This document provides guidance on conducting a 2-hour job search and integrating that process into career advising sessions. It outlines questions career advisors should ask students to gather key information. It also describes three orientations to work - job, career, and calling. The bulk of the document then focuses on prioritizing different aspects of the job search process using the LAMP method of Listing potential employers, tapping Alumni connections, exploring current job Postings, and identifying broader industry Trends. Each step of LAMP is broken down, including tips for naturalizing connections on LinkedIn, using a 5-point follow up email template, tracking outreach, and conducting informational interviews.

1. 2-HOUR JOB SEARCH
How to Integrate the 2-
Hour Job Search into Your
Advising Sessions

2. HOW TO GET STARTED Asking the Right
Questions

3. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
~They think they know, BUT they have no idea!~
•What would you like to accomplish?
•What careers have you considered?
•What steps have you taken to gain experiences in this/these industry
areas?
•Have you conducted any informational interviews? If so, with whom?
•Do you have an up to date resume and has it been reviewed by a CS
Advisor?
•Do you have a LinkedIn account? Is it current/up to date?
•What technology have you employed/are you comfortable using?
(HAT, Excel, LinkedIn, Facebook etc.)

4. 3 ORIENTATIONS TO WORK
Job: Your work is primarily a
means for financial gain
Career: Your work prepares you
for the next step or the next
promotion
Calling: You are drawn to a
certain type of work and feel
personally and strongly tied to
your work

5. PRIORITIZE Teaching the LAMP
Method

6. PRIORITIZE: LIST
•Emphasize the 10 employers or 10 minutes approach
•Stress the importance of moving beyond the usual suspects
•Introduce Hoovers, Vault, GoinGlobal, Google and Wikipedia as tools for
identifying competitors (Dream)
•Stress the importance of copy, paste, move on
•More is more
•Introduce Alumni Directory to identify interesting employers or job titles
(Alumni)
•Introduce Indeed.com identify interesting employers from actual job
postings (Posting)
•List but don’t click
•Google: Industry + Trends for companies/orgs. doing new and interesting
things (Trend)

7. PRIORITIZE: ALUMNI
~Create a network of internal
advocates~
•Demonstrate how to search for
LAMP employers using either
LinkedIn’s Alumni tool or the
Alumni Directory
•No research, just Y or N

8. PRIORITIZE: MOTIVATION
• Stress the importance of
avoiding sunk costs
(expenses of money, time
& effort that can’t be
recovered) in favor of
genuine preferences
• Maximum 5 minutes

9. PRIORITIZE: POSTING
• Emphasize that the
search is for who is
hiring right now, level
of interest
• Categorize in terms of
time sensitivity

10. PRIORITIZE: POSTING
•Enter the employer’s name into the “what” field, and surround the
name in quotes
•Follow the employer name with a probable key word about the job
being sought
•Repeat the search with just the “company name”, deleting the job
specific keyword
•Note: Use a 4 point scale if seeking an internship; “Employer” +
Keyword + Intern

11. PRIORITIZE: SORT

12. CONTACT
Naturalize
Turn an N into a Y in your
Alumni Column
20 mins

13. CONTACT: NATURALIZE
•Demonstrate how to use an advanced people search on LinkedIn.
Emphasize that you are seeking first-degree, second-degree, or
Group connections only

14. CONTACT: NATURALIZE
•Store contact information in your Drafts Email Folder
•This adds a sense of urgency to getting the email sent

15. CONTACT: NATURALIZE
~Facebook: The Strength of Weak Ties~
•Save for situations where the more common approaches have failed
•Don’t use this too often, so as not to alienate your friends

16. CONTACT: NATURALIZE
~Fan Mail = Google stalking with a nicer name~
•Find off-the-beaten path articles (especially interviews) w/ current
employees of target organizations at which they currently don’t have
contacts
•Reach out to the person interviewed, thank them for any insights
gleaned, and ask for 15-30 mins. of their time to discuss the topic in
more detail and/or ask a few follow-up questions
•Opt for upper-middle managers instead of CEO’s
•Due to far greater prep time, use sparingly only when needed

17. CONTACT 5 Point Email
20 Mins

18. CONTACT: 5 POINT EMAIL
•Describe the various customer segments (Curmudgeons, Obligates,
Boosters), so the student knows who to send targeted emails to for
maximum efficiency
•Social norms are powerful and attract people who are motivated by
the self-esteem boost they get from helping others, ie. Boosters
•Send 5 point email to those on your list whose job is most similar to
the one you want
•Given a choice, choose someone several years your senior

19. CONTACT: 5 POINT EMAIL

20. CONTACT Track
10 Mins

21. CONTACT: TRACK

22. CONTACT: TRACK
•Reach out to a third contact only for time sensitive opportunities
•2 Hour Job Search Contact Handout
•Initiate contact with new target employers beyond Top 5 whenever a
Booster has been identified, an employer is ruled out, or time permits

23. RECRUIT Informational Interviewing

24. RECRUIT: RESEARCH
•Check 3 references prior to any informational interview:
1. DataMonitor360 SWOT analysis (local library) or Vault Insider
Guides for trends
2. Headlines on the front page of the employer’s website
3. Google recent employers headlines (and informational interviewers
themselves)

25. RECRUIT: RESEARCH
*Be aware of any negative news about the company so
that you are prepared to steer clear of it*
Do not mention finding the following via Google
search:
•Personal Blog Information (unless primarily
professionally focused)
•Nonprofessional media mentions (marriage
announcements etc.)

26. RECRUIT: RESEARCH
Encourage the student to be prepared for the Big 3:
1. Tell me about yourself (also known as walk me through your
resume).
2. Why do you want to work for our organization?
3. Why do you want to work in this industry (say chemical
engineering)/function (say research)?
*Encourage the student to come in for a mock interview*

27. RECRUIT: DISCUSS
TIARA Framework Informational Interview
3 Phases
1. Small Talk: “How is your day going so far?”, “What projects are you
working on right now?”, “Can you tell me about your background
and how you came to work for your employer?” This helps to
identify common ground and build rapport
2. Questions and Answers: Tiara Method
3. Next Steps: If you get a referral, commit and schedule yourself to
follow up and update the Booster about your progress in 2 weeks.
If not, use 2-Part Informational Closing

28. RECRUIT: 2 PART INFORMATIONAL
CLOSING
Our time is up, but thank you so much for your time—you’ve given
me a lot to think about, and it sounds like you’re working for a great
organization.
I’m going to take a few days to process all of the information you’ve
shared. If, on reflection, it seems like your organization and I may
make a good mutual fit, is it ok if I reach back out to you to get your
recommendations for how best to proceed from here?
*Advise the student to always send a thank you note for the initial
informational interview*
Hi Anna. This is Steve. On further reflection, I think your organization
and I might be a great mutual fit. Per your offer last week, may I take a
few minutes of your time to ask you what next steps you’d
recommend for me to maximize my chances of getting an interview

29. RECRUIT: FOLLOW-UP
After an informational interview:
•Always send a thank you email the following day
•Send monthly check-in emails
•Continue to conduct outreach to new targets on your LAMP list
•Repeat until contacts lead to interviews and employment

30. Questions?