Where Do I Begin?
The First Step: Self-Assessment and Gathering Information
Starting or changing your career requires dedication and planning. To begin your job search, consider your values, interests, education, and geographic preferences, along with labor market trends.
Make time to think about the following questions, which can help guide your job search:
- What type of career or job would fulfill your career-related goals?
- What types of organizations hire within your intended career?
- What are the key skills, abilities, and knowledge that you would like to utilize in your career?
- What factors do you need to consider in your career search: Personal, professional, geographic?
- What is the job outlook for your field in the geographic region where you want to work?
The Second Step: Developing Your Tools:
A professional resume and a cover letter are the two most essential documents you will need to develop in your job search. The Career Services team at Ashland University encourages you to spend a great deal of time developing these documents so they are of the highest quality and represent you in the best way possible.
The Third Step: Strategy and Marketing
Many strategies exist to determine where to apply and how to find available positions. Some of the strategies include: Networking, utilizing social media, resume referrals, on-campus recruiting, attending career fairs, in-person visits, targeted mailing, internet searches, working with employment agencies, and internet searches.
Resources
Search Sites *
Job Search Manuals
These manuals, developed by Ashland University staff and faculty should provide information to help you guide your job search.
Networking Events
Salary Negotiation *
As you get further along in your job search process and begin to anticipate job offers it is very important that you are confident of your worth and become comfortable with salary negotiation.
* The Career Services Center at Ashland University provides links to external websites as a convenience and does not necessarily endorse all opportunities, organizations or employers and their representatives which may be listed within. Individuals are expected to determine the usefulness of each site and posting on an individual basis.
