Career Advising at EOU

The only way you will earn the position you desire is to begin working to make it happen. There are a number of approaches to a successful job search, but one element runs through all: it takes time and effort. Therefore, begin to plan your schedule so you can devote some of your time each day to do all that is necessary.

Essential elements of the job search are:

Researching the Employer. Without researching employers, you cannot tell whether you should spend the time contacting them about employment. Without research, if you do contact them, you won't be able to personalize your letter of application. Without research, should you get an interview, you won't be able to intelligently discuss how you can benefit the employer. 

Developing a Prospect List. Once you have done your research, you should be able to list those employers that are of interest and could use your skills. It has been said that the average job hunter must contact a minimum of 40 employers to obtain one acceptable job offer. With this information, it should be obvious that it is very important to generate a substantial list of employers who may be in a position to hire new college graduates with your qualifications and career interests.

Keep in mind that Career Advising has many resources available to aid you in researching employers and in developing your prospect lists.

Contacting the Employer. All the research and development of your prospect lists will be for naught unless you take the time to make contact. Employers are unaware of your existence, your interests, your skills. You must bring these to their attention through an outstanding application letter and exciting resume.

Timing is very important in making contacts with employers, for the whole process of finding suitable employment takes considerable time. From the start of your research to the time you finally write your letter accepting employment, as much as six months may elapse. With this in mind, students who want to have suitable employment by the time they graduate should make contact with Career Advising and potential employers very early in their senior year.

Remember, the average candidate will have to contact 40 potential employers to get one suitable job offer. This means you will receive a lot of rejection letters, or you may not even hear from some employers. Don't get discouraged. Instead, take a positive approach to your search. Consider every "no" you receive as bringing you one step closer to the "yes" you desire. Be persistent. Manage your time well. Whatever you do, don't give up. Diligence pays off in the long run.

Following Through. Candidates often become discouraged when they begin to receive rejection letters or when they fail to hear anything from the employers to whom they mailed their application letter and resume. To keep from getting discouraged, take the ball into your own court. Make these rejections a learning experience.

Rather than wondering why you were rejected, place a telephone call to the employer to ask for assistance in several different ways. One way is to ask the employer why you were not given consideration. Was it due to your letter? To your resume? To your qualifications? You might ask for any recommendations for presenting yourself, through your correspondence, in a more positive manner. 

Another thing you may discuss is whether the employer knows of any positions in the geographical area for which you might qualify and, if so, would the individual be willing to advise you of the name of the employer and the contact person.

Keep in mind that you will have to be very tactful in doing this. Do not put the person on the defensive. Make the individual very aware you are doing this so you can improve your job search. You will be very surprised at how receptive employers are to this approach. People like to be recognized for their expertise and enjoy the feeling of being able to help someone who shows a sincere desire to accomplish a goal and goes about doing so in a positive manner.

Who knows, this may even cause that particular employer to go back and review your materials, which could then lead to the interview you wanted.

Table of Contents | Previous Page | Next Page