What Color Is Your Parachute? (31 page)

I wish I would have asked more questions about the future of architecture before I decided to become an architect. If I had asked older architects what changes they saw happening to the field, I think I could have anticipated some of the frustrations I’m now having with my profession.

—Award-winning architect
SCOTT J. SMABY

The resources and resource people that you found as you answered all of these questions will give you concrete information about potential places of employment as well as a feel for the work environment at each organization you research. Look at organizations in different sectors of the economy—for-profit or nonprofit (also called nongovernmental organizations, or NGOs). Most likely, some places will be more appealing to you—and probably a better fit for you—than others. That’s exactly what you want to find out.

From your research, try to come up with at least five to ten organizations that are potential employers for you. After you’ve completed your research on various organizations, you will know which ones hire people to do the work you most want to do and which have a work environment that fits you best.

Step 4: Begin Your Campaign to Get the Job You Want

Of the organizations you researched in step 3, choose the top five places you want to work and begin your campaign to get hired. At each of those places, identify the person who has the power to hire you. (This may be the boss in a smaller organization or business, or the hiring manager or a department head in a larger organization.) If you know the name of the person who has the power to hire you, make an appointment. Ask for twenty minutes of his or her time. In asking for an appointment, you can be very direct. Tell this person that you want to discuss the possibility of working for him or her, or with this particular organization or business.

Before your appointment, make an outline of everything you’ve learned in your information interviewing and your research about this job and company or organization. Be ready to talk about how your skills, training, education, experience, and enthusiasm for this work will make you an outstanding employee.

If there’s a company you want to work for and you haven’t learned the name of the person who has the power to hire, use your networks—your personal and professional contacts. (Your professional contacts include the people with whom you’ve done information interviews.) Ask your contacts these questions:

• Do you know someone who works where I want to work?

• Can you give me the name of the person who hires for the job I want?

If you can’t get an appointment just by calling and asking for one, again, your network may be able to help. Ask your contacts these questions:

• Do you know the person I want to see?

• Do you know someone who knows the person I want to see?

GOING ONLINE?

Professional chat rooms and message boards are a great way to network online. See if you can find people to answer questions about jobs or careers that interest you at
groups.google.com
. Whenever you use the Internet, be sure to observe these basic safety rules:

• Never give out your full name, home address, or phone number.

• If anyone writes anything that creeps you out, cease correspondence and tell an adult you trust about it.

Ask whether your contacts can either arrange an introduction for you or call the person you want to meet and recommend that he or she meet with you.

If no offers of employment come from these first five organizations, select five more that have the jobs you want. Keep researching organizations, talking with and expanding the number of people in your network, and asking for interviews until you receive a job offer. Some smart people keep job hunting even if they’ve gotten a job offer. Sometimes they find an even better opportunity.

PARACHUTE TIP

It is not easier to get a job you won’t like than one you will. Two simple facts make this true:

  1. You will think of all sorts of excuses not to go hunting for a job that doesn’t interest you.

  2. You will be in competition with people who think this job—the one you don’t want—is a dream job. Their enthusiasm will impress an employer. Your lack of enthusiasm will not.

While you’re taking initiative by contacting organizations you’d like to work for, also watch job listings in the newspaper and online. Once you know which organization or business you want to work for, check their website regularly for job listings. If they don’t have a website, call their human resources department to find out how you can learn about job openings. Let both your personal and professional networks know that you’re looking for work and what type of work you’re seeking. The more approaches you use (up to four from the list on the opposite page) to find your dream job—and the more people who know just what you’re looking for—the more likely you’ll get that job sooner rather than later.

Job-Search Basics

Now that you know the four steps to searching for and finding the job you want, let’s take a closer look at some of the basics that will support and guide you as you take each of those steps.

What You Need for Your Job Search

You need to be able to do your job search efficiently in order to be successful. Here are some things you’ll need to do that:

• A desk or table. If not available where you live, a library or coffee house will do.

• Some way of storing, organizing, and retrieving information—online or in a notebook—about yourself, employers, and people you’ve contacted.

• A secure and reliable way of getting phone messages from employers and other contacts. If you don’t have
voice mail, invest in it for the length of your job search. Your voice mail may be an employer’s first impression of you—make it a good one. Your recorded greeting should be businesslike. Clearly state your first and last name. You may also want to mention your job search in your outgoing message. Here’s a sample message:
Hi, this is Jessica Wong. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now. Please leave me a message after the beep. I’m currently looking for work in accounting at a hospital or large medical office. If you know of any leads or contacts for me, be sure to mention that too, along with your phone number. Thanks a lot.

Record your message indoors with no background noise (such as barking dogs or loud music). Speak slowly. Call in and listen to your recording to make sure it can be heard and understood.

• An email address that you can check at least daily. Google, Hotmail, and Yahoo! offer free email. Create a businesslike email address. Again, the first initial of your first name with your last name works well. (Many public libraries provide access to the Internet and email for people who don’t have a computer.)

• A professional online Web presence, such as a profile on
LinkedIn, where you can post your resume, list your accomplishments, gather recommendations, and so on.