Job Search Strategies
Academic Advising and Career Center
(916) 278-6231 www.csus.edu/careercenter
Job Search Background
August 2009
Before You Begin Your Job Search: Self-Assessment
 Skill preferences
 Transferable skills / Skill set
 Work and Personal Values
 Attitude
 Work / Life Balance
 Self-care strategies
 Interests
 Personality
 Strengths
 Aptitude
Least Effective Job Search Strategies
 Applying for one job at a time
 Conducting little or no research on the company,
industry or position
 Only applying for positions you find online
 Using the same resume and cover letter for all
positions
 Never sending a thank you letter
 Keeping your focus general, applying for anything
 Wearing casual or business casual attire to an
interview
 Not including cover letters
 Using poor grammar and having punctuation errors
on your paperwork
 Presenting a non-professional demeanor or attitude
Before You Begin Your Job Search: Targeted Search
 Geographic area:
 Industry:
 Job Function:
 Companies:
 Targeted positions:
Adapted from: Job-Search Secrets, Kate Wendleton, 1996
Expand Your Horizons: Creating Options
#1. Conduct Internet searches to identify
career options within your fields of interest:
 Go to Google and/or to professional association
sites to learn career options in your field
 Use the following search strings to identify
career options. In Google, type:
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biology careers
intitle:biotechnology careers
allintitle:”marine biology careers”
biotechnology inurl:careers
Career Opportunities for Chemistry majors
Expand Your Horizons: Creating Options
YouTube Searches: Use YouTube to research career options in your field(s)
of interest. In YouTube type:
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In YouTube Type:
 A day in the life of a __________
 _________ careers
 Social Work careers
Disclosure?
 Disclosure: a personal choice
 Be strategic and know whether disclosure is
necessary or beneficial
 Connect disclosure proactively to
accommodations, if necessary
 Disclosure: When and to what degree
 Turn disclosure into a positive professional
proactive discussion, related to the position
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/411/411_Disability_Disclosure_complete.pdf
Assistive Technology
 You are the expert in your use of assistive technology
 Proactively discuss assistive technology, if needed
 Be able to discuss proactively and positively how your use of
AT will allow you to perform the essential duties of the position
 Have vendor and price information ready for a prospective
employer, unless you utilize your own
Community Resources and Services
 What services do you wish to add to your team?
 Do you know what is available?
 How can their program or service be beneficial?
 How do the services and/or programs relate to your goal?
 How will the service positively impact your job search?
Social Security Work Incentives: Red Book
 Are you on SSI or SSDI?
 What SSA work incentives are available for you?
 Who can assist you with understanding your rights?
 How are the incentives beneficial regarding your job search and
employment goals?
 Does your position of interest offer benefits?
 What criteria or benefits need to be a part of any job you consider?
 How long will the SSA work incentive benefit me and allow me to
successfully transition into employment?
Before You Begin Your Job Search: Checklist
 Job search corner and
 Preferred skill set
organization
 Job search business cards
 Update resume / documents
 Professional dress
 Attitude / Support
 Career Counselor / Coach
 Obtaining references
Before You Begin Your Job Search: Checklist
 Professional email & voice mail
 Assess transferable skills
message
 Review negotiation process
 Assemble portfolio (optional)
 Practice interview skills
 Practice 30-second commercial
 Consider transition experiences
Social Media
One year ago this week, a survey commissioned by
Microsoft regarding how online reputation affects
candidacy for employment, and presumably
internships, was released.
The survey showed:
 Most recruiters and HR professionals surveyed
check online sources to research potential
candidates
 70% rejected candidates based on information
they found online
 85% said that positive online reputation
influenced their hiring decisions at least to some
extent; nearly half said that a strong online
reputation influences their decisions to a great
extent
 Recruiters and HR professionals said that use of
online reputational information will significantly
increase over the next five years
Is Your Online Reputation Affecting Your Career?
Mark Babbitt | January 11, 2011
ClassroomCubicle.com
Once You Have Identified Your Targets
 Research trends / current issues in the
field
 Best practices
 Legislative issues impacting field
 Organization’s services
 Research job duties
 Identify related community services
Job Search Pointers
“Getting from College to Career” Lindsey Pollak, 2007
 Get organized
 Upgrade to professional contact
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methods
Email like a professional
Clean-up your internet image
Become an industry expert
Conduct informational interviews or
job shadow
Explore a passion
Seek a mentor
Talk with people everywhere
Utilize professional associations,
conferences and networking events
Leave your negativity at home
Job Search Pointers
“Getting from College to Career” Lindsey Pollak, 2007
 Be able to introduce yourself
 Don’t be afraid to risk or stretch
 Work some new rooms
 Dress for success
 Update and remake your paperwork
 Be the first to follow-up; keep in touch
 Allow yourself to fail
 Be nice to support staff
 Persist and follow-up
 Be available
 Buy a professional suit
 Don’t curb your enthusiasm
10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #1: Give Yourself the Edge
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Practice your interviewing skills
Be knowledgeable of the industry and
company
Conduct informational interviews
Connect with professional Associations
Know what the company and industry
expects
Integrate research information into your
interview answers
Dress and speak professionally
Professional Paperwork
10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #2: Network, Network, Network…
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Faculty
Professionals in the field
Family and friends
Contacts made through informational
interviews
Conferences / Trade Shows
New people you meet
Articles you read
10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #3: Combine Your Job Search with Connecting with
the World of Work
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Alumni internships
Internships
Coop positions
Volunteering
Conferences / Trade Shows
Local Professional Association Meetings
Create a Job Search Club with Friends
Sacramento Professionals Network
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http://www.sacpronet.com/~spnadmin/
10+ Most Effective Internship Search Strategies
 #4: Sign-up for the NSM listserv and go to the Career
Center website NSM page for links to internships:
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Go to:
www.csus.edu/IRT/web/listserv/subscribe.html
Several examples include:
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Enter: HEALTHCAREERS-L
Enter: INTERNSHIPNEWS-L
Enter: SOCIALANDRECCAREERS-L
Enter: CJCAREERS-L
10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #5: Use Career Connection
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Go to the Career Center website
Click: Career Connection
Click: New user registration
Enter username (Saclink ID)
Enter registration password (sacramento)
Create Student Account
Click: Submit
You will automatically receive a confirmation
email with a new password that you can
change once you login
Search internships by keyword, College or
Academic Department
10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #6: Volunteer Opportunities can be a great way to begin
gaining experience
Use:
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www.vounteersac.org
www.handsonsacto.org
www.volunteermatch.org
10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #7: Google Maps: To locate agencies and organizations
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In Google Maps, type: Social Services
Organization near Sacramento, CA
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Use your best guess for the company
category, then use the category Google
uses to conduct further searches
10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #8: Use allintext:, a Google search strategy to locate key
words and phrases on web pages:
Go to Google.com and search on the
following:
 allintext:”career counseling internship”
 allintext:engineering co-op OR
internship
 intext: accounting internship OR co-op
OR “part-time job”
 California intext:accounting internship
OR "part-time job" OR co-op
10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #9. Utilize some rare used Google search strategies, such as:
Examples include:
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graphic design ~internships Sacramento
~ means synonyms
“career counseling” ~internships –therapy
- means eliminate pages with this word
undergraduate internship site:*.ca.gov
* means a wildcard showing everything with .ca.gov after it
Use Google Alerts to have search strings sent automatically to your
email.
10+= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #10: Job Alerts in indeed.com or simplyhired.com!
Example:
 www.indeed.com
 Create an account
 Go to Tools and then my.indeed
 Select, alerts
 Select “advance search”, next to Find Jobs Button
 Create an advanced search job alert to receive openings daily
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www.spb.ca.gov/jobs/special/student_employment.htm
10+ Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #11: Use Professional Networking Sites like LinkedIn
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Over 43 million professionals
Roughly 1 new sign-up per second
150 industries
5.1 million students
37,000 college and university alumni
groups
10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #12: Utilize Professional Associations
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Local, State-wide and National
Job Listings
Networking
Meetings and Conferences
Portal to contact people in the field
Informational interviews
Mentor contacts
Job postings
 Search using Google: Social Work association OR society OR
council
10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #13: Create a Targeted Plan to Get Focused
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Identify geographic preference(s)
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Target an industry or company size
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Identify a function or department
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Identify positions of interest, if known
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Identify specific companies
10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #14: Utilize Job Posting Sites
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www.indeed.com
www.simplyhired.com
www.careerbuilder.com
 Including Specialized Job Posting Sites
 www.socialservice.com
 www.socialworkjobbank.com
 Social Work Jobs in the Federal Government
 NASW Job Link
 Opportunityknocks.org
 Idealist.org
10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #15 Consider Third Party Recruiters
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Employment Agencies, Search Firms,
Contract Recruiters, Resume Referral
Firms
Inquire about the positions being filled or
number of openings
Your confidential information can only
be shared with a prospective employer
All candidates must be treated equally
and fairly
Who pays the fee? Make sure they are
100% employer paid
10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #16:Utilize Internet databases and sources to locate
organizations and agencies.
Examples include:
www.opportunityknocks.org Jobs with non-profit organizations
 www.nprcenter.org Non-Profit Resource Center, Sacramento, CA
 www.dmh.ca.gov California Department of Mental Health
 www.google.com Locate organizations using Google
Search on: Community Services Directory of Sacramento
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10 Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #17: Target Individual Contacts
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Contact a specific person by email or
business letter
Indicate if someone suggested that you
contact them
New companies in the area
Significant changes in personnel or
company structure
Identified need in the company that
you can address or help resolve
10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #18: Creative Approaches
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Conferences
Creating new job search strategies
Creating new niches for your talents
Finding hidden job opportunities
Weighing the risk and benefit of
creative strategies
Connecting contacts through current
events or media stories, i.e., Business
Journal article, legislation, articles
10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #19: Locate Internship Opportunities at a Specific Company
or Sector:
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Go to Google.com
Type the following search strings:
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internship OR co-op site:www.gene.com
biology intern federal site:*.gov
10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #20:Use Academic Departments to Locate Internship Links
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Use Google to locate academic
departments that have internship listings
links:
Type the following search strings:
 CSUS geography internships
 department biology internships
 department chemistry internships
site:*.edu
10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #21: Search the Internet to Locate Specific Companies
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Specialized Industry Directory Websites
Google Directory
Use any of the following search strings:
 Criminalist association directory
 Bioscience and biotechnology companies in
California
 Research Lab directory
 Use Google Maps to locate biotechnology
companies around Davis, CA
 Animation database
10+1= Most Effective Job Search Strategies
 #22: Search the Title, Text or URL of Sites
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Go to Google:
Type any of the following search strings:
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“stem cell” inurl:internship
Intitle:”physics intern”
geology inurl:co-op
California conservation inurl:intern
“stem cell research” California inurl:internship
allintext:”career counseling internship”
geology internship California site:*.gov
During and After Your Job Search
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Debrief your interviews
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Evaluate your strategies
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Stay connected
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Take time for yourself: reenergize
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Get feedback on resume and interview
techniques
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Reward yourself
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Use your resources
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Believe in yourself!
Thank you
Questions and Comments…