Effective Job Search Strategies

Welcome back Badgers from the Winter Break! Now that you're back to school, you might be starting to think about looking for a Summer Job, or maybe you're wanting to look for an On- Campus job for the following school year! Look no further! (Just kidding, you do need to look for the jobs yourself after you're equipped with the resources). This blog will help guide you on effective job search strategies to ensure you find what you're looking for amongst your busy schedules! 

    Searching for a job can be overwhelming, and you may not know where to start. This is where CareerZone can help you with our Quick Tips on job search! You can access the following tips and more at careerzone.brocku.ca -> Student Resources -> Job Search Websites.  

1. Share your Career Goals: Inform everyone you know on your Career Goals. You never know who they might know and it’s a great start to your networking! 

2. Informational Interviews: Job search can be difficult if you don’t know anyone in your field, so do some research on others doing work you are interested in pursuing! Ten Thousand Coffees is a great way to connect with Brock alumni who were in the same boat as you. You can access this through careerzone.brocku.ca -> Student Resources -> Exploring Careers. 

3. Social Media: Creating strong, professional LinkedIn/Twitter profiles can help you connect with recruiters and potential employers, where a lot of jobs are now being posted! 

4. Professional Associations: Getting involved in professional associations in your field is a great way to build connections and network for potential future opportunities! 

5. Career/Employment Industry Directories: There are many directories available online to help you further with your job search, and as always, the CareerZone portal has many more resources to help you with further guidance if needed! 

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Congratulations! Now you’re ready to tackle your job search with all of the CareerZone resources available to you! I wish you luck on your job searching journey and remember you got this, Badgers!  

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    Written by Jenna Meier, Career Navigator 

Preparing for the Experience Expo

Welcome back, Badgers, it’s officially time to get back into the swing of things! 

While January may seem a little early to start job hunting for many people, it’s a great time of year to think about your career goals and resolutions. In the spirit of thinking ahead about your career, we have the Experience Expo coming up on January 30th from 11 am-2 pm! This is a fantastic event where employers visit campus to recruit Brock students- and you could be one of them! 

If you’re wondering how to get started in preparing for the Experience Expo, no worries, your Career Navigators are here to help you with a few easy steps! 

Image credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/Coa2K-0OILB/?img_index=1

1. 1. Stop by for a document review! 

This is an event at which employers will be actively looking to hire students, so you are encouraged to bring copies of your resume or cover letters with you to give to potential employers. We’re open from 10 am-4 pm in Market Hall for in-person document reviews, or you can email them to us anytime at career@brocku.ca!  

2. 2. Prepare a personal sales pitch! 

A personal sales pitch, or elevator pitch, is essentially a brief speech about who you are, what you’re looking for, what your skills are, and why you’re valuable from a career standpoint. It’s important to practice this repeatedly so that it flows smoothly. If you’re stuck on developing your personal sales pitch, we have a worksheet on personal sales pitches available under the student resources section in social media and branding.  

Image credits: https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/elevator-pitch-examples-for-entrepreneurs/

3. 3. Prepare some questions! 

Employers love to see that you’re interested in who they are and what they do. It’s a good idea to research the employers that will be at the event in advance and gather a list of questions to prompt conversation with employers. 

4. 4. Get ready to network! 

Prepare yourself to talk confidently to both employers and other attendees. It can be useful if you have a LinkedIn page to connect virtually with people you meet at the Expo, to complement your real-world networking. While we do document reviews at CareerZone, we also provide LinkedIn profile reviews as well!  

Hopefully, these quick tips have helped you to prepare for the Experience Expo! We are here at CareerZone to help you with your career-related needs from 10 am-4 pm, Monday to Friday in Market Hall. Best of luck this year! 

Lily, Career Navigator