Supplemental slides from UBC Career Services' Crash Course on Careers

1. crash course
on careers
THE JOB SEARCH

2. HOW TO SEARCH FOR A JOB
Photo credit: compujeramy via Flickr

3. Big Picture
• Recent grads can expect job search to last 6-
12 months
• As part of your job search, you may do some
or all of the following:
• apply online
• approach companies with a general resume
• identify other “target” jobs
• volunteer
• work a temporary job
• conduct an info interview
careers.ubc.ca

4. Where is “The Hidden Job Market”?
Identify other “target” jobs
Approach companies without
active postings
Volunteer
80% Work a temporary job
Conduct an info interview
20% Apply
Online
careers.ubc.ca

5. How do most people find work?
• Online job posting
• Volunteering
• Career fair / drop off resume in person
• Referral or recommendation
careers.ubc.ca

6. How would I spend my time?
• Typical day may look like:
– 8:00 am check email and respond
– 9:00 am search for job postings
– 10:00 am volunteer
– 1:00 pm write cover letters and resumes
– 4:00 pm play a sport/see a friend
• Looking for work can quickly become a 8-4 job
careers.ubc.ca

7. FOLLOWING UP:
PERSISTENCE OR PETULANCE?
Photo credit: Trace Meek via Flickr

8. Common Challenge # 1
Situation Strategy
• Employers send out an • Wait 5 business days after
auto-response after you submitting your application
submit your application to hear back.
AND/OR • Follow up with a phone call
• Days go by and you haven’t or email to restate your
been called by “Dream interest in the job
Company” for an interview
careers.ubc.ca

9. Common Challenge # 2
Situation Strategy
• Employers ask you to • Find someone to follow up
submit your application to a with at the company.
generic address , e.g. • When you speak with them,
careers@dreamcompany.com or send an email, ask if
they’ve decided yet who
will be interviewed.
• If not, be prepared to share
your top 3 reasons why you
should be.
careers.ubc.ca

10. The Rules of Follow-up
• It can take people up to 5 business days to
respond to voice mail or email. Be patient.
• Be consistent. Follow up again if you have yet
to hear back.
• Try to mix up your method of following up.
Phone calls or emails are appropriate.
• *** If the employer has said “NO PHONE
CALLS PLEASE” consider that a warning – try
an email instead
careers.ubc.ca

11. Finding Someone to Follow Up with
• Call the general line and ask who is responsible for hiring this
particular role
• Ask for their email address and phone number. You can also
ask if that person has a preference for phone calls or emails
• Instead, try using sites like LinkedIn to search through a
company profile for the Human Resources staff.
• Some of these staff will openly post their email addresses on
this site, or on the company’s website
• Avoid following up to general inboxes careers@company.com.
They are often filled with applicants and spam.
careers.ubc.ca

12. Sample Follow-up email

13. The realities of job search
• Most candidates do not follow up
• Even more are concerned that following-up is
being “too aggressive”
careers.ubc.ca

14. From the employers point of view…
• They have a large stack of unknown people
• Hiring is time consuming and can be risky
• There is less risk and less time if a company
already knows about a potential candidate
careers.ubc.ca

15. There are a Referred by a
friend
number of ways
you can make a Information
Interview
company aware of Meet recruiter
who you are @ career fair
Follow-up by
phone/email
Apply Apply
online online
VS

16. Finding Career Fairs
• careers.ubc.ca Event Calendar
• Employers on campus, career fairs, recruitment fairs
• Most occur September-November and January-March
• biv.com Date Book
• Events around the Lower Mainland
• Colour coded by event type
• Local newspapers
• Company websites
careers.ubc.ca

17. Information Interview
• 15-30 minute meeting
• Convenient for interviewee
• You ask questions that matter to you:
• How did you get started in the industry?
• What major did you pick? How important is it that I
have a particular major?
• Do I need to go to grad school? If so, when?
• Where did you find your first job?
• What did you learn that you didn’t anticipate?
careers.ubc.ca

18. Friends and family can also help
• Some of the people in your “network” can suggest
potential employers that may be of interest
• Some postings get circulated by email before they
are posted online. Friends and family could forward
anything of interest on to you
• Friends and family could talk to potential employers
they know (colleagues, supervisors, etc.)
• Family probably should not submit applications or
drop-off applications for you
careers.ubc.ca

19. Your friends, family, community, or profs can suggest
positions before they’re posted online
Faculty
Family Past Employers
YOU Mentors
Community
Friends

20. Remember, each of these people has their own
network as well
Faculty
Family Past Employers
YOU Mentors
Community
Friends

21. Final Tips
• Follow up
• Look for options in a variety of places
• People will help you with your job search, so
reach out!
careers.ubc.ca