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Job Search Guide for Social Policy & Practice Students
Career Services

• Network
  
• Informal Interviews
  
• Respond to Advertised Positions
  
• Contact Employers of Interest to You
  
• Use the Internet
  

Once you have completed the preparation of your written materials, you are ready to begin your job search. There are many different ways to conduct a job search, with some combination being the most effective. Below is a list of some job search methods. In planning your strategies you should identify several different methods which you can implement simultaneously. Your primary goal is to let as many people as possible know that you are looking for a job. You should concentrate on disseminating this information in a professional and appropriate manner.




Networking

Alumni consistently report that they found their jobs through some type of networking. What exactly does networking mean? Basically tell everyone (and that means everyone - parents' friends, religious advisors, your dentist, hair dresser, etc....) you know that you are looking for employment. Explain your employment preferences; listen to their advice. Find out if they know of anyone else that you should speak with. If an employer with a vacancy hears of a qualified candidate from someone that they know and respect, they will most often want to interview and consider the individual for employment even before advertising. Hence access to the "hidden job market".

To facilitate your networking efforts, Career Services maintains a list of Social Work alumni who have volunteered to be informational sources to current students and other alumni. These alums can be invaluable in discussing potential employers, organizations, leads and tips. When you contact one of these alums or anyone else for that matter, ask to arrange a time for an informational interview.

Informal Interviews

Conduct Informational Interviews with people (alums) employed in positions/schools/agencies that are of interest to you. This is often difficult for first-time job seekers to do. It requires initiative and forethought. If you are looking to break into a field in which you have had little prior experience, your first step should be to learn more about that field. To do so you can call directors of offices or persons holding positions that seem interesting to you. Request a fifteen minute appointment to discuss the organization and the employee's career path (keep to the agreement of fifteen minutes since this busy person is doing you a favor). Prepare some well thought out questions to keep the conversation going and to gain the information that you are seeking (see the sample question list on the next page).

Dress in professional attire (remember, you want to impress this employer with your professionalism and degree of initiative and preparedness). At the end of an informational interview you should always ask for names of other people you can speak with to gain more information about the field (networking). Following the informational interview, be sure to send a thank you note to the employer. If you were intrigued by the organization you can mention that fact in the letter and state that you are enclosing a resume should a position become available.

Respond to Positions Which Have Been Advertised

Sunday Paper Classified Ads

Did you know that only 12% of all jobs get advertised in local papers? This means that there are another 88% of all jobs that people miss when they limit themselves only to this means of job searching. This doesn't mean that you should stop buying the paper; it just means that it isn't advisable to limit yourself to it.

When you do apply for a job from the newspaper, you should try to find out the name of the appropriate person to whom you should direct your cover letter and resume. This will take some work but will give you the added edge over your competitors. If the person designated to receive the resumes is someone in personnel, try to figure out to whom you would report if hired. Send an additional copy of your resume to this individual to enhance your exposure.

If you are willing to relocate, consider subscribing to newspapers in several geographic regions. Don't limit yourself to the want ads. Read articles which may give you some information about the job market, openings of new facilities, or about any new high level administrators. These people often try to bring on new staff to complement their style. You can avoid subscription costs by following selected publications through the university or public library.

Professional Journals

Many interesting jobs nationwide get advertised in professional journals. Additionally, it is behooving to read between the lines of articles in order to begin to get a feel for the current news in many different aspects of your field. If you see that an organization is about to expand, it is likely that they will need to hire new staff. If you see that a certain individual has written about and is involved in an area of interest to you, you may want to try to obtain an informational interview with that person. Design your cover letter to express your anticipation of their staffing needs and provide them with information about you and your abilities before they even start advertising.

Use As Many Sources As Possible

Current job listings, indexed by career field, are kept on file at the Career Services reception desk. The job binder(s) that most closely matches your career interests will depend on your specialization. Job binder career categories include, but are not limited to: Higher Education Administration; International; Not-for-Profit Administration; and Social and Psychological Services. Many academic departments at the university post their own listings and several professional organizations (for example, NASW) have job registries for members and generate regular listings. Federal, state and city governments may also have regular listings to which you may subscribe.

Contact Employers of Interest to You

Mass Mailing

Send out a "mass" mailing of cover letters and resumes to appropriate employers. Call the organizations to get the name and title of the appropriate person to whom to send the information. For names of organizations, Career Services, Van Pelt, and public libraries have various directories listing professional employers and organizations nation and world wide.

Target Employers

Target employers that are of specific interest to you because of the services that they offer or their reputation in the field. The targeted letters should be more specific than the "mass mailing" and may include your intention to follow up by phone. Contact these people via telephone or mailing. Gain as much information as possible about them. Information can be found by looking in the Career Services library, talking to faculty/professionals in the field, calling their public relations department and asking for some literature or identifying people within the organization for informational interviews.

Use the Internet

To have access to the internet, you will need an electronic-mail (e-mail) account. A staff member at the School of Social Work computer lab will gladly establish your account. After you have an e-mail account you will have electronic access to Career Services (and the whole world). If you give Career Services your e-mail address we will send career announcements directly to you. If you are new to the internet, a good introductory article is written in PATHWAYS, the Career Services manual; copies of PATHWAYS are available in Career Services.

Career Services, University of Pennsylvania. Not to be copied or distributed without permission.

Career Services
University of Pennsylvania
Suite 20, McNeil Building,
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia
PA 19104-6209