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Conducting A Job Search

First things first

Self-assessment. Before you start a job search, you should consider your knowledge base, skills, abilities, and interests. Self-assessment will help you focus on the kinds of work, work environments, and locations that are ultimately going to help you achieve personal and professional satisfaction. Talk to an Office of Career Services counselor about the kinds of assessment tools that are available.

Research. It is relatively easy to find out about careers, internship and job opportunities, organizations, and locations. You have developed research capabilities for school – use those skills for your own benefit to help you find good places to develop personally and professionally. Use the Office of Career Services library for print resources, and visit internet resources. Talk to an Office of Career Services counselor about how to conduct research about careers.

The job search

Be active, not passive. Don’t rely on any one process (particularly a passive one such as on-line applications or sending out quantities of résum´s). Use every possible method in your job search. Successful job searches should include networking, on-campus interviews, visiting employers for information sessions, and applying for posted jobs.

Network Development. Most jobs, the best jobs, and the ones which most frequently lead to employee satisfaction, are obtained through some sort of referral system. Office of Career Services can help you develop a professional network through introductions to alumni who are active in careers that interest you. Talk to an Office of Career Services counselor about networking opportunities including:

SPEA alumni mentor program, through which you will be introduced to a SPEA grad enjoying a career of interest to you;
Office of Career Services-arranged student visits to employers and alumni in central Indiana, Chicago, and Washington D.C.;
SPEA-sponsored alumni receptions; and
Employer information session

Work with an Office of Career Services Counselor. A career counselor can help you develop a job search strategy that will enable you to take advantage of all available opportunities.