SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
University Affairs Office
1801 E. Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
(707) 664-2057
e-mail: jean.wasp@sonoma.edu
University Affairs Office
1801 E. Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
(707) 664-2057
e-mail: jean.wasp@sonoma.edu
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2003 File #350
Contact: Jean Wasp, Media Relations, (707) 664-2057
Workshops Will Help Students Go the Extra Mile to Find Jobs Says SSU Career Center Advisor
These days the economy is slow and it takes the willingness to "go the second mile" to find a job, says Sonoma State University Career Advisor Anne Greenblatt.The Career Center offers a series of workshops in April, often the month when students start thinking about polishing up their skills for after graduation job-hunting efforts.
The workshops, open to SSU students and alumni, include:
Guerilla Tactics in the Job Market — Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, Salazar 1061, Discover a range of job search strategies that work to tap into the "hidden job market."
The Art of Chit Chat: A Key to Finding a Great Job — Noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, April 22, Salazar 1061. Create a "30-second story" about you and your plans, learn how to start and end conversations naturally, and discover information and contacts that lead to opportunities.
Preparing for Successful Interviews — 3:30-4:30 p.m., Thursday, April 24, Salazar 1018. Find out what to expect at job interviews and what employers are looking for in applicants. learn how to impress employers, dress, answer questions, understand body language, and follow up. Walk in with a smile and out with a job.
Winning Resumes and Cover Letters — Noon-1p.m., Tuesday, April 29, Salazar 1061. A good resume and cover letter can open the door to an interview. This workshop show how to make this important first impression to an employer.
For more information on these workshops or the services the SSU Career Center has to offer, contact Anne Greenblatt at (707) 664-3127 or e-mail anne.greenblatt@sonoma.edu.
Greenblatt also offers the following tips for college grads on how to look for work:
1. Follow through! Strong follow-through capability is your most valuable asset in the world of work, and definitely sets you apart from students who don’t do it. When you meet an employer at a job fair or info session, follow up with a cover letter and resume tailored to their need.
2. Know your talents. You're not only earning a degree, you've building transferable skills in your classes, extracurricular activities, and jobs. Sample key skills are analyzing, organizing, coordinating, writing, researching, presenting, mediating, selling, designing, evaluating, etc. Practice describing them to friends and family who'll listen.
3. Build a strong network. Your connections are your most important job search asset. Jobs obtained over the Internet account for 4-5 percent of all hires, and jobs advertised in the newspaper, about 10-15% of all hires. Personal and professional contacts account for an incredible 60-70 % of all hires. Many companies, deluged with resumes, instruct their HR staff to consider only resumes referred by an employee of their company. So what should you do? First, keep an e-mail address book of everyone you've become acquainted with. That includes friends, faculty, administrators, counselors and advisors, student club members, and former employers, as well as family and relatives. Then let them know what kind of work you're looking for. If you're unable to name what you're searching for, then use a few people in your network to generate ideas or point you to new possibilities. Ask your contact for a short 20-minute informational interview (see a description of how to do this at www.sonoma.edu/sas/crc). You can increase your chances that you will be referred by an employee by devoting at least 50% of your job search energy to networking. Make an appointment with a Career Advisor at 664-2196 to learn how. Or take "The Art of Chit Chat" workshop on April 22, 12-1:00 in Salazar 1061.
4. Create a dynamite resume and for each job write a specially tailored cover letter that describes your strengths for that job in particular. Be sure that key words employers use for their job postings appear on your resume along with a clear job objective.You can have your resume and a sample letter checked out in a drop-in appointment in Career Services, Salazar 1070, any day from 10 – 3:00 PM.
5. Use MonsterTrak to search for jobs and internships. Employers interested in Sonoma State students, grads, and alums post jobs and internships on MonsterTrak. Check it out at www.sonoma.edu/sas/crc.
6. Consider a portfolio job search. Instead of seeking full time employment, try several part time positions for a while. Or a part-time paid job and part-time internship to build experience. That will build your talent base and add to your growing network of contacts.
7. Temp your foot in the door. Temp jobs, although often not exciting, can lead to full-time or summer-long positions. If there’s a certain organization you’d like to work for, you can call their HR Department and ask them what temp agency they use, and then sign up with that agency, letting them know your preferences. It’s important to stay current with a temp agency, once you’ve signed up, calling them every few days to remind them you’re out there. It’s also smart to sign up with 2 to 3 agencies to increase your chances. Once you get a job, network around the water cooler. Ask people about their work and offer to take on projects to showcase your skills. And be willing to do whatever asked to get started.
8. Volunteer to build credibility and skills. If you believe that you have talent to contribute to an organization, then offer to take on a short-term project that you'll deliver, without cost, to demonstrate your knowledge base. This can work when employers need help but don't advertise positions they could be willing to create a volunteer position or internship for
you.
9. Use the web to research positions, company’s salaries, and professional associations. You can also post a resume at sites like www.hotjobs.com , but the success rate for on-line resumes is around 5%. Job searching takes a multi-pronged strategy.
10. Finally, maintain your vision and adaptability along with realistic expectations ..and take good care of yourself during a job search!