4. Network with family, friends, acquaintances and business contacts. Networking can be one of the most important steps in your career search. It generates a continuous supply of contacts and helps you discover where the openings are. The average networking meeting results in three contacts, and it usually takes three levels of networking before you reach a decision-maker at a target company. 5. Conduct informational interviews with people you view as successful in your profession or industry. Many people who work in your field or industry will agree to talk to you even if there is no job opening. You can learn a great deal from these interviews—they're rarely a waste of your time. 6. Compile a target list of companies that best suit your needs. Researching companies is much easier if you have access to the Internet since most companies have a home page. Don't forget the library, too, which has all the standard business reference works such as Standard and Poor's. 7. If possible, work as an intern in your field of interest or consider taking interim assignments. Interim or contract work is growing faster than anyone can track, and interim management firms have emerged to expedite the process. And often, temporary assignments turn into full-time assignments. 8. Learn how to interview successfully. Listen carefully to interviewers. Be open to their sequence of questions and don't try to control the interview. Be prepared to answer not only the inevitable questions about your strengths and weaknesses, but behavior questions that demand specific examples as well. There's probably no better way to land a good job than to be "found" by a professional recruiter conducting a search on behalf of a client. Even though this is not likely to happen to the average new graduate, it's never too early to cultivate a friendly relationship with recruiters who specialize in your field. Although search firms get hundreds of unsolicited resumes every week, the advent of computerized data entry and retrieval allows for greater candidate credential retention than ever before. And if you're career goals include high-tech functions or industries, your resume may be of immediate interest to a recruiter.
4. Network with family, friends, acquaintances and business contacts. Networking can be one of the most important steps in your career search. It generates a continuous supply of contacts and helps you discover where the openings are. The average networking meeting results in three contacts, and it usually takes three levels of networking before you reach a decision-maker at a target company. 5. Conduct informational interviews with people you view as successful in your profession or industry. Many people who work in your field or industry will agree to talk to you even if there is no job opening. You can learn a great deal from these interviews—they're rarely a waste of your time. 6. Compile a target list of companies that best suit your needs. Researching companies is much easier if you have access to the Internet since most companies have a home page. Don't forget the library, too, which has all the standard business reference works such as Standard and Poor's. 7. If possible, work as an intern in your field of interest or consider taking interim assignments. Interim or contract work is growing faster than anyone can track, and interim management firms have emerged to expedite the process. And often, temporary assignments turn into full-time assignments. 8. Learn how to interview successfully. Listen carefully to interviewers. Be open to their sequence of questions and don't try to control the interview. Be prepared to answer not only the inevitable questions about your strengths and weaknesses, but behavior questions that demand specific examples as well. There's probably no better way to land a good job than to be "found" by a professional recruiter conducting a search on behalf of a client. Even though this is not likely to happen to the average new graduate, it's never too early to cultivate a friendly relationship with recruiters who specialize in your field. Although search firms get hundreds of unsolicited resumes every week, the advent of computerized data entry and retrieval allows for greater candidate credential retention than ever before. And if you're career goals include high-tech functions or industries, your resume may be of immediate interest to a recruiter.
Winning_the_Career_Game.docx