Job Search Strategies

Career Objective

The first thing that needs to be done if you haven't already done so is to develop a career objective.

Decide what position and future career in IT you are looking for and be able to articulate the reasons for your decision. To do this you you'll need to research what IT positions exist, think about your studies, what you enjoyed, and also, what sort of personality you are and what role would be the best suited for you. Ask yourself what parts of your studies you most enjoyed and what you were good at. For instance, was it networking and hardware subjects, or were you better suited to software development? Your personality type will also give an indication of where to start your career. Do you enjoy dealing directly with customers to provide service, or are you the type who enjoys getting stuck into technical problems, while largely working alone. From these simple questions you will be able to determine what type of IT job will suit you best. Generally speaking, if you enjoy dealing with the public you may be best suited to Support or Business Analysis type positions with professional services companies or companies with client facing roles. If you prefer technical work, a software development or hardware support role may be more suited. If you like working alone, an internally focused job that does not have that customer facing aspect might be for you. Be prepared. Information Technology is made up of lots of streams and you should know what stream you want to get into. Recruitment consultants find it frustrating when the get a call from someone who asks "how do I get into IT?". They don't know you, what you are good at, and what you enjoy, and they don't have the time to work it out for you. Most HR people, hiring managers and recruitment consultants are in the same boat. They are too busy to plan an entire career for you - and it's not their job. Always be mindful you cannot expect others to do the work for you - you have to drive your career from here.

By having a clear career objective, you will get a much more favourable response when dealing with employers and recruitment professionals. Once you have a career objective worked out, don't stop there - be able to talk about where you want your career to head. When talking to an employer it is great to say "I am seeking an entry level job in software development", but it will much more impressive to say, "My aim is to gain an entry level software development position where I can improve on the skills I have gained from my studies. Because I have been a bit of a natural leader in projects at school and in the management role I was promoted to at the local supermarket, my aim is to move into a team leading role in the future. From there I would like to continue studies on a part time basis and eventually move into a project management role.

Once you have a clear career objective then you can start actively looking for work. So where do you start looking for work?

The obvious places to look are in the newspapers, through various job boards. SEEK, My Career, CareerOne etc. There are many others - You need to do more than the obvious.

Research

What companies would you like to work for and can meet your career objective? Call HR or line managers from companies you want to work for, send them your résumé with a cover letter. Think about what companies are likely to have a recruitment drive and where can I find out about them. The internet is a great place to start your research. Check out company websites and look under their employment sections, check newspapers for adverts, and look up University websites for details of graduate recruitment campaigns. Networking is another great way to research. Who do you know that may be able to offer advice on jobs, companies etc.? Networking is incredibly important - up to 80% of all jobs are not advertised. The only way to access these positions is through personal contacts or referral by others. In other words, through networking and word of mouth. Use your social network to let people know that you are on the market for work and what you want to do. Arrange meetings with contacts and keep it fairly formal and to a plan - match your style to who you are speaking with. You are not necessarily asking them for a job, but by the end of the meeting they should know your career objective and that you are seriously looking. Who knows what may come from these discussions?

Be prepared for any conversation

Networking: Be prepared for your networking ‘catch ups'. Have a list of questions you want answered - e.g. "How did you get into this company? Do you know if they are recruiting? Do you know who I should be speaking to? What are they typically looking for in their new recruits? Do you know of other companies who could use my skills? What can I do to impress?". This shows you are serious about finding work. Behavioural based interviews: Eventually, during your job searching you will come across the need to respond to behavioural questions. It may be the HR department screening candidates before they decide who will be selected to come in for a formal interview. You MUST be prepared for them. HR departments and Recruitment Consultants love these questions. If you are not prepared they can unsettle you in an interview.. The premise behind behavior-based interview questions is that past performance is the best predictor of future success. To determine past performance, candidates are asked to provide specific examples that demonstrate to the interviewers that they have key skills, experience, and personal attributes needed in the job. Usually, these questions are framed around the specific situations. Unlike traditional interviews, a behavioral interview usually requires you to provide particular examples of how you behaved/responded in the past, instead of simply sharing your opinion or thoughts. To prepare effectively, think about what you've done or experienced that most closely relates to what your potential employer needs to be successful. You know you're in a behavior-based interview when most of the questions begin with statements like, "Tell me about a time when..." and "Describe a situation where...."

Typical questions will be:
Q: "Tell me about when something went wrong"
Q: "Tell me about a time when you have encountered conflict in the workplace"
Q: "Have you ever had to deal with conflicting deadlines? How did you decide which task to complete?"

Some of you will be thinking "I'm only a graduate and I haven't had any real work experience". You will have to draw upon your studies, part-time job, sporting or social club experiences, and have specific stories that will address these questions. The interviewer has invited you for interview based on your résumé so they have an appreciation of your level of work experience. Don't downplay the project work from your studies or your part-time work as this is the main gauge for an employer to determine if you are the right person for the job. The way you have dealt with situations at school and in part-time work is enough to answer any behavioural based question. When answering behavioural questions, always use actual stories. Employers don't want to hear - "In that situation I would do this". They want to hear of a real situation you have been involved in and what actions you took and what you may have learned from it. The internet has countless tools to assist with behavioural questions, including questions you are likely to be asked and the best way to frame your particular response. You need to develop several real life stories that you can refer to. And you need to rehearse your responses so that, when asked, they will flow naturally. And use a specific situation that makes you sound good - don't tell a story about a difficult customer where you didn't do such a good job. The situations must be real and honest -.but you are ‘selling yourself' so think of the best positive stories. You don't get a second chance, so make the most of the opportunity. Preparation is all important!

Keep records

It will probably take a bit of time before you get to an interview. Most of you will contact several employers by phone and submit résumés before you get to an interview. The time it takes from sending an application and securing an interview can be several weeks. You must keep a record of your actions. Treat it like a project you are managing - because it is! Keep track of the jobs you have applied for, the companies you have targeted, who within that company you have been able to speak to, and the phone numbers you have called. Unless you have this information filed you're not going to be able keep track of the things you are doing. You might want to, and should, follow up with companies to see how your application is proceeding. The only way to do this is by keeping accurate records of who you've contacted and how far you are into the process. You might contact tens, and possibly hundreds, of people so you need to record of each contact, phone, letter, application, etc.

Attitude

If you take only one point from this advice, the most important is ATTITUDE.

If employers are going to hire a graduate, they are not expecting you to have a great deal of experience. What they will be primarily looking for is someone who is worth investing in. That is the time, energy, training, and money they will need to put into developing the person - it is an investment for the company, and they will expect dividends in the future. How they decide who gets the job will ultimately be determined by your attitude. Do you have the desire to succeed? Do you have the passion to want to learn more? Can their organization accommodate your career objectives? Will you be a nice person to work with? Have you got the motivation to give 110%? If it's a highly technical role do you have a real passion for technology? If it's a support or client facing role, do you have a real passion for customer service? Do you have the passion to be successful? Ultimately, if you are successful, the company hiring you will be successful.

Drawing upon your life experience can demonstrate passion. If you're applying for a networking role, stress how much you enjoyed those subjects at school and how your results prove your interest. What have you done outside from your studies? Have you set up a network at home, for friends or your dad's small business? If a support role, talk about your part-time work and the feedback you got from management and customers about the service you provided, and how you gained great satisfaction from a happy customer leaving the store with your recommendation!

Before an interview, be prepared, make sure you have done your research. You should have checked the company's website. From here you should know about their products, some of their company history, and try to find out about the technologies they use. Candidates who have done their homework make a great impression at interview.

Don't be intimidated by employers. They may sometimes appear scary, but they only want to know if you are the right person to invest in and whether will you fit in with their team. Remember - every manager who interviews you wants you to be the right person. They wouldn't be spending the time with you if that wasn't their hope. At every interview with recruitment companies or potential employers you should dress for success. Always wear a suit. No one is expecting expensive suits, but the difference between someone turning for an interview in a suit and someone dressed casually is huge. The statement you make by turning up in a suit and tie is "I seriously want this job". Try to think of yourself in the employers shoes What are they going through? They probably have had hundreds of applications and they want people to stand out. Knowing the company, dressing for business, and showing how enthusiastic you are will mean you are remembered. While job searching you must stay positive and focused. There will almost certainly be rejections before you get your first interview. Dust yourself off and forget about the last rejection - never go in to an interview with a negative feeling or talk about those rejections - pretend every interview is your first. Our advice is to learn from each experience and don't take rejections personally. Consider what you could have done better. Was it being unprepared for a particular question, was your résumé as good as it should have been, did you do enough research on the company? When talking to employers your enthusiasm and passion are the things that will get you success.

Good Luck!