Job Search Strategies for Psychology Students Academic Advising and Career Center (916) 278-6231 www.csus.edu/careercenter
August 2009 Job Search Background
Before You Begin Your Job Search: Self-Assessment Self-Assessment will help you focus your job search: Skill preferences Transferable skills / Skill set Work and Personal Values Attitude Work / Life Balance Self-care strategies Interests Personality Strengths Aptitude
Many Opportunities Exist in the World of Work For All Majors Government: City, County, State, Federal Association Management Non-profit Organizations Distributors / Wholesalers Supply Chain Industry Non-governmental Organizations Small and Medium Private Companies Colleges and Universities Multinational Corporations Start-up Companies Entrepreneurs
Remember the Power of Liberal Arts Majors Humanities and Religious Studies English Psychology Communication Studies Ethnic Studies Women s Studies Sociology Anthropology Asian Studies Liberal Studies
Sample of Liberal Arts Occupations Account Executive Program Manager Sales Representative Bookstore Manager Buyer Executive Assistant Financial Aid Counselor Government service Human Resources Assistant Insurance Agent Claims Representative Underwriter Loan Officer Lobbyist Manager Trainee Marketing Assistant Mass Media Assistant Project Manager Public Relations Assistant Research Assistant Special Events Coordinator Speech Writer Stockbroker Press Secretary Operations Manager Media Specialist Paralegal Assistant Staff Assistant Real Estate Broker Occupations may require additional training and/or experience*
Transferable Skills: Liberal Arts Majors Writing Speaking Cross-cultural knowledge Numeracy Analytical thinking Creative thinking Effective with ambiguity Learning and synthesizing new ideas Self-motivated Research and information retrieval
Don t forget emerging occupations: Astrobiology Behavioral Geneticist Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Business Ethics Carbon Management Consultant Computer Animation and Digital Imaging Data Mining Emergency Management Specialists Green / Environmental Career Fields Health Informatics Specialist/Manager Human-Computer Interaction Immigration Specialist International Logistics Manager Materials Science Personal Chef Sub-orbital Space Flight Wellness Coach
Experiences from School Technical skills and knowledge, Volunteer experiences Projects, group work, assignments Senior project and/or other research projects/assignments Lab courses Soft skills, such as communication, leadership, organization, and research skills Student clubs and organizations Course content skills and knowledge Community engagement opportunities Faculty / Student Research
Least Effective Job Search Strategies Applying for one job at a time Conducting little or no research on the company, industry or position Only applying for positions you find online Using the same resume and cover letter for all positions Never sending a thank you letter Keeping your focus general, applying for anything Wearing casual or business casual attire to an interview Not including cover letters Using poor grammar and having punctuation errors on your paperwork Presenting a non-professional demeanor or attitude
Expand Your Horizons: Creating Options Conduct Internet searches to identify career options within your fields of interest: Go to Google and/or to professional association sites to learn career options in your field Use the following search strings to identify career options: psychology ~careers intitle: human resources careers intitle: careers in human resources human services California inurl:careers non-profit inurl:careers
Before You Begin Your Job Search: Checklist Have a professional email & voice mail message Assemble a portfolio (optional) Assess and identify transferable skills from past experiences Review negotiation process Practice interview skills Practice your 30-second commercial Consider transition experiences while still searching
Before You Begin Your Internship Search: Checklist Keep job search materials organized Update resume / documents Professional dress Identify essential skills for the position(s) and your related skill set Purchase job search business cards Check on obtaining units for your experience Visit the Academic Advising and Career Center, LSN-1013 Obtain references
Once You Have Identified Your Targets Identify professional associations related to your field Create an industry map Research the industry Research trends / current issues / best practices in the industry Research legislative issues impacting field Research the company s products / services Research job duties of the position Identify their strongest competitors
Get organized Start sounding and acting like a professional Email like a professional Clean-up your internet and phone message image Become an industry expert Conduct informational interviews or job shadow Explore a passion Seek a mentor Talk with people everywhere Utilize professional associations, conferences and networking events Leave your negativity at home Job Search Pointers Getting from College to Career Lindsey Pollak, 2007
Job Search Pointers Getting from College to Career Lindsey Pollak, 2007 Be able to introduce yourself Don t be afraid to risk or stretch Work some new rooms Dress for success Update and remake your paperwork Be the first to follow-up; keep in touch Allow yourself to fail Be nice to support staff Persist and follow-up Be available Buy a professional suit Don t curb your enthusiasm
#1: Use Specialized Industry Specific Websites: www.socialservice.com Counseling www.opportunityknocks.org Non-Profits www.usajobs.com Federal Jobs www.idealist.org Volunteer, internship, full-time part-time; national and international www.volunteermatch.org Journalism jobs www.norcalherc.org Jobs in Nor Cal colleges www.shrm.com SHRM: Society for Human Resource Management, 52 positions in California
#2: Use Professional Networking Sites like LinkedIn Over 43 million professionals Roughly 1 new sign-up per second 150 industries 5.1 million students 37,000 college and university alumni groups
#3: Utilize Professional Associations: National, State-wide, Local Local, State-wide and National Job Listings Networking Meetings and Conferences Portal to contact people in the field Informational interviews Mentor contacts Job postings
#4: Create a Targeted Plan to Get Focused Identify geographic preference(s) Target an industry or company size Identify a function or department Identify position(s) of interest Identify specific companies (15)
#5: Utilize Internet job search engines, including Meta-Search engines www.indeed.com www.simplyhired.com www.careerbuilder.com www.glassdoor.com (linked through Career Center website) www.mediabistro.com
#6: Network, Network, Network Faculty Professionals in the field Family and friends Contacts made through informational interviews Conferences / Trade Shows New people you meet Articles you read
#7: Give Yourself the Edge Practice your interviewing skills Be knowledgeable of the industry and company Conduct informational interviews Connect with professional Associations Know what the company and industry expects Integrate research information into your interview answers Dress and speak professionally Professional Paperwork
#8 Consider Third Party Recruiters Employment Agencies, Search Firms, Contract Recruiters, Resume Referral Firms Inquire about the positions being filled or number of openings Your confidential information can only be shared with a prospective employer All candidates must be treated equally and fairly Who pays the fee? Make sure they are 100% employer paid
#9: Combine Your Job Search with Connecting with the World of Work Alumni internships Internships Coop positions Volunteering Conferences / Trade Shows Professional Association Meetings Create a Job Search Club with Friends Sacramento Professionals Network http://www.sacpronet.com/~spnadmin/
#10:Utilize Internet databases and sources to locate companies and functions. Examples include: www.aidb.com Companies/Functions Animation Industry www.efinancialcareers.com Finance Industry Jobs/Functions www.ecofirms.org Eco Friendly Companies Directory www.musiciansnetwork.com Companies/Functions in music industry www.idnmusic.com Global database for the indie music industry www.engnetblobal.com Engineering industry directory/database
#11: Search the Title and URL of Sites Go to Google: Type any of the following search strings: stem cell inurl:internship Intitle: psychology jobs human resources inurl:co-op California conservation inurl:intern stem cell research California inurl:internship
#12: Target Individual Contacts Contact a specific person by email or business letter New companies in the area Significant changes in personnel or company structure Identified need in the company that you can address or help resolve Online articles, publications and/or business publications, like the Business Journal
#13: Creative Approaches Trade Show Story Creating new job search strategies Creating new niches for your talents Finding hidden job opportunities Weighing the risk and benefit of creative strategies Connecting contacts with current events or media stories, i.e., Business Journal article
#14: Locate Summer Internships for Undergraduates Go to Google: Type the following search strings: Psychology undergraduate research summer 2012 internship
#15: Search the Internet to Locate Specific Companies Google Maps Specialized Industry Directory Websites Google Directory Use any of the following search strings: I-O Related Groups siop.org animation database PsycCareers at apa.org Use Google Maps to locate social services organization near Davis, CA
#16 Search the Internet for Specific Internship Listings Go to Google; Use the following search strings: Genetic counseling internship OR co-op California undergraduate internship California psychology majors Immunology internship sites http://people.rit.edu/~gtfsbi/symp/immunology.htm
#17: Use Career Connection and On-campus Recruiting in the Career Center, and other services! Go to the Career Center website Click: Career Connection Click: New user registration Enter username (Saclink ID) Enter registration password (sacramento) Create Student Account Click: Submit You will automatically receive a confirmation email with a new password that you can change once you login Search internships by keyword, College or Academic Department Orientation to On-Campus Recruiting Workshop http://www.csus.edu/careercenter/students/oncampus_r ecruitment/index.stm
#18:Use Academic Departments to Locate Internship Links Use Google to locate academic departments that have internship listings links: Type the following search strings: Psychology internships academic department department business internships department counseling internships site:*.edu
#19: Locate Internship Opportunities at a Specific Company or Sector: Go to Google.com Type the following search strings: internship OR co-op site:www..com neurobiology intern site:*.gov
#20: Sign-up for the NSM listserv and go to the Career Center website NSM page for links to internships: Go to: www.csus.edu/irt/web/listserv/subscribe.html Enter: CJCAREERS-L Enter: SOCIALANDRECCAREERS-L Enter: HEALTHCAREERS-L Enter: INTERNSHIPNEWS-L Enter: GOVCAREERS-L
#21: Volunteer Opportunities can be a great way to begin gaining experience Use: www.vounteersac.org www.handsonsacto.org www.volunteermatch.org www.idealist.org
#22: Local Hospitals Volunteer Programs is a great way for Pre-Health Students to Gain Experience Go to Google.com and search on the following: UC Davis Medical Center volunteer Sutter Medical Center Volunteer Services Mercy General Hospital Volunteer Services Shriners Hospital Sacramento Volunteer
During and After Your Job Search Debrief your interviews Evaluate your strategies Stay connected Take time for yourself: reenergize Get feedback on resume and interview techniques Have a positive attitude Use your resources Believe in yourself! Thank you