YSN CareerSOS: What are some other approaches to looking for a job?

by admin on 08/11/2009

I went to my University the other day to get advice on taking a different approach to applying for jobs. They pretty much told me that when I make phone calls to companies and such that I should ask for the department that I’m interested in and say that I’m looking for advice, and that I will more likely get better information and do better networking. Other than making phone calls, I’ve been applying for jobs directing from websites and searching for job postings on international study abroad websites. Is this a good strategy?

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http://www.ysn.com/people/Bob-Cohen/26878 Bob Cohen

That’s the right idea, but my guess is you came away thinking… okay, now what? Who should I talk to? What should I say?

Think in terms of how you might go about launching a new product into the market. What product features are you “selling” (skills and experience) and who’s your customer (potential employers). The best way to go about this is to think in terms of what skills you’ve most enjoy using based on past history, this will help you determine what function you’d like to perform (i.e., finance, marketing, etc.). Your interests (sports, fashion, money management) will help you determine what industry you’d like to explore. For example, if I’m a really good negotiator and I love sports, I might enjoy being a sports agent. The assessment provides you with all that data. Now, with your new skills, values and interests “decision model,” you can identify who you want to talk to to reality test your perception of the work and how well you’d succeed as a potential candidate.

Use networks like YSN and LinkedIn to find people doing what you are interested in and ask for an in person meeting to ask questions about what they do, but most importantly, to describe why you think you’d be a good candidate and get their feedback. That way, you can determine where the best fit is for you and where you’d most likely be successful in your job search. Don’t worry about getting the right title, just be able to clearly describe what you’d like to be doing every day in terms of your preferred skills and what rewards matter most to you. The person will tell you what that’s called in their field. I know that this can all seem very overwhelming, but that’s why YSN exists… there’s lots of similar information in the youngandsuccessful blog as well as guidance in the assessment report.

Some additional resources for international opportunities
http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/global/otherresources.htm