Job Search

Starting your Job Search

Many say that the job search is like taking an additional class in your final year of college. It’s a process and it does take time. However, if you plan ahead, organize your search, and remain optimistic, you will have a more effective and productive job search experience.

Job boards are helpful but relied upon too much as the primary way to find a job. Be certain that you have reflected on what you most want, so you can narrow your search by criteria such as location, industry, and job function. These platforms and websites are helpful for researching organizations, so you have more insight into salary, organizational structure, and company culture.

The most effective job search includes networking and proactive outreach strategies. Not all jobs are posted online or on the same websites; the more you connect with others, you can tap into the hidden job market. Be proactive and targeted in your search. Applying to 10 well-researched opportunities while leveraging personal, faculty, and alumni referrals is far more effective than applying to 100 jobs on Indeed.com.

  • Relationships are Key: Reach out to faculty, mentors, alumni and colleagues to get direct referrals and introductions.
  • Target Employers: Research organizations that interest you. Follow and engage with them on LinkedIn. Look for friends or alumni who work at organizations of interest.
  • Informational Interviews: Look for alumni and connections on LinkedIn who had roles that you aspire to. Ask for a short informational interview.
  • Build your professional online presence: LinkedIn is the ideal platform to use for professional branding, and you can proactively follow organizations and reach out to talent acquisition professionals and alumni.

    Job search timelines vary by industry and organization. One average, plan on 3-6 months of a highly active job search. Some industries depend upon the junior year internship to identify their top candidates. Do no assume you can wait until your final year of college to begin your job search. The earlier you begin to explore your options and get your materials organized, the more “in control” of the process you will be.

    In general, the job search process involves:

    • Preparing and completing application materials (resumes, cover letters, ordering transcripts, etc.)
    • Researching and identifying organizations of interest
    • Searching Handshake and online job boards for active job postings
    • Networking with alumni and contacts to tap into the hidden job market
    • Attending career fairs and networking events
    • Screening interviews (often video or telephone)
    • In-person interviews
    • Considering job offers
    • Negotiations before accepting

    Spend time prior to the job search to understand what is important to you. There are many aspects of a career. You should know your top three career priorities and do your best to accept interviews only with the organizations that meet your career goals.

    Researching employers is perhaps the single-most important activity you will undertake in your job search. The information you uncover can help you:

    • Discover organizations that are a good match for you
    • Identify the organization’s goals and needs
    • Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your skills and experiences that match the employer’s needs
    • Know what questions to ask
    • Demonstrate your interest in and enthusiasm for the organization
    • Answer interview questions with confidence
    • Make an informed employment decision

    Unfortunately, many job seekers overlook the importance of research when undertaking a job search. In fact, it’s common for employers to complain that potential job candidates haven’t “done their homework,” and instead come into the interview with little or no knowledge about the organization. These candidates flounder, asking questions that could be easily answered by a cursory look at the company website or literature. Needless to say, they make a poor impression, because employers often assume lack of research means lack of interest.

    Where should you begin? Start by developing a list of organizations in which you might be interested—companies that have the types of jobs or do the type of work that interests you. These could be organizations that visit your campus for career fairs, information sessions, and interviews, or they might be companies you have identified on your own as potential employers. Look at Chambers of Commerce, which provide extensive lists of all businesses within a specific geographic area.

    Research organizations to obtain information in each of the following categories:

    Organizational overview: age, size, financial outlook, growth, and structure

    • Trends/issues in the industry
    • Mission, philosophy, objectives
    • Public or private or foreign-owned
    • Location of plants, offices, stores, subsidiaries
    • Products and/or services
    • Names of key executives
    • Competitors
    • Sales, assets, earnings
    • Growth history and current growth activity
    • Current challenges
    • Major achievements and activity, issues, news
    • Career paths, training, benefits
    • Company culture

    Research Resources

    • Start with the organization’s website
    • Dacus Library: tap into university library research databases
    • Career Center: review the Handshake employer profile
    • LinkedIn: review and follow the organization’s page
    • Public libraries have online research tools available for free. In the business category, you may find ReferenceUSA, with information for more than 20 million U.S. companies, including nonprofit organizations. Speak to a reference librarian for additional options to research organizations.
    • Visit the Winthrop University page on LinkedIn to find alumni working in organizations in which you are interested.
    • Explore resources on CareerOneStop

    What is the proper amount of time an employer should allow you to thoroughly assess—and accept—a job offer?

    It is a race among employers to access top talent as early as possible. Most employers seeking May grads are recruiting in the fall for their openings. Employers also use their internship programs to identify the top talent before they begin their final year of school.

    When employers make offers for May graduates in early in the fall, giving students until at least Thanksgiving before they are required to make a decision is reasonable. Universities typically host fall recruiting events in September, so students should be well-educated on employer opportunities by that time.

    When it gets later in the recruitment season, say December/January, it is common (and appropriate) for employers to give shorter deadline windows, but ideally no less than two weeks. Here's the challenge: most employers cannot wait for an indefinite period of time to hear back from you regarding your decision because they have a need to fill. The longer you have to decide, the likelihood of finding another great new hire for the position will be lessened.

    If you are well-educated on what you are looking for and seek out the roles that meet these criteria, then you will have a basis for accepting the right opportunity once it is offered or declining an offer to continue to seek out the role of your dreams. Proactively know your career goals and seek them out rather than explore all of your opportunities and then select.

    Below is a sample list of job factors to rank in order to help you evaluate offers:

    • Compensation
    • Benefits
    • Location
    • Type of work
    • Manager
    • Work-life balance
    • Culture/Values of the company
    • Industry
    • Travel as part of the job
    • Opportunity for advancement
    • Global opportunities
    • Job stability

    After considering a job offer (the job, salary, benefits, etc.) and weighing the pros and cons, you decide: You don’t want the job.

    Not every job is right for every person. Remember the purpose of the interview: it gives the organization an opportunity to decide if you’re a good candidate for the job and lets you evaluate if the position and organization are the right fit for you. If you choose to reject the company’s offer, here are five things to know:

    1. It’s okay to say no thank you. You aren’t the first person to reject a job offer. In addition, the position is going to be filled by another candidate.
    2. A rejected employer may appreciate your answer. If you know the job or organization is not a good fit for you, declining the job offer is the right thing to do. Hiring an employee is expensive. Accepting a job offer you are unsure of—and then resigning a few months later—costs time and money for both you and the organization.
    3. Say thank you. There must have been something that kept both you and the employer interested through at least two rounds of interviews. Be sure to thank the person offering the job for their interest in hiring you. (Note: Leave a good impression. You may want to work for that company in the future!)
    4. Be professional when you tell other people. Don’t bad-mouth a company or specific person within an organization. Note: If you believe any interviewers acted inappropriately (asked illegal or uncomfortable questions), speak to someone in your campus career center. While it’s not appropriate for you to speak ill of someone in your rejection letter, you also need not let improper recruiting conduct go unaddressed.
    5. Give them your decision in writing. It is imperative that you send an e-mail or letter to the person making the offer letting him or her know of your decision. In large organizations, a formal job offer letter may come from a human resources representative. In this case, send a letter to the hiring manager and forward a copy of the letter to the HR representative. As with thank-you letters, rejection letters are professional and concise.

    Sample Rejection Letter

    Mr. John Smith

    Senior Account Manager

    PPR Public Relations

    123 Main Street

    Rock Hill, SC 29732

     

    Dear Mr. Smith,

    Thank you very much for offering me the Public Relations Assistant position with PPR Public Relations. I enjoyed meeting you and your team.

    After much deliberation, I have decided to decline your offer, to pursue an opportunity more aligned with my career goals. Please know that my decision was a difficult one, as I was impressed with the opportunity presented.

    I wish you the best in your recruiting efforts for the position. Perhaps our paths will cross in the future.

    Sincerely,

    Amy Jones

    Job Boards

    • Indeed.com - web crawler job database for thousands of jobs based on geographical location. Millions of jobs are posted from a variety of sources.
    • USAjobs.gov - the Federal government’s official job list and search board with additional information for veterans and for individuals with disabilities.
    • Idealist.org - the world’s largest search engine for non-profit, government, volunteer, internship and social positions
    • GoGovernment.org - a guide to all aspects of obtaining federal government work including application process tips and finding the right fit.

    Networking through Social Media

    • LinkedIn - a personalized and interactive portfolio to interact and engage with your professional network and establish new relationships within your field of interest. Follow companies you are interested in and comment on their photos in a professional manner.
    • Facebook – use the “Friends of Friends” feature to extend your personal network and look for potential job opportunities. “Like” the companies that you want to be involved with and stay active on their professional pages.
    • X (formerly known as Twitter) - Retweet articles and posts that you feel are relevant to your field of interest or to your companies’ mission.
    • Instagram - a visual platform to demonstrate your creativity, accomplishments, where you have been, where you are going, and who you have met along the way.