The 7 Basic Steps of a Successful Job Hunt
Posted on Thursday, September 7th, 2017
With fall coming and a new school year starting, now is a great time to revisit the basics of a successful job or placement hunt. Love it or hate it, job hunting is a necessary part of life. The skills that you learn while looking for a co-op placement will come up time and time again throughout your professional career.
Today, we look at the basics of this process, from start to finish. We’ve also included a lot of links to previous articles we published, all of which go into further detail about the job hunt. As always, if you have any other questions for us, you can contact our office and we’ll help you out.
Step One: Identifying Your Skills
Before you start on your job hunt, you need to take the time and figure out what your skills are. During the whole job hunt process, your job is to always be proving to employers that you’re the perfect hire for their organization. This means knowing what your skills are—what qualities do you have that set you apart from everyone else?
As an Algonquin College co-op student, you have access to Module 2 on Blackboard in your Co-op Preparation Semester folder. This will walk you through the process of identifying your skills and then using those skills in your job search. Be sure to read over all your modules to be well-prepared for the co-op process.
In addition to the information in the Modules, we have a guide to identifying your transferable skills on our blog. Transferable skills are skills that you carry with you at any position, and they’re super important to stand out from your peers.
Once you’ve followed these guidelines, write down all your skills. Keep that list handy—you’ll be referring back to it through your whole job hunt.
Step Two: Perfecting Your Resume
Now that you have a good grasp on what your skills are, it’s time to make sure that your resume is good to go.
First, be sure to visit Module 3 on Blackboard. In co-op, we have specific expectations for your resume, so be sure you’re playing by those rules. You can also check out our blog for some in-depth advice on writing resumes here and here.
Your resume is more than a biography of the work you’ve done. It’s a device to show to employers how your specific experience makes you perfectly qualified for their job. That means that every sentence on your resume should be telling the employer why your experience matters—not just what you did. What skills did you pick up at that job that will help you at this new job?
Step Three: Finding References
Now it’s time to identify some references. These are people your potential employer will contact, typically after the interview, to see what your work history is like.
Always be sure to contact your references before you pass their info along, to make sure they’re comfortable giving you a reference. We have detailed instructions on how to do this here.
Step Four: Finding Jobs
Now you’re ready to look for jobs. There are a number of methods to job hunting, and it’s important that you explore all of them.
Start saving appropriate jobs, but don’t apply just yet—we’re still missing a key component of your application package.
Online Job Boards
It’s likely that using online job boards is the method of job hunting that you’re most familiar with. It’s definitely the easiest.
As an Algonquin College co-op student, you have access to HireAC. HireAC is our own job board, where co-op opportunities are listed by program. This is great for you—it means that you see all the jobs that you are qualified for in a single list.
Other job boards to explore are Indeed, Talent Egg, Monster, or FSWEP (the Canadian government student employment program).
Cold Calling Employers
Another way of finding work is getting in touch with organizations you want to work for, even if they’re not openly hiring. This can be an intimidating thing to do, but you may end up with your dream job!
See how to properly cold call potential employers here.
Networking
Finally, networking. This is probably one of the biggest ways of job hunting. It involves going to events and connecting with people in real life. It’s the most time-consuming, but you stand to get a job, a mentor, or a new friend.
The best way to get into networking is to find a friend who will go to events with you, and start heading out. Click here to see how to find networking events in Ottawa.
Step Five: Writing Your Cover Letter
Now you have a list of intriguing jobs, a strong resume, and a list of four or so references willing to vouch for you. Now it’s time to write your cover letter.
Your cover letter is a really important component of your job search. More than your resume, it gives you a chance to catch the eye of the recruiters and tell your story—essentially, tell them why you rock. It should match up with the job posting, which is why each cover letter you write should be unique.
While writing your cover letter, always remember that your goal is to tell employers why your experience makes you the ideal hire. If you don’t have industry experience, it’s a really good place to briefly explain why your non-industry experience is important.
Your cover letter is a powerful tool, so be sure not to skip this step.
Step Six: Getting Interviewed
Congratulations! Your efforts have been successful, and an employer has called you for an interview.
The interview process can differ greatly depending on your industry. Despite this, there are some key guidelines: dress appropriately, come prepared, and try not to be too nervous—remember, employers want to like you. They want you to be their ideal candidate. All you have to do is show them that you are.
If you’re a co-op student at Algonquin College, you can attend mock interviews with your co-op consultant for awesome practice before your real interview. Contact your consultant here.
Practicing beforehand is the key to a successful interview. Get comfortable with the STAR method of answering behavioural questions, and check out our tips on acing your interview here.
Step Seven: Keep Going
Finding a job or co-op position can be a long process, so keep applying and stay positive. If you’re doing all this work, you’ll find a job soon!
If you would like to learn more about the Algonquin College co-op program, please visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623. You can also follow us on Twitter @AlgonquinCoop.
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