"If you give a person a fish, s/he can eat for a day. If you teach a person to fish, s/he can eat for a lifetime" is our mantra at Career Services. It could be easy to place students into jobs, but in today's ever-changing job market, only those with the skills to do a solid job search will come out on top and get the great jobs. Remember, it oftentimes is not just "what" you know but "who" you know and how you are able to sell yourself and your skills that will get you the job.

Job Search Skills Required for Success

Networking: In today's job market, it really does matter who you know. Studies say that 75 percent of job openings today are never formally advertised. Those jobs are filled by someone who found out about it before it was advertised. Networking is easy. You start with the people you know such as relatives, friends, former employers and direct contacts with employers and ask a simple question, "Do you know of any open jobs or anyone hiring people with my qualifications?"

Developing Resources: In today's "technosavvy" world, second only to networking is the ability to sniff out potential jobs and then research those companies and organizations that you might consider working for. There is no better way today than through the World Wide Web and other technology. Learn these, and your job search will be much easier.

Resume and Cover Letter Writing: A resume and good cover letter will NOT get you a job. However, they will help you get your foot in the door and get you noticed. In perfecting this skill you need to be able to articulate your education, skills, and experiences succinctly in such a way that a potential employer will take notice of you and realize that you have the skills and leadership abilities that warrant a further look.

Whereas a resume focuses on action verbs and your job duties and experiences, a cover letter focuses on adjectives and telling a potential employer about why you are applying for their open job and what makes you a qualified candidate for that particular job.

Interviewing: Once you have your foot in the door with your resume, your interviewing skills will determine if you are let in the door or left standing on the porch. Successful interviewees are able to talk about their education and work experiences in such a way that they are able make them come alive through anecdotes, facts and figures. Successful interviewees will also be able to show through their conversations with potential employers that they are the best persons available for the job and that an opportunity will bemissed by not hiring them.

Tools to Get the Job:
List of Adjectives for Cover Letters
Employment Application Tips
Success on the Job