Black Collegian Career Center

SELF-EXPLORATION is first. Consider your response to such questions as, "Who are you?" and "What are your aspirations, your dreams, and your desires?" Look closely at yourself. Focus on your interests and your values--what motivates you. Define your abilities, your strengths, and your accomplishments--what you do well. A reasonable way to proceed in this regard is to make lists. There are plenty of resources to help you, from publications available in your college's career planning center to materials at your local public library or on the Internet. Resources for self- assessment come in many forms, from inventories and "tests," such as the Strong Campbell Interest Inventory, to worksheets and computerized guidance programs like SIGI Plus (System of Interactive Guidance and Information), published by the Educational Testing Service. These resources along with working with your college career counselors can greatly help you organize your thoughts and get a handle on the process of self exploration, career planning, and career decision-making.

Next, determine, on the basis of the issues developed through self- assessment, how you would like/intend to use your interests and abilities in a work setting. What is the desired type of organization or work environment? Visualize your professional experience(s): What's the activity? What particular facets of the job, responsibilities, duties, etc. are bringing you the greatest satisfaction? Consider your priorities in this regard. Consider your personal and professional boundaries--activities you probably would not enjoy at work, certain types of organizations you would not work for, geographic constraints, etc.

There are essentially six major types of career fields that career counselors identify in counseling sessions with collegians: (1) Business--the profit making sector; (2) Private--non-profit work-foundations, public interest groups, and social service organizations, for example; (3) Public, Non-Profit--the government, federal, state and local; (4) Education--teaching and administration in public and private school settings and institutions, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities; (5) Self-employment-entrepreneurial ventures. For some of you it may seem a bit early to ponder this type of career, acquiring (more) work experience is probably more than likely the way to proceed at this time; and (6)Military service. Which of these six appeals to you? Set your priorities.

Tapping into existing resources once again (you will find this to be an activity to return to often in further defining your goals and in organizing your employment search) gather more information as to where positions of interest really exist, in what types of organizations. Read the literature (books, magazines, newspapers) on career fields of interest. Ascertain what's happening/developing in these areas. Talk to professionals in fields of interest. Arrange on site visitations (always sending a resume and letter of introduction, proper protocol, before calling to schedule appointments...more on this later).

Once you've determined where you want to go, what you'd like to do professionally, and why, your energies naturally become focused. You move in a direction that's right for you, allowing the task at hand (finding suitable employment) to become positively charged.

Resumes And The Cover Letter

As you continue to target employers and identify resources that can be helpful in your employment campaign, quite naturally you will want to have your paper presentation (resume plus cover letters) in order. When an opportunity becomes available, you will be ready to make contact.

Your resume is essentially a one to two page "written picture" of your background of experience-mainly academic work, extracurricular activities, employment history, voluntary experiences, plus any additional information you think employers should know about what you can bring to the work environment. As many of you job hunting seniors no doubt already know, there are many resources, magazines, books, etc., offering detailed information on form and function of resume design that are full of resume samples. Just keep in mind that when you design or refine yours, remember the purpose for developing the resume in the first place: TO GET THE INTERVIEW. Your resume must therefore be strong and clear and provide the reader with a significant accounting of the skills, accomplishments, and experiences you have and are developing.

The resume must be a presentation of self, within the context of a formalized design and format. Make it totally yours. Focus on your duties and responsibilities for each entry, the skills used in every assignment, and the resulting accomplishments, quantifying whenever possible. For example: the size of the budget you handled for a school project, the percentage increase in company sales generated as a result of a summer position you held in sales, the swim program you arranged for a specific number of school age children as a camp counselor one summer, and so forth.

Many business executives and human resources professionals tell us about the importance of the cover letter in establishing contact with an employer for work. They say that the cover letter can be just as important as the resume in determining a candidate's viability for a certain position. While the resume is considered to be a general presentations of one's professional experiences and background, the cover letter "bridges the gap" between what you can do and how your abilities and interests relate to work within the organization to which you are writing. The cover letter plays a major role in letting the reader know that you've done your homework. You have a good idea as to why you are writing, why you are pursuing work within a specific organization for a certain kind of work assignment, and what contributions you think you can make to a specific project or to the organization.

Your cover letter should be a one page presentation, no more than three to four paragraphs. Address your letters to a specific person, giving his or her position title (this information can be obtained by calling the organizations of interest). Introduce yourself in the opening paragraph of your letter and explain why your are writing. In your second and third paragraphs-the heart of your presentation--highlight your skills and interests as they relate to the position you're seeking, within the context of organizational structure. Pull from your resume as well as cite any additional information or experience that the reader might find useful to know about your candidacy. In your closing paragraph, request the interview and mention any additional contact you plan to make, such as calling to schedule an appointment. Then thank the reader for his or her time in reviewing your materials.

Employment Search Resources

In your quest for meaningful work, there are a number of resources to tap in an ongoing fashion. The essentials are as follows:

(1) Job Leads Binders. Kept on display at your college career planning center, these binders, usually arranged both geographically and occupationally, contain notices of positions currently available. Such notices come into career centers daily, so an important part of managing the process of searching for a position is to check the relevant binders at least twice a week to see what new leads have come through. With your resume on file in your computer, or copies filed manually, you may then apply to any and all that you find appealing.

(2) On-Campus Recruiters. Recruiting organizations, usually major corporations, send representatives to your college campus to recruit mainly seniors for entry-level positions within their operations. These same organizations quite often have positions available year-round and certainly hire outside of the on-campus recruiting cycle. Your campus career planning center keeps the names and addresses of corporate recruiters on file. Use these files to establish--or re-establish--contact with your school's recruiters to inquire about additional positions that might be available, again using your cover letter to match your abilities and interests to the organization and work assignments.

(3) Alumni, Personal and Professional Networks. Using the "human" resource is very important to developing an effective network campaign. It's no secret that through personal contacts valuable information can be obtained that may not otherwise be publicized, from positions available within specific organizations, to people you might add to your list of contacts, to ways to strengthen your resume and prepare for interviews. Recent data show that about 80% of positions are either discovered and/or obtained through networking.

Begin developing your network by listing all the personal contacts-family, friends, friends of friends, faculty, community contacts, etc.--who you think can help you. Start with your own telephone/address book. Plus add to your list any alumni advisers, identified through your school's career planning center. These entries will be the first tier of your network.

When your resources are friends, family, or personal acquaintances, telephone to establish contact for job search information. On the other hand, if resources have been referred to you, or if you're tapping into your alumni body or other professional sources, then you will want to establish contact with a resume and cover letter-a more professional form of etiquette. Once again, introduce yourself, explain why you are writing, and request their help in securing information that could be helpful to your job search. Be clear that you are not asking these resources for a job, but are asking for advice and information that they may be willing/able to provide on the basis of their own professional experiences and expertise.

From everyone in your first tier of contacts, you will want to obtain names and addresses of additional people they might suggest as possible contacts. This activity establishes your second tier of contacts and the process of making contact--beginning a dialogue, building a relationship, etc.--begins anew with a new set of "human" resources. You will want to develop more and more contacts to strengthen your network as you move along. Thus, the networking process helps build a base of support throughout your professional career.

Most times professionals are flattered when you ask them for advice and assistance in launching your own career. Most think that they have solid information to share based upon their own expertise and are glad to help out, time permitting. Make the networking process work for you by maintaining contact--to the extent possible--with cards and notes and telephone calls, with all those people whom you believe to be interested in/especially willing to assist you and provide support. The kind of energy and enthusiasm you put into the process can encourage members of your network to proactively support you.

(4) Professional Associations. Once again, connect with people and involve yourself in activities that could enhance your job search. Join as many relevant organizations as seems reasonable--many have student categories for membership; get on their mailing lists. Professional associations usually produce employment bulletins and provide opportunities through conferences, workshops, and other types of meetings to network, talk with professionals in fields of interest, and distribute copies of your resume.

(5) Minority Organizations. A National Directory is a great resource for identifying professional associations with a focus on issues relevant to persons of color. In addition, Black Enterprise Magazine provides a monthly page announcing events and activities, mailing addresses and telephone numbers of professional associations concerned with issues directly related to professional development and people of color. There are other sources such as these. Do not rule out, however, the associations more generally representative of specific fields of interest. You will want to be connected to as many relevant organizations as possible that can be useful in providing you with information on employment.

(6) Job Fairs. Like much of the activity provided by professional associations, job fairs--and there are many offerings--occur throughout the year, in areas across the country. Schools produce them, private organizations offer them, career planning professionals arrange them. There are many specific to people of color, as organizations diversify their pools of employers, thereby strengthening their operations. Job fairs are exceedingly useful in putting the job seeker near people representing organizations who are recruiting. Interviews, some formal and prearranged, some less formal, normally occur at these events, so be prepared for dialogue and information that could be a mutually beneficial experience to you and the contacts you make. Check your career planning center's bulletin boards regularly for announcements on upcoming job fairs.

(7) The Internet. The technological advancements and resources available for your employment searches are simply amazing, especially through the Internet! Companies are putting their offices Online, presenting organizational structures, announcing employment opportunities and career paths for professional development. Your resume, formatted Online, can be forwarded directly to these same organizations in response to announced positions. You may have already checked out some of the numerous websites that provide employment opportunities in categories all across the professional spectrum--from general business opportunities to public interest jobs to governmental positions. JOBTRAK is among the popular offerings of websites announcing employment opportunities. JOBTRAK publishes hundreds of new notices daily. Through websites announcing employment opportunities, you could very easily spend time daily identifying new employment announcements and immediately responding to them by forwarding your resume with the simple "click of your mouse." This is a very straightforward procedure that need not be time-consuming. Naturally, as you conduct research into specific organizations, the "Net" can provide potentially unlimited access to information on organizations, both national and international.

(8) Directories of Organizations. These particular types of resources, found Online, in your career planning center, and in your school and local libraries, can be especially helpful to collegians who are particularly focused in their search of information on a specific field. Directories, like information provided by professional associations, give a comprehensive view of the number and types of organizations existing within a specific field, the structures of these organizations, divisions within each, geographic specifications, and key executives to whom you can write--sending resume and cover letter--for employment information.

Directories such as Moody's Manuals and Dun and Bradstreet's Directories of Major Corporations can be helpful, particularly as preliminary means for identifying the full array of organizations within your area(s). If you are particularly geographic specific in your search, Chamber of Commerce directories for the regions you are interested in can be exceedingly useful in identifying local organizations.

(9) Newspapers and Trade Journals. Not necessarily viewed as major resources to tap for employment searches these days, they can be searched nevertheless--"just to see." Quite often, though, by the time job announcements are published through these sources, it's already late in the process as compared to the speed by which you can receive information through networking and the Internet, for example.

(10) Employment Agencies and Search Firms. It is a known fact that having your resume on file with these types of organizations can support your employment search remarkably. Many researching opportunities have succeeded in using the services provided by these organizations. In exploring the possibilities presented, be certain, however, that you are clear on who pays for the service, whether it's the corporation looking to hire or you. Bear in mind that if the corporation is paying, the corporation is the agency's principle client and, therefore, the corporation's needs are the agency's priority and concern. When using this route, be certain that all of your issues will be attended to: employment contract, salary, benefits, etc.

(11) Temporary/Part-Time Jobs/ Voluntary Experiences/Internships. As you probably know from the part-time and summer jobs you've held, experience can count a great deal in enhancing your marketability. Through work experience you can validate skills development, speak of the knowledge acquired in terms of how organizations function, and show the contributions you've made within a given set of responsibilities and work assignments. The types of experiences identified through short-term work and voluntarism can help you to acquire insight, exposure, and experience in new areas, build your base of professionalism, and learn new skills. Part-time and temporary jobs, obviously, can provide you with sources of income as you continue to look for a permanent post.

Preparing for the Interview

It's now time to forge ahead! Reach for the gusto! You've read the literature and tapped the variously relevant resources for securing information on organizations of interest and positions available. You're continuing to develop your network. Your resume has been honed. You've been sending out your resumes along with impressive cover letters, making a case for yourself as to why you should be selected to be interviewed. You, in fact, are now being invited to interview for jobs! Congratulations! The "hard part" is done. You've gotten to the interview stage. Now it's time to really shine. Pursue that/those job(s) with energy and enthusiasm!

Most importantly, at this stage of development, BE PREPARED, the operative theme here. Too many employers complain about lack of preparation, in terms of a candidate's knowledge of the organization with which he or she is seeking work and how his or her abilities and interests relate to the position being sought. Do not sabotage your job search efforts by putting a great deal of effort on the front end of your search--everything required to get the interview--and not enough on this major phase of the process. Read as much as you can about the organization in preparation for the interview so that you can speak in detail about developments within it. Tap into your network once again for information and special insights that certain members of your network might have to share about the position you will be interviewing for and/or organization with which you wish to work. They might suggest certain strategies to use, questions to ask, questions to be prepared for, and specific points to highlight based upon your own offerings.

Get hold of listings like "The 50 Most Commonly Asked Questions in the Employment Interview," usually available in interview strategies books. Prepare for your interviews by having a response (or two) ready for each question. Review all questions, practice your responses. A very useful strategy, or technique, to use in preparing responses to possible questions is to formulate each of your responses in the form of what's known in the trade as the "Accomplishment Story." The Accomplishment Story has a three-part structure: "The Situation," "Action Taken," "The Results" (of your actions--the accomplishment, quantifying whenever possible). Again, answer each part of the Accomplishment Story for every question posed. In organizing your responses in this manner, you can illustrate fully and clearly your experiences as they relate to each question asked, bringing the interviewer into your experience with details and examples.

Employers are looking for the best match for the position being offered. In preparing properly for the interview, you put yourself in the best position possible to be selected as the best candidate for the job.

Critical Follow-Up

In organizing your time and managing the process, be certain to factor in time for an active pursuit of organizations and positions, particularly those in which you have a keen interest. For example, you've mailed your resume and cover letter in response to an announced notice of employment you've discovered in your career planning center, or perhaps in response to an employment lead offered to you by a member of your professional network. Following up with telephone calls, additional mailings, and visitations are "not out of the norm" and should be viewed as important actions taken for maintaining a presence within the organization and in the minds of key organizational representatives. Such action underscores your enthusiasm for work within the organization and your commitment to obtaining the position.

"Thank You Letters" to everyone in your network who has helped you and "Thank You Letters" to everyone with whom you've interviewed are also important parts of the job search process and should be included in your "strategies for success." Such measures help you to solidify your connections and maintain the positive impressions you have worked hard to develop. Expressing your appreciation to those who have shared their time and expertise with you can only continue a positive energy flow in your direction, providing good will and support for you along the way in your efforts to secure work.