From email etiquette to the lowdown on LinkedIn: how to conduct a successful job search
The end of term is just around the corner. It’s time to start reaching out to your professional contacts, check out job postings and send out resumés so you can secure gainful summer employment — or get a jump on your career.
With that in mind, Concordia’s Career and Planning Services (CAPS), part of the new Student Success Centre, is hosting 10 free workshops to help you prepare to land that all-important job.
On Tuesday, March 24, get the lowdown on leveraging tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn at Networking And Social Media For Your Job Search. “The networking process and strategic use of social media are essential to helping students find meaningful jobs after graduation,” says Robert Taliano, the interim manager of CAPS.
The session's organizer, Meghan Atherton, a career advisor who will also be speaking at the workshop, says students can use their networks — in person or via social media — to find out about everything from available career paths, internships and volunteer positions to market trends and the skills most commonly sought by employers.
“The workshop highlights effective strategies for making connections with professionals through the various social media accounts,” she says. “And we’ll also talk about the appropriate etiquette that is involved, and the strengths and weaknesses of each tool.”
Later in the week, on Friday March 26, CAPS is inviting engineering students to come and learn how to effectively market their skills at one of several specialized workshops for the university’s different faculties and departments.
On Monday, March 30, another session provides tips on how to communicate your skills to potential employers at a job interview. (Francophones can pick up the same information in their native tongue on Tuesday, April 28.)
A workshop on Tuesday, April 14, offers advice on developing concrete strategies for conducting a job search, including networking tactics, how to research different positions and potential employers, how to find open positions online, and the secret of a well-crafted crafted resumé and cover letter.
At the same event, Atherton will also reveal key information about the “hidden” job market — because 80 per cent of jobs are not advertised.
“Employers prefer to look internally or to referrals first before posting a job,” she says. “As a result, networking plays a very big role in the job-search process, and is a very important strategy for getting hired.”
Concordia’s Career and Planning Services (CAPS) offers workshops throughout the academic year on resumé writing, finding internships, navigating career fairs and more. View the complete list of Career and Planning Services workshops, and learn about other career-related events in Montreal and on campus.