Job Hunting New York City
Is there a better way to find a job then going to company websites and applying?
I have been job hunting for a little over a month now in new york city. I graduated last December with a Bachelor’s in Business(Marketing) from a big ten school and good grades. I looked at individual companies websites I know of, indeed.com, hotjobs, etc. I am not getting callbacks at all really, I am wondering what I am doing wrong. I hear ‘networking’ is the best way to get a job, but how do I do that seeing that I don’t have any professional experience and contacts in NYC?
Yes, there are plenty of better ways to find a job than going to comapny web sites. In fact, that’s one of the least effective methods.
Anyone can apply online, and nearly everyone does. So companies are hit with these huge tidal waves of applications, mostly low quality. Typically, the resume doesn’t really apply to the job at all; it’s awfully simple just to click and send.
You hear that “networking” is the best way to get a job. That’s probably correct. Why don’t you ask the people you “hear” that from how to network. That’s the first step in networking.
Here’s a crash course:
Identify three different areas in which you feel you’d be qualified to work, based on your marketing degree.
Start off by identifying 15 companies in each of those three fields. Then go online and do some research on each one. Enough to actually know a bit about the company. Weed out any that clearly aren’t a good match. But add others until you have a total of 15 acceptable companies in each of those three areas.
Develop three versions of your resume, one for each of those fields or job segments.
Now, go online and see if those companies post job openings. Do NOT apply online, unless that’s absolutely the only option. You will apply by snail mail. You’ll have a cover letter, customized to each company, And you’ll include the version of the resume specific to that field. If the company doesn’t show any online openings, you find out the name of the HR person or contact. That may be online, or you may have to call. Then you send a cover letter and resume to that specific individual. If you can identify the person to whom you’d be reporting (such as Director of Marketing), send a second letter, customized for that person, along with your resume, to him/her.
You do that every week. That’s 45-90 letters. That’s 7-14 a day, a very manageable number.
Plus, every week mail 10 requests for informational interviews. These letters should be sent to the person in the Marketing (or whatever) department, NOT HR. A personalized letter. Follow up 4 days after mailing with a phone call. If you don’t know what an informational interview is, look online.
Now for networking. Identify the trade associations representing those companies. Study their web sites. Set up informational interviews with persons from those associations. Do at least one a week, in addition to the informational interviews you’re doing with the actual company representatives.
On these interviews, look and sound professional. Have some business cards made up with your contact information. Not the crud you buy in Office Depot and run off on a Xerox machine. Real cards. Hand them out to everyone you meet.
After each interview, send a thank you note to the person you spoke with. Just a little note thanking them for the time they took. Include another business card.
That’ll get you started. Sometimes you have to take the initiative in networking. Sitting in front of a computer for a few hours a day just doesn’t cut it. (Hey, you’ve got a degree in Marketing. Use some of that knowledge to supplement what I’ve provided here.)
Hope that helps.
How to Get a Job in New York City, Relocating Jobs to New York