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live your life in your own way, to reach for the goals you have set for
yourself,
to be the you that you want to be -- that is success"
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Week 1: Before you start your job search you should first do some research about yourself to be able to describe your skills: academic, personal management, teamwork, etc. To identify your employability strengths and weaknesses visit the Prior Learning Assessment website. To get you started on your own skills analysis visit the Human Resources Development Canada's WorkSearch site. The "Who am I?" Career Quizzes can assist you with finding out about your work interests, styles and preferences. I found them very helpful.
Week 2: Once you have your resume and cover letter ready, give it to your friends and family for proofreading. They may find some mistakes that you accidentally overlooked. You may also have it checked by SFU Career Centre employees. At least it worked for me and helped me to feel more comfortable about my job application.
Week 3: Most firms still require you to fax them your resume and cover letter. Those that prefer an electronic version of your work application usually accept it in text format (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf). Only some employers like Word format (.doc) but you have to be careful which version you use since they may not have the newest one. To find out more about that dilemma refer to "Get Wired, You're Hired" book, available at SFU Career Centre.
Week 4: After talking with some professionals in the field I found out that the job market has become more difficult to enter for fresh graduates. It is because of the slowdown in the economy and drastic cuts in technology spending. I am considering to phone a few companies and talk to if their hire new graduates.
Week 5: I decided to modify my cover letter since the old one didn't bring me any interview yet. I once read that sometimes a small change (but the right one) can make a big difference in terms of your job-search effectiveness.
Week 6: I continue to network with professionals in the industry and this is my advise: Try to network with as many professionals in the industry as you can. From my experience I know that this is a very time consuming activity but is believed to be the most effective way to land you a job. However, don't wait until your graduation. Start early! By the time you become ready to look for a job you will know exactly who to talk to.
Week 7: If you don't know how or where to start building your network, consider the following website: The SFU On-line Community. It has been designed to provide opportunities to network with other graduates and students, and to continually explore your career and education options. Take some time to explore the On-line Community and learn about all its features, especially Mentors On-line. To gain access to the website you can register directly by completing the New Member Sign Up form or at SFU Career Centre. You may also want to pay a visit to SFU Career Services and find out about employers coming to campus, and any other great services and events organized by our university.
Week 8: Another way to get to know people who are already working in the IT industry is to attend professional job fairs. Check Computer Paper or some other publications for exact dates. I know that at first you may feel quite uncomfortable surrounded by people with way more expertise but the more you get out there, the better you will feel about yourself and your future career.
Week 9: If you plan to visit some companies and drop off your resume and cover letter, make sure you have a meeting scheduled with a human resources manager. I found out from my own experience that it is extremely hard to get through to a manager if you don't let him/her know in advance. Remember, they have very busy schedules.
Week 10: It is OK to just leave your application at the front desk of the company you want to apply to, but in my opinion it is worth while to actually meet with someone and personally deliver it. If you don't know where to get a name of a human resources manager from, call the company and ask a receptionist. Sometimes you may get discouraged by hearing that the only way to apply is on-line or by leaving your application at the front desk, but usually they will give it you.
Week 11: Always dress professionally, no matter if you go to a company just to drop off your resume/cover letter or for an interview. It is better to look as if you were already working for a company rather than looking for a job.
Week 12: Don't loose faith. Job search not only seems like a full time position, but may also take a long time until you get your first interview. Be confident and persistent, sometimes it may take many phone calls, visits to a company and meetings with a human resources manager until you finally get your idea job. Good luck to all of you.
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