An effective Job Search can be exhausting and time consuming. Choosing a job that will assist you in launching your career and meeting your career goals should be your target.
Some experts suggest you commit 30 to 40 hours a week on your job search. This extensive job search can be stressful, especially if you are not prepared. The first step in developing your job search plan is to be able to articulate “what you want to do” and the type of position that matches your skills, interest, values, and field of study. If you are not able to verbalize these key factors within yourself, you should review the initial step of the GOALS Program or schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor.
The UIS Career Development Center offers abroad range of services for students, alumni, and community members to assist you in your job search. View job listings through CareerConnect, external job posting systems, or Contact Us for more information.
Create a Job Search Plan
Who is in control of your job search? A common mistake is to turn over control of your job search to outside influences such as parents or employment recruiters. Other times we get busy with our lives and leave it to chance and no plan is developed at all. All of these scenarios can result in unsuccessful outcomes. It takes time, energy, and knowledge to strategize and navigate a job search targeted towards your career plan. The process involves understanding the present job market,how to research employers, and utilizing career tools such as a resume, portfolio, and networking cards. The following three steps will guide you in directing your job search plan:
- Write down career fields that are related to your skills, education, and interests
- Identify and list different job titles that are related to these fields
- Outline your Job Search Plan to best support your career goals and objectives (Use the Job Search Plan Checklist as a resource in drafting your Job Search Plan).
Company Profiles
During your job search, it is imperative to research companies/organizations. This is typically referred to as reviewing a ‘company’s profile’. The best place to start researching is the company’s website. Here you will find basic information about the company, its services, departments, and staff listings. Most companies will post career opportunities, recent press releases, and links to articles about itself and products and services. Be certain to review its mission statement if it has one job posting as it will likely offer you a glance of the company’s culture. Another way to gather key information is by using UIS Career Development Center’s Online Resources. These online systems offer a wealth of information that will provide a snapshot of the company’s history, leadership, mission, financial status, and much more.
Continue to research using other online search engines. Search engines will give you an easy way to search news articles, blog posts, and general web postings about the company. Blogs can offer real life insight into the day to day operations of the company, as well as more names to research.
Career Fairs
Career fairs are great opportunities to launch your career by developing a successful job search. Through networking, distributing resumes,and being prepared with a job search strategy at career fairs, you will then further your search by effective interviewing to land a victorious career.
Click here learn more about Career Fairs.
Geographic Preference
A factor influencing your Job Search Plan may be your interest in relocating to a specific geographical area.When considering your geographic preference keep in mind the following factors: unemployment rate, cost of living, climate,market demand, and much more. Being aware of these factors will help guide you in targeting specific geographic regions.
There are numerous resources tailored to assist you while searching within specific geographic regions particularly on the internet. When conducting a geographic job search, you may want to perform a net search using one of the many job search engines. Many cities, states, and counties now have websites with business, non-profit, government, and employment-related links. We have provided you with links to a few of the many available websites in the Resource Section below.
Cost of Living Considerations
A significant factor in every job search is the cost of living in the geographic region you are considering. It is easy to educate yourself on how the cost of living will impact your potential salary. Use the Cost of Living Wizard Calculator as a determining factor throughout your job search.