Job Search

Job Search & Interview

Mastering the Job Search Process

There are a number of approaches to a successful job search, but one element is central to all: the more prospective employers you contact, the better your chances of being hired. With this fundamental point in mind, consider these eight steps of a successful job search:

Develop a "prospects" list
Prepare a portfolio
Make contact with each employer
Prepare for the interview
Take charge of the interview
Follow through
Consider job offers carefully
Accept the job you want the most

1. Develop a "Prospects" List

Generate a list of all employers who may be in a position to hire a person with your qualifications and career interests. It is important to accurately record the names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers of the individuals who might be in a position to hire you.

Follow every possible lead in developing your "prospects" list: from employer directories to business periodicals, referrals from friends and relatives, newspaper leads, career-based websites, journals, professional organizations, conferences, corporate recruitment literature, etc. William Penn University is a member of the Iowa Private College Career Consortium, providing students with the opportunity to participate in interview days and career fairs.

2. Prepare a Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of documents that support your experiences, training and educational preparation. Your portfolio provides you with a means to document your accomplishments and demonstrate your growth in the profession. It provides a vehicle for you to "show and tell" about your achievements while illustrating your skills.

The portfolio may include a copy of your resume, academic transcript(s), certificates, photographs, project or lesson plans, and examples of communication, such as letters, brochures, web-copy, grant proposals, projects, newsletter or newspaper articles.

You may not always have the opportunity to show your portfolio during an interview. However, nothing is lost. You have accumulated a document that verifies your accomplishments, demonstrates your growth in the profession, and by going through the process of assembling the portfolio you have prepared yourself for the interview.

3. Make Contact with Each Employer

Present yourself in a letter or over the telephone in a manner that interests the prospective employer. Remember, the goal of your initial contact is to obtain a personal interview….not to get the job.

An effective introductory contact would indicate who you are, what you know about the current climate of the organization, and what service you can render to that organization to improve that climate. Employers must be convinced that your services will bring more value than cost to their organization. Presenting your qualifications in this manner can be done most effectively through written correspondence and through a confident personal interview.

Timing is important when making initial contacts. Where possible, contacts should be made four to six months ahead of your availability date. This length of time allows you to generate effective correspondence with employers, make follow-up contacts, and interview for positions without being in the disadvantageous situation of having to desperately find a job.

Always follow up on initial contacts by letter or telephone within three weeks of the first contact. Remember, the goal of your initial contact is to obtain a personal interview. Some employers completely ignore initial contacts and wait to respond to those candidates interested enough to follow through.

A telephone call is effective if your initial contact was by mail. Written follow up attempts are generally ineffective. A second letter is just as easy to avoid as a first letter. Record the name of the person you speak to and be courteous and respectful. Too many job seekers are unsuccessful because they spend all their time trying to the reach the employer and too little time attempting to gain the support and assistance of other employees.

4. Prepare for the Interview

Your preparation for the interview should focus on two principal areas:

1. Self-Assessment: Who are you? What are your objectives in life? What are your skills and interests? Define as clearly as possible your career goals and aspirations. Consider your strengths and weaknesses. Closely examine your aptitudes, educational background, and work experience. What can you do for an employer? A self-assessment will enable you to approach the interview with poise and confidence, and regardless of your field of interest, both of these personal qualities are highly valued by employers.

2. Employer Assessment: Careful research on companies, schools, non-profit organizations, and government agencies is a wise investment of your time. Such research will not only reflect your maturity, but will also enable you to raise important questions during the interview which will further enhance the impression you make on a prospective employer. Above all, bear in mind that you are seeking a career, not just a job.

Learn as much as you can about the organization with which you are interviewing. What are the company's principal products or services? What are the school's primary concerns? What are the needs of the employer? Interviewers are highly impressed by candidates who are familiar with the organization they represent. Thus, the candidate who does his/her "homework" will be far ahead of the competition.

5. Take Charge of the Interview

In its simplest form, the interview is an exchange of information between two persons: you and the employer. Your mission is to impress a prospective employer with information about yourself and particularly your skills, experience, goals and objectives in hopes of receiving an offer of employment. Thus, the interview should be approached with enthusiasm and confidence, for it is your opportunity to take charge and sell yourself.

The interview process usually consists of a screening interview (which may occur on site), a second interview (sometimes referred to as a "selection interview" or "plant trip"), and either an employment offer or rejection on the basis of your interview performance.

The initial screening interview allows a dialogue between you and the employer that permits you to evaluate each other. Since most on-site interviews are scheduled for only thirty minutes, you will not have a great deal of time to describe your background, abilities, and aspirations, nor to inquire in detail about the particular employer. It is of paramount importance, then, that you research the employer thoroughly prior to presenting yourself for an interview. Most organizations furnish literature specifically for this purpose. It follows that recruiters expect candidates to be well-prepared for interviews, and not just "shopping around."

Current employment literature indicates that there is a strong trend towards Behavior Based Interviewing. This type of interviewing focuses on experiences, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities that are job related. It is based on the belief that past behavior and performance predicts future behavior and performance. For a complete review of Behavior Based Interviewing, click here.

Questioning the interviewer with logical and well-conceived questions indicates a genuine interest in the organization. Sincere interest on your part promotes interest from others and may facilitate useful dialogue during the interview. On the other hand, questions which are not logical and well-defined will result in a negative impression. Therefore, carefully prepare for the interview by reading the organization's recruiting materials, by talking with others who may be familiar with the organization, and, if necessary, by preparing a list of questions to ask during the interview.

Sample Questions:

How is performance judged, and by whom?
What is the relationship between older and younger employees?
How does this position contribute to the chief goal of the company?

6. Follow Through

Acknowledge your interview with a personal letter, thanking the employer for his or her time and indicating your continued interest in the position. Confirm where the employer can reach you if they require further information or would like to schedule a second interview.

Be prepared to respond to the employer's decision. If you are not selected for the job, courteously inquire if the employer knows of other contacts or organizations that may help you in your search. If your status is as yet undetermined, obtain a date when you can check back, and then do so. Record this date and be sure to follow through. If the employer is interested in further pursuing your candidacy, follow through with a letter confirming the details of your subsequent interview. As always, keep all your contacts courteous and professional, and be persistent.

7. Consider the Offers

As a general rule, you should pursue as many job offers as possible in order to select the best position available. Each job offer should be evaluated in terms of your long-range goals and aspirations and should not be assessed solely on monetary considerations. Some of the factors you should consider in evaluating job offers are the following:

Is the field one you prefer?
Will the position fully utilize your abilities?
What is the professional caliber of your potential co-workers?
Is the locality a good place to live and work?
What is the organization's size, growth rate, market potential, and competitiveness?
Are you familiar with the specific duties and responsibilities of the position?
What is the potential for advancement?
What is the starting salary?
What is the long-term salary outlook?
What opportunities are offered first-year graduates?
What is the organization's biggest concern at this time?

If you are selected for the position, thank the employer and confirm the details of your transition to the company. A letter of appreciation is an appropriate and gracious gesture.

Teacher Education Job Search

We encourage students in the teacher education program to establish a credential file. Most students elect to start their file the semester prior to student teaching or at the beginning of the semester in which they student teach. It is to your advantage not to wait until you begin the job search process to establish a file. You need to keep in mind that the individuals you ask to write a positive letter on your behalf may have other obligations and often need time to write a quality letter for you. Planning ahead is important.

To establish a credential file, contact the Education office at credentials@wmpenn.edu to arrange an appointment with a staff member. During the appointment the staff member will review policies regarding credentials, reference forms, and how to request a credential file to be sent to a school district. There is a $15.00 registration fee for the credential establishment. The fee covers 15 sets of credentials.

William Penn University is a member of the All-Iowa Education Placement Consortium, which allows students and alums special privileges. As an alum or current student you may register for an annual fee of $45.00 to:

Post your resume on-line for educators to preview
Schedule interviews with prospective employers
Be referred directly to positions at an employer's request
Access job and graduate assistantship listings

You can take advantage of the consortium by registering on-line at http://www.uni.edu/careercenter/student/index.html or by contacting the Education department in Penn Hall Room 102 or by email at careerservices@wmpenn.edu.

As a general rule, you should pursue as many job offers as possible in order to select the best position available. Each teaching job should be evaluated in terms of your long-range goals and aspirations and should not be assessed solely on monetary considerations. Some of the factors you should consider in evaluating job offers are the following:

What is the relationship between the community and the school?
Do you agree with the philosophy of the school?
Is the curriculum acceptable?
Are auxiliary services suitable?
Are instructional materials sufficient?
Are class size and teaching schedules reasonable?

Conclusion

Only you will be able to translate your job search strategy into action. To do this you must be clear about your values. You will need to know yourself your interests, skills, hopes and aspirations. Whether you succeed in reaching your goal will depend to a great extent on your open-mindedness to new opportunities, your confidence in exposing yourself to new situations and approaches, your persistence in overcoming obstacles, and the clarity with which you view various alternatives. All told, it amounts to a lot of hard work, but if you are willing to roll up your sleeves, it can also amount to innumerable career choices.

As challenging, time-consuming and exasperating as your job search may be, remember that your success in this important process is the ultimate measure by which the return on your educational investment will be calculated. You've spent a long time and a great deal of money getting this far. A successful job search is what is necessary to make the investment pay off.

Take full advantage of the resources and services of the career services office. We are here to help assure a bountiful return on your educational investment.