Job Searching and Getting the Interview

Tips Help College Students Find Employment More Easily.

Mar 15, 2009 Starr Balmer

Most college students know where to look for jobs, but some do not know exactly what to look for and have not learned how to prepare for an interview.

Many students may get confused when they are searching for a job. Dr. Robin T. Lee, associate director of the Career Development Center at California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, CA, said that “one of the more confusing aspects of a job search is understanding the relationship between the job title, job function, work environment, and industry. People often mistakenly use these terms interchangeably.” [Feb. 16, 2009 e-mail interview].

Common Job Terms

Lee defined these words commonly seen in job advertisements:

• Job title refers to the actual position name used by the employing organization to label a specific job (i.e., systems engineer, tax accountant, manufacturing trainee.)
• Job function describes the activities or tasks the person in the job does on a day-to-day basis. (i.e., a tax accountant prepares financial records, balances company ledgers, and examines cost accounting procedures at client companies.)
• Work environment refers to the type of organization where the work takes place. In the example being used, a tax accountant may perform the previous functions in a large public accounting firm, a small, privately-owned agency, a large or small company, a multi-department organization, or a small, growing firm.
• Industry is a term that describes a series of related products or services that make up a portion of the overall economy. Industries include electronics, financial services, petroleum, and manufacturing.

How Should Students Prepare for an Interview?

According to the 2008–2009 Occupational Outlook Handbook, students should be prepared by learning about the organization, reviewing the job qualifications for the job, being ready to describe how their job experience relates to the job and being ready to answer broad questions such as “Why should I hire you?” “Why do you want this job?” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” It also recommended bringing a Social Security card, driver license, resume or application, references, and transcripts, as some employers require information from these items to determine if the candidate qualifies for the job.

Asking Questions During an Interview

“Do you have any questions for me?” is a common question that the interviewer may ask. Lee said students should ask the employer five or fewer questions to figure out if the job is the best fit. So she gave several questions that students may want to ask during an interview.

• What are your department’s long range plans?
• What are the organization’s plans for future growth?
• Please describe the work environment.
• What are some career path opportunities?
• What are the key challenges facing a person in this position?
• What is the next step in the hiring process?
• May I provide any additional information to aid in your hiring decision?
• When will you make your decision?

If students learn the key aspects of searching for a job and doing well during the interview, employers will remember the students’ good qualities, and may hire them, which would help students pay those unexpected fees and finish college.

Visit the following Web sites for more information on job opportunities and career outlook: Simply Hired, Craigslist, LinkedIn, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and O*net Resource Center.

The copyright of the article Job Searching and Getting the Interview in Career Advice is owned by Starr Balmer. Permission to republish Job Searching and Getting the Interview in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Job Searching