This strategy is one of the most effective ways for the graduating college student to develop interviews. It provides three advantages. First, the student selects the companies with which he wants to interview. Second, he's assured that an opening is at the entry level and that no previous work experience is required. Third, his educational background will always be respected by a potential employer
Some college placement offices also maintain a databank, categorized by industry, of where its alumni work. This will provide excellent leads. The databank can be used by alumni as well.
2. Job Fairs
Job fairs are events where employers rent booths or rooms at a central location to meet with local residents who are looking for work. The employers are usually from the immediate area and they often hold these functions at a community center, hotel, or school. Frequently they're seeking specific types of backgrounds and have multiple openings for each position. These events are therefore not for individuals pursuing management- and executive-level responsibilities.
Job fairs are advertised in the classified section of Sunday newspapers. Many are also listed in National Business Employment Weekly's "Calendar of Events" section (sometimes they are advertised as well).
A job fair presents the opportunity to meet with many differ ent companies within a short period of time. It's like doing one-stop shopping. Because it's so easy to talk to people, it's also an excellent way to network. Due to the visibility job-seekers have, though, it's seldom appropriate for people who are currently employed.
If you go to a job fair, bring plenty of copies of your resume. Also get business cards from the company representatives you speak with, and write them thank-you letters the next day. (How to write a thank-you letter is explained later in another article) Although the atmosphere at a job fair will be casual and informal, always dress and act professionally Remember that you're really at a job interview.
3. On-Line Job-Listing Services
If you have a computer with a modem (or have access to one), you can subscribe to a computer-based service that lists job openings. Also known as computer bulletin boards, these job lists are provided by professional societies, trade associations, trade publications, government agencies, college placement offices, and commercial electronic database companies. Often the positions that are listed have never been advertised. They may also be located anywhere in the country.
Sometimes there's no charge for the use of this service, except for routine charges from your telephone company Commercial operators, however, always charge an access fee, usually around $50 for a three-month period of time. Some organizations require that you be a member before you can use their service.
Many services list jobs in only one industry or field. Others offer jobs in up to as many as two dozen different occupational categories. A few operators of bulletin boards also list jobs according to geographic area, and/or accept resumes electronically and then fax them to potential employers.
If you think you might want to try one of these services, find out how often its list is updated. The more current the information, the less downtime you'll have pursuing positions that are no longer available. There's often a delay between the time a company fills a position and when it notifies the operator of this situation.
To find out the organizations that provide these services, con tact Coastal Associates Publishing, 1 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 ([212] 503-3500). Each month this company publishes "The Computer Shopper," which describes bulletin boards throughout the country. These job lists are sorted by telephone area code.
4. Resume Databases
Resume databases are operated by companies that take basic information from your resume and input it into their electronic database. Employers that are on-line clients of these services then access the database and ask for certain characteristics. When your background contains the traits an employer is seeking, you'll be contacted for more information and possibly an interview. Some opera tors of resume databases will also review their files and perform this search function for companies that are not on-line clients.
Annual fees for this service range from as little as $25 to several hundred dollars, often depending on how many job or industry categories you wish to be listed under in the database. Some firms charge a one-time fee that entitles you to a lifetime membership.
A potential problem with this job-hunting technique is its lack of confidentiality. Some services, however, are able to put you on their database and withhold your name, address, and telephone number.
If you want to try this approach, ask the operator of the database how many employers are using it as well as how many resumes have been reviewed during the past 12 months. This is a new service and you might find that there aren't enough organizations participating in it to make it worth your while. Likewise, many companies feel that there aren't enough job candidates on a database to make it useful to them. Also find out what industries or fields the employers are in, the size of these companies, and where they are located.
