click image to return to "Marketing Yourself" page
The Insider's Guide To Job Search
click image to return to "Marketing Yourself" page
Quick-Reference Tips for New Graduates
(Transportation and others)
please note that some of the page-links refer to our
commercial site in the Transportation Industry:
www.buckleysearch.com
Focus Your Resources:
Entering the working world requires a change of focus. You have invested
much time and energy in acquiring a base of knowledge. The confidence
that it took to successfully graduate needs to be re-directed now towards
the goal of obtaining a suitable position. The following tips will help you
to organize and focus your energy, resources, time and attention on this next
step forward in your progress.
If you prefer, you can view these tips and their source articles translated
into 1 of 8 different languages: French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese,
Japanese, Korean or Chinese. See the
Table of Contents page.
Seeing the Employer's Perspective:
http://www.buckleysearch.com/Marketing_Yourself.htm
http://www.jobsearchguide.ca/Student_Resources.htm
Ask yourself: " How can I create buyer interest? "
Obtaining a suitable position requires you to market yourself effectively.
What is Important to the Employer:
Employers look for a willingness to learn, a team player's attitude, enthusiasm,
honesty, self-confidence, good work habits and potential for the future.
Employers hire people that they like and they want new employees to fit in well
with the rest of their team.
Interpersonal skills at the entry-level can often compensate for lack of work
experience in a hiring manager's mind.
The manager has to choose whether or not to invest the time and effort in
training you.
His/her decision will be influenced by how well you express yourself.
It is important to show interest and asks questions in an interview.
You need to convince the employer that you are willing and able to make
a valuable contribution to the department or the team.
You must create and build a positive impression in the employer's mind
in order to be hired.
The Websites page in buckleysearch.com provides useful Transportation links.
The
http://buckleysearch.com/websites.htm page provides access to leading,
Industry
Associations and authoritative industry Publications to stay connected
to changing industry trends and developments.
http://www.jobsearchguide.ca/Table_of_Contents.htm
links to Resume Writing
Services, A Step-by-Step Self Marketing Plan and other Canadian Job Boards.
Creating Your Resume and Accompanying E-Mail
Message:
Your resume is your passport to open new doors, create it with care.
See the Articles
"E-Resumes: What
Works Best" and
"Applying for
Jobs
by E-Mail" for vital guidance to increase the chances of your resume
being read by a hiring manager:
See also
http://www.buckleysearch.com/Insider_Guide_To_Job_Search.htm
Have two types of resumes: a written one and an e-resume.
Make sure both are error-proof.
Avoid creating two attachments: 1 resume and 1 cover-letter.
Make your message your cover letter.
Have someone review your resume for errors - use your spell-check
function in preparing your resume for review.
Create a .txt version of your resume and paste it into an email message
even if you are choosing to include a .doc attachment.
Ensure that your attachment file name is your name.
Note your telephone number in the text of a message or even in the
Subject line - it makes it easier to contact you.
Edit and re-edit your email message until it is concise and appealing.
Save your email introduction in Drafts/Templates in your e-mail
program and copy it when you need to use it, modifying the text
to the position posting or newspaper advertisement as needed.
Remember that you need to make it easy for the reader to view and
find your resume.
Anything which reduces the time spent in accessing the information
you are sending increases the likelihood that your resume will be read.
Where To Find Company Information:
Click on
http://freightcustoms.com
for links to the leading
Industry Associations serving Freight Forwarding and Customs Brokerage.
Their membership pages are divided by region and municipality.
This page also provides a listing of freight forwarder and customs broker
company websites, Trucking firms, 3PL companies and Steamship companies.
Go to a company's website and check the "About Us" ,"Contact
Us" ,
"Office Locations" or "Staff Directory" pages to
obtain names and e-mail
contact details, along with telephone numbers for future reference.
Where To Send Your Resume:
There are two methods of sending your resume: By mail/fax or e-mail.
E-mail and surface mail are effective only if they are directed to a specific
person rather than a generic title.
When you fax a resume you have less assurance that the fax will reach
the intended recipient - especially if you send to a general fax number.
Sending by mail if targeted effectively can be useful, however it is also
more costly (postage/envelopes/paper) than e-mail.
When applying for entry-level positions it is polite to send a copy of
your message to the company's HR manager or coordinator.
Call the company's switchboard to get the correct name and title if it
isn't immediately accessible in the website.
Use both the white pages and the yellow pages for accessing these
numbers or get them from the website.
You can also use a search engine like
www.google.com and enter
common industry keyword search strings: "freight, customs, manager,
Mississauga" , or choose titles like "branch manager, operations manager,
export manager, import manager" combined with "export, freight, customs,"
to zero in on specific titles.
Things Not To Do In Your Job Search!
|
Congratulations On Your Achievement!
You have successfully completed your studies and it is important to reflect on
what
was required to do so: self-discipline, perseverance, hard work and confidence.
Those traits are the same skills that employers look for in the people that
they choose to hire.
If you apply the skills that you learned in college towards marketing yourself
in the
business world, and follow an organized, step-by-step plan to making contacts
in the industry, you will find the right door opening for you.
Recruiters, industry contacts and other people you meet along the way will help
you to one degree or another. Ultimately, it is your sense of purpose and a
clear
mental image of your success that will decide which direction you take in your
new career.
Practice Being In An Interview:
Being prepared for an interview and knowing what
you will say beforehand is made
easier if you take the time to practice with friends and family. Review the page
on
Being Interviewed
as it provides useful tips on what to expect.
Role-play is useful to identify areas where you need to focus on in relaying what
you know and what you can do to a real interviewer. You don't want to sound like
a robot with everything memorized but you do want to be able to clearly identify
your strengths and the approach you are going to take. As in anything you turn
your attention to, the more you practice, the easier it becomes.
The most important advice we can offer is to believe in yourself. You have made
it to this point by believing in your ability to succeed. Now you need to focus
on
helping a potential employer to believe that too.
Good luck in your job search! Questions? e-mail me:
kevin@buckleysearch.com
To Access the Articles referred to in the Quick Reference Guide, please see:
Copyright © 1998-2009 by
Kevin T. Buckley - " The Insider's Guide To Job Search "
click image to access Table of Contents page
| Self-Assessment - points to consider when you are looking to change jobs or take a new direction | Resignations - tendering your resignation so that you retain goodwill and seal your decision | A Guide to Successful Interviewing - extensive guidance on interviewing techniques and styles |
| Leadership - how effectively do you lead others and display the qualities associated with leaders | Counter-Offers - how short-term compromises can result in unwanted consequences | Interview Body Language - how your body language conveys your level of self-confidence |
| Office Politics - keeping relationships at work professional and avoiding being drawn into conflict situations | Recruiters - What to Look For - signs to look for in selecting a recruiter to represent you, especially if you are currently employed | Negotiating Compensation - determing what is important to you in negotiating your total package of compensation and benefits |
| Promotions - who gets promoted and why it isn't just how well you do your job that counts but also how you form strong relationships | Job Boards & Internet Postings - tips on using job board postings effectively as a search tool, a handy resource that works for you 24/7 | Assessing Potential Employers - points to consider in deciding if this is the right place for you to commit your time and energy to |
| Being Downsized - dealing with the shock of a termination and rising to the challenge it presents | Making Contact Using the Internet - using web resources to identify potential hiring managers | Questions to Ask Potential Employers - questions to determine performance expectations |
| Job Satisfaction - defining what job satisfaction means to you and your sense of self-motivation | E-Resumes - What Works Best - guidance on using e-resumes to their best benefit | For Recent Graduates - tips on self-marketing for recent Transportation program graduates |
| Overcoming Inertia - asking yourself the questions you need to move forward in your career | Your Resume - Your Career Passport - constructing a resume that represents you well | Changing the Student Perspective - changing the way you see yourself in line with the market |
| Step-by-Step Self Marketing Plan - walks you through a systematic approach to job search | Cover Letters - Brief and Focused - getting to the point in telling employers what you can do | Newcomers Job Search Resources - extensive links and resources for Newcomers to Toronto |
Please note that the sites suggested for review are for information purposes
only. We receive no fees from these recommendations.
Send mail to
kevin@buckleysearch.com with questions or click the feedback button to send
comments about this web site.