A. How to get started

1. If you have not done so already, register with Career Services to access our recruiting program, job listings (updated daily), and additional career resources. Email Career Services if you need the token password to register.

B. Networking ~ It's easier than it sounds!

1. Networking is considered to be the most effective job search approach.
   
   
2. Contacting everyone you know and asking for advice, information and job leads is critical to job search success.
   
   
3. Reach out to family contacts, faculty, previous employers and college/prep school alumni.
   
   
4. Visit the online Skidmore Career Network for lists of alumni/parent volunteers in fields and geographic areas of interest. Email adoyle if you need the password to run your customized lists.
   
   
5. Join a professional association in your field of interest. Network with seasoned members. Access association job listings. Visit the Gateway to Associations, use the Encyclopedia of Associations, and speak with professionals and alumni in your field to identify relevant professional groups.

C. How to Locate Job Listings

1. Click on the JobCentral link to log into eRecruiting for monthly recruiting leads or MonsterTrak for the Job Leads Especially for Skidmore Candidates listings (updated daily). Email adoyle if you need the Skidmore College password for MonsterTrak.
   
   
2. Our Entry-Level Jobs links will connect you to other useful sites for new graduates like Hot Jobs (tip for entry-level job seekers: click on College in the career categories lists and then select industries of interest on the next screen) and Monster Entry-Level Jobs.
   
   
3. The Jobs By Field will help you to locate job listing sites clustered by career fields or industries of interest.
   
   
4. Try our Jobs by Region and our Classified Ads links to get listings in your dream location. Newspaper Links organizes newspapers by state so that you can access the job classifieds.

D. How to Target Employers

1. Use directories typically found in research sections of libraries (both hard-copy and online) to identify employers in industries and geographic areas of interest. Check to see if employers on your target list have web sites. Check the sites to find out if they are hiring any new college graduates for entry-level positions.
   
   
2. Yellow page sites like Yahoo Yellow Pages are another effective way to identify target employers in a specific location.

E. How to Research Employers

1. Look up the company using an Internet search engine. Many engines are found at http://searchenginewatch.com. Read as many articles as possible, especially current ones, written about your target companies in various trade and business publications by utilizing indexes and databases often available at your local library.
   
   
2. Look for information about new products, marketing developments, management changes, challenges facing the organization, financial standing, and mission or philosophy. This may help you determine if you should continue to target an employer and, if so, will also be useful when writing cover letters and interviewing for jobs.

F. Researching Business/Management Employers

1. Business and Management Jobs can often be accessed by visiting the employer's website directly. This is typical for industries such as consulting, insurance, and hospitality. For example:
   
   
• Accenture
• Merrill Lynch
• State Farm
  
  
2. Review reference directories such as the Moody's Bank & Finance Manual, The Official Museum Directory and the Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies. These resources can help you to identify employers in various geographical areas or industries and gather some basic background information.
   
   
3. Conduct informational interviews with employees to get an insider's perspective about the employer. This is a great way to find out how the organization treats employees and to discover other information not available in print.
   
   
4. Read local newspapers and business publications if you are investigating companies in a particular geographic area. It may also be useful to visit a library in the area to see if they have information about local businesses.

G. Sustainable/Socially Conscious Careers

1. Still trying to figure out what you want to do with your life? Consider a sustainable career.

H. Job Fairs

1. View our links to "real" and “virtual” (online) career fairs you might want to attend or participate in. Check to see if they will accept graduates.
   
   
2. Also, check out our tips for getting the most benefit out of participating in a job fair.

I. Graduate School

1. Find out more about applying to and financing graduate school.

J. Recommended reading

1. How to Get Your First Job and Keep It, Deborah P. Bloch, VGM Career Books, 2002
2. Find the Bathrooms First!, Roy J. Blitzer and Jacquie Reynolds-Rush, Crisp Publications, 1999
3. Reality 101, Fran Katzanek, Kaplan, 1998
4. The Ultimate New Employee Survival Guide, Ed Holton, Peterson's, 1998
5. First-Job Survival Guide, Andrea J. Sutcliffe, Henry Holt & Co., 1997