You Majored in What? (23 page)

• Are you looking for inspiration or for a career that might interest you?

• Based on your goals or intentions, and your personality type, would you prefer to start with some Internet or book-based research, or would you like to wander into people and places?

• Which approach would likely yield the most information efficiently?

• If you want to learn more about careers in publishing, for example, do you know someone in the field?

• Do you have enough information to approach them intelligently about the field with good questions?

• If you don’t have a connection, then start with traditional research to see if you can find one.

The type of information you’re seeking will help you determine whether to do your wandering in the library, at your computer, or experientially.

EXPERIMENTAL WANDERINGS AT YOUR DESK

The art of research is the ability to look at the details and see the passion.

—
BILL PULLMAN AS DARYL ZERO
, THE ZERO EFFECT

Let’s start with the method you already know a fair amount about: research. Instead of researching an academic topic, though, your mission now is to assess what you know and what you don’t know about the workplace, and then set out to become a pseudoexpert in your field of interest before you apply for the job or the graduate program.

Did you know that the number one complaint employers have about college students and recent graduates is their failure to do their research before the interview? Recruiters are offended by interviewees who don’t know what the company produces or does, don’t have a basic understanding of the position they’re applying for, and ask questions that could be easily answered on their Web site or in their promotional material. You see, from their perspective, the point of the interview is to get to know
you,
not explain basic information about their company. The good news in this, of course, is that thanks to all the work you’ve done so far, you have an extensive and rich collection of information about yourself to share in an interview. And the better news is that thanks to the Internet and the plethora of books on career-related topics, much of the company research has already been done for you. The downside of all this information, however, is that it’s easy to be overwhelmed and lose track of your purpose, which is why this chapter is designed to help you access the information you need quickly and efficiently.

FIND THE REALITY BEHIND THE IMAGE

As entertainment, TV shows are great. As reality, they fall a little short. The characters go to work occasionally, never seem to work long hours, hang out in coffee bars or restaurants, and magically have nice apartments. The media is actually the worst place to get an idea of the working world. Remember, there’s a reason they call television and movies entertainment. People would quickly turn off a show that presented a realistic picture of many workplaces. Only insomniacs would watch a lawyer show that placed a camera in front of an attorney researching and writing a brief at his desk for fourteen hours. So enjoy your TV and movies, but don’t make career decisions based on them. Do your research to uncover the reality. Kathy, a biology major working in a
CSI
type setting, is quick to point out that they don’
t have the attractive blue lighting, no one wears leather pants, and absolutely no one looks like Marg Helgenberger.

Sometimes finding a good metaphor for what you’re about to do can make the process more interesting. You could consider yourself an anthropologist uncovering a hidden civilization. If you’d prefer, you can call yourself a scientist conducting research, an investigative reporter on a search for the truth, a CSI investigator seeking clues to solve the mystery, or perhaps you could just be what you are: a student or recent graduate in search of an interesting career or job. Armed with a metaphor or not, you are going to wander experimentally and gather information, which is probably the most important thing you will do in this whole job-seeking process. Chaos theory stresses that greater knowledge leads to better predictions, so the information you gather will help you make better decisions about your future. And as a student or recent grad, you get an added bonus most other job seekers lack: your youth opens doors to opportunities and helpful mentors because most people enjoy helping or mentoring young people who are enthusiastic and interested in learning.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed as you begin your wanderings, so whatever you are seeking, take a few minutes to write down some goals or intentions before you wander. For instance, if you’re sitting at your computer to do some Internet research, set a time limit and say to yourself, “For the next hour I’m going to find anything I can about_.” You can insert the name of a particular company, job field, city, or whatever topic you’re trying to find information on. For those of you who aren’t sure where you’re headed, no problem. Focus on something you’d like to do for just the next month or two. Setting a time limit and having a specific reason for searching the Internet will keep you from wandering off, so to speak, to find that really good game site or interesting blog you can’t resist. Be sure to bookmark the best sites (if you’re using your own computer), write them in your notebook, or e-mail them to yourself so you can refer to them later.

Good research will take away the fear of the unknown, eliminate the future “abyss,” increase the likelihood of the butterfly effect, help you develop a network, and gain a personal understanding of the culture of the workplace you are aiming for.

The more information you can fill in about the opportunities in your field, the better you will be able to match yourself to it and the stronger your interview, cover letter, and résumé will be. The form on the next few pages will help you organize the knowledge you already possess and identify what you need to learn more about. If you quickly discover you can’t fill in much of the form, try a Google search or one of these top five career-related megasites:

The Riley Guide:
http://www.rileyguide.com/
Quintessential Careers:
http://www.quintcareers.com/
Vault:
http://www.vault.com/index.jsp
Careerjournal.com
:
http://online.wsj.com/careers
Monster:
http://www.monster.com/

Usually the best resource for more in-depth databases (like Hoover’s or Vault guides) is a college or university library. If you’re still in school, use your library to locate databases, journal articles, books, e-books, and other resources. Check with your career center: they likely subscribe to many of the job search databases, which would be expensive for you to get on your own. Many university libraries (particularly business school libraries) have already organized a section of resources for job seekers that will make your search even easier. If you’re not in school, talk to the library at the nearest college or university. Often local residents are granted special permission to use the library resources. Public libraries may also have access to job-hunting materials; ask the librarian for assistance with your research.

So armed with all the information you’re finding on the Internet and in great books like the Vault guides, try completing this information sheet on your area of interest. If you’re still in the process of figuring out what might appeal to you, see if you can complete any of the lines.

POSSIBLE OR PROBABLE LIFE FACT SHEET

Career field: _______________________________________________________

Most interesting job titles:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Typical entry-level position: _______________________________________________________

General culture of the setting:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Education/training needed:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Experience needed:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Skills needed:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Typical terms used in the field:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Geographic locations with most opportunities (and cost-of-living information):
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Sample job description/duties:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

How to move up:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

What’s needed to get started:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Best resources to learn more about this field:

Books:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Companies:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Web sites:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Internships:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

People to contact:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Key information about myself and specific language to use in interview, cover letter, or résumé:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

If you’ve exhausted the resources recommended on the megasites, consider scheduling a time to meet with a librarian. They are experts at uncovering resources, and most college and university librarians are assigned to specialty areas within the library. Find out who specializes in business, nonprofit, government, or whatever resources you’re specifically seeking.

EXPERIMENTAL WANDERINGS BEYOND YOUR DESK

What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning—and some of them many times over—what do you find? That you can swim? Well, life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!

—ALFRED ADLER,
ALFRED ADLER: A PORTRAIT FROM LIFE BY PHYLLIS BOTTOME

If you’ve gleaned as much information as possible from Web sites and books, it’s time to start the other kind of experimental wandering into people and places. The tougher the job market or the more competitive the position, the more important it is that you have done both types of experimental wandering. For those of you who are bored in a library, this part may be much more fun than sitting in front of a computer or a book.

Statistics vary but some studies say as many as 75 percent of all jobs are obtained through networking, and recent studies have shown that your connection to your eventual workplace is likely someone who’s a stranger to you right now. Parents, neighbors, professors, friends, and other typical connections can be helpful, but you may get even better results by reaching out to new people and new places. You’re already familiar with the basics of networking through Web sites such as Facebook or MySpace, where you met people and developed new friends through common interests. Now you’re going to apply that to your job search. Whether you network online or in person, your goal is to become comfortable meeting people and letting them know what you’re seeking. So armed with lots of knowledge about your strengths, and thorough research about the job (or not, if you don’t have a job in mind yet), it’s time to try a new type of experimentation.