Ultimate job search strategies that everyone should know

By Dione Rivera

As fall recruiting season begins, the stress of job search is also mounting. Are you still confused about where to start? Or how to be more effective during this process?

Berkeley MEng student speaking with Hilti at the 2017 employer breakfast.

Our Career Development Team is here to give you some job search best practices:

Plan, plan, plan.

• Mark your calendars! In a week, allot 30 mins to an hour for job research. Adjust the time as you increase your job search activity.
• Create a target company list. Minimum of five and maximum of 10 companies you want to work for.
• Talk to your references before putting them on your resume and make sure they are supportive of your job search.
• Keep in touch with former classmates and/or connections so you’ll be fresh in their minds for new opportunities.

Internet is your best friend.

• Start following your target companies on their social media pages and research about them.
• Look up different job titles and read up on job descriptions to see if you have the skills that job is looking for.
• Take advantage of online UC Berkeley career resources like Handshake.
• Use your social media channels to develop a compelling personal and professional brand.

Challenge yourself to network offline.

• Go to meetups, hackathons, and industry events to rub elbows with industry movers and shakers in-person.
• Plan to attend campus job fairs and company forums. You will be able to get inside information on how to be the best candidate for their company.
• Build a job search support team. You can succeed fast by yourself, but you can succeed faster, together.

Best of luck with your job search!

Dione Rivera has 10+ years of international counseling and career coaching experience across age levels and work backgrounds. Her coaching ethos is to empower students to make meaningful choices in their careers by helping them navigate and optimize tools in building a strong career portfolio. Dione is also currently pursuing her MBA at San Francisco State University. Contact Dione.

Select career development tips are sourced from the Muse.