Santa Clara University

Stand Out in the Job Search

• Get your name at the top of a Google search by writing a review of a book relevant to your field on Amazon.com.

• Consider blogs! Find the hiring manager's blog and comment on it in the interview. Write about your interests and professional aspirations, and when employers search your name, your blog will come up. Start your own blog today!

• Think outside the box! Don't tie yourself to one industry or employer. Use your skills to explore various options.

• Did you know that 60% - 85% of jobs are found through people you know? Network, network, network!

• Conduct informational interviews to gather information about a profession, industry, and/or company. Informational interviewing is NOT asking for a job, but it does allow you to gather helpful information about a career and ask for guidance while also expanding your network. Never leave an informational interview without asking your contact, "Who else do you recommend I contact to learn more about...?"

• Join a professional association in your field and attend the regional events. A useful professional association would be one that offers any of the following: career resources, regional events and conferences, entry-level job postings, mentorship with people in the industry, and/or graduate school information.

• Join a professional networking site such as LinkedIn. Use it appropriately to expand your network of contacts by asking a mutual friend to introduce you to the person you would like to invite to join your network. Be mindful of giving to those in your network who ask for assistance so that you build trusted networks based on reciprocal assistance.

  
  

• Join InCircle, SCU's professional and social networking site for alumni. Search for alumni by major, location, and company and write them to ask for an informational interview to gather information about their work. If you are a senior you will receive access from the Alumni Office to InCircle in fall quarter. Non-seniors can make an appointment in the Career Center to find informational interview contacts.
  

• Participate in the Career Center's Alumni Shadowing Program to grow your network and learn more about a particular field.

  
  

• Make sure your Facebook account is professional.

• Volunteer at your favorite non-profit organization to get your foot in the door.

  
  

• Tailor a cover letter for every position you apply for.
  

• Order your own business cards through VistaPrint. Personal business cards are appropriate when you make an unexpected connection at a non-recruiting related event, for example, at a conference. It is not necessary to use business cards at recruiting events where providing a resume is the preferred way of offering contact information.

• When possible, follow up with a phone call to the hiring manager after you've submitted an application. Have questions prepared and ask if he/she has a few moments to talk with you about the position. Be prepared for an informal interview.
  

• Follow up after every interview within 24 hours with a thank-you note.

• When you post your resume to job boards, revisit the job boards frequently and make small changes to your resume; this will improve your resume's position in search results.

• Diversify your online job search by identifying industry-specific job boards.

• Read scholarly journals, trade magazines, newsletters, and specialty publications. Professional literature may include job postings as well as serve as a resource for identifying key people, including hiring managers.

• Read the online version of newspapers for quick access to the classifieds section.

• Take advantage of the databases available to you through the SCU Library. Use the business databases, Factiva and Hoover's, to conduct employer research to prepare for an interview. Hoover's is also an excellent resource to identify companies by industry in a given location.