Career Services

Job Searching

Preparing for the Job Search

An effective job search requires thoughtful planning and preparation. Begin by making sure your professional documents are in order, including a resume, cover letter, and in some cases a portfolio, research statement, or other industry-specific items. The links below can you guide you as you polish off your materials.

• Sample resumes for recent grads, experienced professionals, and career changers
• Highlighting transferrable skills through a functional resume
• Cover letter writing tips and samples

Establishing your Job Search Network

Did you know that more than 80% of job offers are secured through some form of networking? Tapping into your web of contacts and continually working to increase and expand those connections is key in today's changing job market. The links below can help you in continuing to enhance your network community.

• UB Mentor Network: connect with career professionals in a variety of fields or consider becoming a career mentor yourself!
• UB Alumni Association : check out the Alumni Connections section to join a social network, view alumni chapters by geographic region, or locate a long-lost college friend.
• LinkedIn : world's largest professional network. Join the UB Alumni Association LinkedIn Group!

Job Searching Online Tools

The Internet, when used properly, is a great resource for your job search. If you’re using online search engines or job boards, remember that targeted, discipline-specific sites tend to be best. At the same time, it can be advantageous to keep an open mind when evaluating positions, as the job title or category is not as important as the content, skills needed, and overall fit of the position. In addition, take a proactive approach in researching companies of interest directly, and use a variety of online tools and resources.

• Job/internship search engines
• Buffalo area job search sites
• University at Buffalo employment listings
• Research employers using CareeSearch - a database of more than one million companies
• The Versatile PhD – a resource for humanities and social science PhDs and graduate student interested in non-academic careers.

Interviewing

Interviewing has changed substantially in recent years. Gone are the days of the standard "What are your strengths?" questions. More and more, employers want to see evidence of past behavior, successes, and challenges. Some companies are even incorporating problem-solving or brain-teaser scenarios into interviews to evaluate candidates' critical thinking and reasoning skills. Prepare by practicing a wide range of interview questions so that you are not caught off guard if you are asked to calculate how many gas stations there are in the United States!

If you are an experienced professional looking to advance or switch career paths, explaining that next move may be challenging. It is critical to craft your unique career story. Summarize your past work history, professional identity, and your newly defined interests and goals.

• Preparing for the interview, researching employers, sample questions, and more
• How to answer the "Tell me about yourself" interview question
• Interviewing for a promotion
• Behavioral interviewing techniques
• How to prepare your interviewing "story"
• Techniques for midlife career change interviews

Evaluating Job Offers

Congratulations! You've been offered a job! Now it's time to weigh that offer. Remember that a job offer is not just about the salary. Benefits, health care, retirement options, vacation time and other hidden perks all come into play. Consider the whole package and whether this position meets your financial needs as well as your work-life balance interests and values.

• Negotiating job and salary offers

Job Search Resources for Experienced Professionals

The job search may take a slightly different approach when you're an experienced professional. In this case, industry-specific job search engines and more targeted resources are helpful in narrowing your focus to your experience and skill level. Consider getting started with these resources.

• Executive jobs, $100K+ job search, and career management
• ExecuNet
• 6 Figure Jobs - $100K+ jobs for six figure talent
• 100K Crossing - large collection of $100K jobs
• What You Should Know About Headhunters - from BusinessWeek

Returning to Work

Getting back into the workforce after a significant period of time can be challenging, frightening and exciting all at once! Start by inventorying all of the skills you’ve acquired during your time off, from organizing your daughter’s Girl Scout cookie drive to volunteering on the board of a local charity. Whether you realize it or not, you have transferrable skills which can be valuable assets as you re-enter the job market.

• "Getting from At-Home to On-the-Job, Even Now" - from the Wall Street Journal
• Returning to Work: A Career Crossroads - from About.com

Military to Civilian Employment Transitions

• Military reemployment protection benefits
• Military-civilian conversion resume examples
• Transition Assistance Online.com: Careers for Transitioning Military
• Job transitioning for vets and former military
• Career One Stop Key to Success Campaign : connects veterans and transitioning service members with high quality career planning, training, and job search resources
• US Department of Veterans Affairs

Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning

Graduate/Professional School

• Is graduate/professional school for me?
• Standardized testing for graduate/professional school

Career Training and Skill Enhancement

• How to Stay Competitive in a Global Job Market - from MarketWatch
• Toward a Career-Resilient Workforce - from the Harvard Business Review

Career Progression & Advancement

• "The Value of a Mentor" - from Quintessential Careers
• Gotta Mentor : personalized advice and information on tough career issues
• How To Ace a Performance Review - from the Wall Street Journal

Considering a Career Change?

A career change is a big adjustment no matter what the circumstances. Downsizing, burnout, and career plateau are just some reasons people change paths. By tapping into the many community and web resources that are available to you, you can find valuable information and support during this transition.

Once you have actively decided to make a career change, you may be concerned about how to articulate that change in an interview. Consider this model for confidently presenting your new career plans in your conversations with other people.

"Tell Me About Yourself": 30-Second Commercial for Career Changers

1. Name and professional identity
2. Last job title, company, function
3. Something you're proud of
4. Reason for leaving
5. Future focus

Articles and Resources for Career Changers

• "The 10-Step Plan to Career Change" - from Quintessential Careers
• "10 Steps to Escaping the Job World and Creating the Life You Really Want" - from Quintessential Careers
• "Temping Your Way to a Career Change" - from Quintessential Careers
• Collection of tools and tips for career changers - from Quintessential Careers
• Book: What Color is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles