Job Search

Getting Started

1. Think about what you want to do
   put together your preferences for a job
2. Prepare for your search
   prepare your resources
3. Implement your job search
   use many resources
4. Be proactive
   follow-up and be persistent
5. Top Ten Job Search Tips Handout
   summarizes the job search

Step 1: Think about what you want to do.

Having gained a wide variety of knowledge and experiences from the courses and labs you have taken as well from any internships you have held, you probably have a good idea of those things that you have enjoyed as well as those things you do not want to do. As you begin your job search, consider all of the possibilities of positions within your major, field of study and internship or work experience. 

Identify Employers and Industries, Geographic Location, Type of Projects, Atmosphere, and Size of Employer

• Dream of employers you would LOVE to work for!!  Wouldn't it be great to wake up each day excited about your work?
• What types of industries, issues, products or services do you find most interesting or valuable?
• Do you want to apply your engineering background to design, research, marketing or manufacturing?
• Do you want to work in the business (finance, investment banking), consulting, government or the nonprofit sector? Access the VAULT guides.

One part of making satisfying career decisions is exploring the question of where you want to work. This question looks at issues in addition to where you want to be geographically, such as, what individual employing organizations excite you and what type of working environment you desire. Clarifying what type of organization you prefer can help make your eventual job search manageable, show motivation and commitment to your potential employer, and lead to greater job satisfaction.

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Step 2: Prepare for your job search

• Have your resume reviewed by your CIT Career Consultant
• Practice your interview skills
• Attend Career Center workshops
• Meet with Lisa or Carol to discuss your search strategies.  Appointments may address one or more of the following topics:
  • Discussing job search strategies
  • Practicing interview skills
  • Giving you additional resources for your job search
  • Prioritizing values
  • Clarifying career or job objectives

• Put together a large list of employers that you would like to work for. Look beyond the obvious. The following sources may help you identify potential employers:
  • CareerSearch is a database of over 2 million potential employers nationwide (not job openings) and is a great resource for a specific geographic or industry search
  • Carnegie Mellon Online Alumni Directory can be used to network with CMU alumni (and click on search the directory)
  • Employers who hired last year’s CIT students
  • Leadership Development Job Opportunities for Engineering Graduates
  • On campus employers/interviews can be found at TartanTRAK
  • Job Fairs - Consider employers who have participated in CMU’s Job Fairs
  • Professional Engineering Associations and Organizations
  • Recruiting Business Cards is a database of employers’ (those that have interviewed students in the Career Center) business cards
  • Federal Jobs & Internships

• Research companies
  Conducting an effective job search requires a student to research and learn as much as possible about the potential employer.  The more you know about an employer, the more confident you are likely to feel and this translates into better communication and a more productive exchange. Thoroughly review the company’s web site to learn as much as possible about that company.

Information you should know about a potential employer:

• Size and structure of organization
• Location of facilities
• Product line, industry, service, clients, markets
• Past, current, potential growth
• The competition
• Stock history
• Length of time on assignments
• Training provisions
• Mission statement
• Recent news items and trends

• Attend Employer Information Sessions
  Over 250 Employer Information Sessions are held on campus each year in conjunction with on-campus recruiting.  These sessions are designed to introduce you to the employer and the employment opportunities available, and are an excellent way to learn about career fields and the variety of employers that visit campus.  Many employers choose to hold information sessions the night before campus interviews and most will expect you to attend if you are an interview candidate. However, never rely on employers to send you this information. Be proactive by using TartanTRAK to find upcoming presentations:

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Step 3. Implement your job search

A large part of your successful job search should be an active approach. This means actively sending out resumes, talking with lots of people about opportunities and looking for the hidden job market—that part of the job market that is not yet advertised. Find those hidden positions because not many seniors are applying to those yet! A smaller part of your job search can be applying to job postings, either on-line postings or paper postings. Keep in mind, that thousands of other seniors are also responding to those on-line postings.

• Actively pursue/contact your list companies, by sending your resume and cover letter, using the following strategies:
  • Email
  • Phone Call
  • U.S. Mail
  • Network (talk to everyone you know and ask the key phrase “Can you recommend someone to whom I can send my resume?”)
  • Job Fair
  • Employer Information Session
  • TartanTRAK
    

• Don’t let on-campus interviewing run your job search! Do not depend on TartanTRAK only for your job search. You need to use many strategies to have a successful job search.

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Step 4: Be proactive in your job search

Follow-up with employers (email or call) two weeks after you send a resume. Remind the employer who you are and then ask them details about the position and if they received your resume.

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