Finding a job

1. Finding a Job is a Job
Presented by Suzanne Williams
Senior Staffing Specialist
Jacobson Staffing, Inc

2. Intro
 The average time it takes for a new college grad to start a
job in their related profession can range from a few weeks
to months or even years, depending on factors including
supply and demand, diligence, and individual
 You are likely to need to do multiple job searches during
the course of your career
 Even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates
that the average worker currently holds ten different
jobs before age forty, this number is projected to grow
 Forrester Research predicts that today's youngest
workers (that's you) will hold twelve to fifteen jobs in
their lifetime

3. Intro (continued)
 It’s better to have multiple offers and make a good choice
that sticks for a while than stay in a job you hate or hop
from job to job
 Employers are motivated to make a good hiring decision
 The average cost of recruiting, hiring, and training an employee
can cost 6-9 months of their salary
 If the employer makes a mistake and hires the wrong person the
loss of the employee can be expensive as well; some estimate it’s
about twice the employee’s annual salary
 Both employers and candidates want to make the right choice on
the first try

4. Tools to use in your job search
Resume
 Your resume is your marketing brochure
 Building your resume is easier if you add jobs and
record achievements as you go
 Include associations like volunteering/community or
school extra-curricular activities (you guys are in this
Robotics club, include this and other activities like
this organization to show collaboration and
community involvement)
 Take leadership posts, if available, and include in
accomplishments section on resume
 Include awards, honor society, honor roll
 Information included should be verifiable

5. Tools to use (continued)
Professional References
 When you leave a job, ask for a letter of reference
from supervisors and / or managers
 Ask people for endorsements on LinkedIn
 Professional notice for any job is at least 2 weeks

6. Tools to use (continued)
Social Media
 How many of you think that Hiring Managers check Snap
Chat, FB, Twitter, Instagram?
 Your “brand” – does it project the right “brand” for the
job you want
 Once something is public on the internet it is hard to
remove it - Digitized content on the internet stays around
 Even though LinkedIn is a major professional social media
website, Google+, Facebook, and others can be accessed

7. Tools to use (continued)
Placement Agency Recruiter
 Local vs. national
 Provide more feedback than applying directly to company’s
career portals
 Understand more about culture, environment, and the role than
job descriptions on career portals can provide
 Able to represent more than one company and offer a lot of
information about roles and local market
 Are you restricted if you have already applied or registered on
an organization’s career portal?
 Keep a list of where you applied on your own and by an agency
so you aren’t submitted to the same place by different sources

8. Placement agencies are a little like Jerry Maguire…
– Recruiters should not charge candidates a fee so they can
be a great free resource to utilize

9. Tools to use (continued)
Helpful Online Websites
 Gradstaff.com
 Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com have salary
information for jobs
 LinkedIn.com (groups)
 Meetup.org (trade & industry groups in addition to
personal interest groups)

10. Application/Interview Step
Etiquette
 Arrive early (plan to arrive 15 minutes ahead of time, depending on
location, parking availability, familiarity)
 Call if an emergency has come up and you can’t make it to let them know
what happened
 Should be a true emergency to not show up for interview!
 Don’t turn down any interview and wait until you have an offer to make
your final decision (in other words…don’t pull yourself out of
consideration because you think the interview went poorly or you don’t
think you like the job)
 Be patient and don’t lose your cool... From submitting your profile
through offer, pre-employment checks and start can take 4 weeks or
more
 Do NOT text, email, or take a phone call during your interview
 Leave your cell phone in the car !!

11. Who will get the job?

12. Application/Interview Step (continued)
Appearance
 Suit with jacket should be assumed with few exceptions
 Visible tattoos and piercings can be an eliminator for
some organizations – avoid anything if they can not be
covered by a long sleeve business shirt – why limit your
options in your career?
 If hair won’t be trimmed short, pull back
 Be neat - fingernails clean and trimmed
 Don’t go heavy on cologne, jewelry, colorful shirts or ties
(keep it conservative with few exceptions - a white button
down dress shirt is best)
 Wear socks and preferably dress shoes

13. Application/Interview Step (continued)
Handshake/verbal tips
 Give all interviewers a firm (not bone-crushing) handshake
 No profanity or casual/slang terms (“hey man”)
 Stay focused to relevant information in your responses –
don’t overshare
 Don’t share personal views unless asked
 Maintain eye contact with interviewers
 Learn how to mirror people

14. Application/Interview Step (continued)
Preparing for interviews
 Bring printed copy of your resume
 Prepare for behavioral interview style
 “Tell us about a time when you had to deal with an unhappy
customer”
 Bring notebook or padfolio to take notes and have some
examples ready for behavioral interview
 Prepare some questions
 Visit company website, google the company for news and
acquisitions before interview
 Check LinkedIn to see if you have any contacts you can ask
about the company

15. Post Interview Step
Etiquette
 Ask for business cards from interviewers so you have their
contact information
 Send a brief ‘thank you’ note or email right away after
the interview
 Show interest by following up in a timely manner to all
requests

16. Post Interview Step
Pre-employment contingencies
 Real story – IT Leader making $200,000 had a job offer in jeopardy
because of something he did in High School 20 years earlier
 Your record stays with you and can be considered criteria for hire,
including:
 Criminal background check (many banks will run fingerprints with
the FBI and can retract offer for something which may seem trivial
like shoplifting or joy riding as a teenager)
 Getting credit cards – make sure you can pay them back. Bad
credit is an eliminator for some employers (bankruptcy)
 Drug screens/physical examinations
 Inaccurate information on application (legal document) – pay close
attention to prior employment start and ending dates

17. Question and Answer
This presentation and other job search information
is available online at:
www.jacobsonstaffing.com
Thanks for your time!!
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