they are!
Be open to using different methods in approaching the job hunt. What might have worked for you in the past may not work now, so try something different. When you’re proactive and go that extra mile to connect with the right person, you will often find that just making that additional phone call or sending out a thank you card may pay off in a very good job offer.