Job & Salary Offers

Do your homework. 
The key to successful salary negotiation is knowledge, so don’t let the advantage fall to the employer by not doing all of your homework in discovering such things because the salary range of the work therein particular company, salary ranges in your industry, typical benefits, and other key information.



 
Know what to expect. Don’t be one among those job-seekers that focus only on money… confirm to guage the whole compensation package. 

Salaries:
 knowing how much money you are going to receive in your paycheck is important -- and you should make sure you take into account such factors as base salary, overtime pay, cost-of-living allowances (and differences), salary review periods.

Benefits:
 there is almost an unlimited number of potential benefits packages offered by employers.
 Some employers just offer them, some pay all of the costs, some pay part of the costs. 
Benefits include such things as vacation days, sick days, personal days, paid company holidays, pension plans, stock ownership plans, insurance , dental/eye insurance, life assurance , and more.







Know when to expect it.
 A cardinal sin of job-hunting is when the job-seeker raises the salary issue before the employer is prepared to form a suggestion .
 On the opposite hand, an employer could make a suggestion on the primary interview, so you would like to be ready to read the clues and be prepared.

Know how to negotiate.
 Information is power. 
In order to be more successful with salary negotiation, you need to have as much -- or more -- information as the employer. There are plenty of places on the Web where you can find information. .




Follow-up


Importance.
 You MUST be proactive if you plan to be successful in your job search.
 Employers -- in any kind of labor market -- are not going to be banging down your door looking for you. 
You need to follow-up all your contact with employers -- either by phone or by mail, depending on the circumstances.





Thank you letters.
 Remember all those times as a kid when your parents made you write thank you notes to distant friends and relatives who sent you presents on special occasions? 
Well, guess what? That lesson in manners will pay off for you because you would be surprised at how few job-seekers send thank you letters to potential employers.
Remember,
 your goal is differentiating yourself from the other job-seekers and this small gesture can really pay off for you.


Follow-up phone calls.
 Not everybody is at ease making phone calls, 
but you NEED to do so if you really want the job.

 If you say you are going to contact an employer -- and in your job search letters you should do so -- then you must follow-up and actually make the phone call

 Job-Hunting on the Internet




Expectations. 
Job-hunting on the Internet is not some magic elixir that will guarantee that you find a job.
 For most job-seekers, you should spend no more than about 20% of your time and effort looking for a job online, though job-seekers in the technology/computer industry might be wise to spend up to 50% of your time looking for a job online.









Strategy.
General job sites: 
there are a number of job sites that cater to all job-seekers. These sites have job listings -- and most allow resume postings -- for just about all job levels and industries.
 Some of these include HotJobs.com, FlipDog.com, CareerShop.com, and others. 

College graduate job sites:
 there are a number of job sites whose main focus is specifically for college students, so the jobs tend to be more entry-level.
Most of these sites have job listings and allow resume postings. We suggest you visit JobsDirect.com and CollegeRecruiter.com, and others. 

Industry-specific job sites:
 just about every industry now has at least one job site, if not more. These sites have the advantage of job openings for your specific industry. Most of these sites have job listings and allow resume postings. 







Company sites:
 more and more, employers are using their company Websites to list job openings and recruit job-seekers. If you have a list of specific companies in mind, we suggest you go directly to their Websites.


Network, Network, Network

Importance
. Career experts estimate that the overwhelming majority of job openings are never advertised or publicly announced, but filled through word-of-mouth or networking - referred to as the "hidden job market." 

Who. Everyone! Is everyone an exaggeration? Perhaps, but we’re trying to make the point that really anyone can and should be in your network: family, friends (and their families), neighbors, school/college counselors and advisers, teachers and professors, former employers, and anyone else who might have an interest in helping you find the job of your dreams.





Informational Interviews.
 A really cool way of learning more about an industry and career path - as well as building your network -- is through the use of informational interviews. 
The purpose of the informational interview is to get information, to not get employment .

 Gaining Experience

All the employers we've talked to recently about college graduates stress the importance of experience.
 These employers want college grads who not only have the educational background, but have one or more types of work experiences.

Here are the types of experiences college students can expect to have:






Internships.

 One of the best types of work experiences.
 Internships involve working part-time in your expected career field, either during one of the semesters or over the summer.
 Besides gaining valuable experience, you get exposed to the business environment and gain valuable references and people for your network. 

Summer Jobs. 

These jobs are not always in your field of interest and may even seem to be simply a way of saving money for school, but having any kind of work experience is valuable and many offer transferable skills that carry over to other jobs.

 You can read more about summer jobs and find links to top summer job






Campus Jobs (work-study)
.
 Many students simply see work-study as a form of financial aid, but you can make the most of your experiences by identifying key skills you use on the job.

Entrepreneurial/self-employed jobs: 

a growing number of students have started their own businesses - whether traditional ones, such as lawn maintenance business or emerging ones, such as a Web-based business.
Make sure to include these on your resume.

Temporary Work.

 Some students work for temporary agencies doing a variety of work. 
Where you've done professional work or work with good transferable skills, make sure to include it on your resume.




Volunteer work -- 
school, church, club, not-for-profit organizations: working for one of these groups can be a win-win, where you are helping out your community and you can be gaining valuable skills and experience.

Research Papers/Projects. 
Especially if you do not have a lot of work experience, don't rule out the experience related to senior theses, term papers, and group projects.
Certification Courses
 Many industries, such as technology, offer special certifications, which can add experience for you as well as add value to you as a potential employee.

Campus Activity Positions.
 Key experiences -- especially leadership positions -- you had in various campus organizations should be included on your resume.




Fraternity/Sorority/Social Club Positions.
 If you've held important leadership roles or been involved in a major project(s), you should list these on your resume.

Extracurricular or Sports Leadership Positions.
 Some employers look specifically for athletic experiences because of the belief that being an athlete helps build team working and leadership skills.

 Resumes and Cover Letters

Resume Resources to get you started.
 If you have never written a resume or have not updated your resume in a while - or you are looking for information about other types of resumes -- 









Cover Letter Resources to get you started.


 Your covering letter may be a key marketing tool and you would like to make certain that you simply are writing a dynamic covering letter that draws the interest of potential employers. 


Obtain critiques of your resume and canopy letters from members of your network.

 Because the evaluation of resumes and cover letters are so subjective, your best bet is to show your drafts to as many people as possible -- family, professors, career experts, former employers, etc. -- and ask for their feedback.

Post your resume on the Internet 

there are just so many opportunities to have your resume seen that you should at least take advantage of some of these resources.










 Interviewing



Learn to Research Companies. 
One of the secrets of great interviewing is knowing something about the company where you are looking for a job. It's amazing how far a little information can go in creating a positive Impression. 
How do you find that information? Check out the resources wit

Practice, Practice, Practice. How do you get better at interviewing? By repeated preparation and interviews.
 Here are some avenues to gain more experience and practice.

Mock Interviews.

 Most college career centers provide opportunities for students to participate in practice interviews with a career counselor.
 Besides the experience of the actual interview, you will also get some detailed feedback about your interviewing strengths and weaknesses. 









On-campus Interviews.

 Numerous companies visit college campus to recruit graduating seniors, and while we are not advocating participating in any and all interviews,
 you should definitely take the opportunity to interview with some of these companies and gain more confidence and experience. 

Lists of Frequently Asked Questions. 

There are many lists of typical questions interviewers ask and what you need to do is get a hold of one of these lists and prepare your responses. You can find such a list  to gain Confidence and Enthusiasm.

These two attributes are key to successful interviews.

 Career Services


Register.
 You're not going to get anywhere until you register with the career services office at your college.


Services. 
There you'll find all sorts of resources and help in preparing for a successful job search, including help with your cover letter and resume, interviewing help, on-campus recruiting, and many other services.






On-campus Recruiting.
 Only a small number of all companies recruit on college campuses, but you still may find some gems there so make sure you follow the announcements -- and then sign up for interviews with companies that interest you.

Your Job Search Plan worksheet

Your Job Search Plan/job search action plan






Determine the job you want

The very first thing you need to do is determine the exact thing you want to do in your job.

 If you really have no idea, first make a list of the things you like to do and the things that you feel are a strength for you.

If you already have an idea -- you are a marketing major, but just aren’t sure what in marketing you would like to do -- then your next step is investigating various job titles in your area of interest.

Determine where you want to live

Are you open to relocating, or do you have a very specific geographic location in mind?

 If you have a specific location in mind, then your next step is identifying the companies that have offices/plants/locations in those areas. 

Probably the best way to identify these companies is through local chambers of commerce or other business directories.

If you are opening to relocating, then you can move on to the next step. 

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Determine the best companies for you

You need to make some decisions about the types of companies that fit your needs, style, and personality. Examine such issues as the size of the company, corporate culture, management style, employee empowerment, and other issues of importance to you. 

Determine your search strategy

On-campus recruiting , no matter what size your college or university, there are a certain number of companies that recruit on your campus. 

You need to investigate what companies are coming and plan on interviewing with some of them -- even if only for the experience 

Career Fairs

 many college and universities sponsor fairs, many local or regional communities sponsor fairs, and some industries have their own fairs. 

Go to as many as makes sense. 

Networking 

 one of the still-hidden gems of job-hunting and one of the keys to a successful job search. 

Direct mail campaign

 the traditional method still works, where you identify a number of companies and specific hiring managers and send them a dynamic cover letter and superior resume in hope of obtaining some interviews. 

Internet job sites 

 one of the most talked about areas of recruiting and one that can work for you…just don’t put all your efforts here and ignore other job-hunting methods.

Company Web sites

 

many employers now post all sorts of employment and job listings on their Web sites, so if you have some specific companies in mind, you should definitely take advantage of it. 

Job postings, classified ads

such a small percentage of jobs are ever advertised -- as few as 5% of all jobs -- that your chance of success in landing the job of your dreams from this method are only slightly better than your chances of winning the lottery.