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CHOOSING
THE JOB When, Where and What? ( For MBA
Students): There are
two general things to think about at this stage your
career path and the next job. Before you decide which job or jobs to apply
for, you should have given some thought to your career path. There is a
special section on this in these advice pages. We suggest that you look there
now or soon. For what
follows here we assume that you now have decided what type of job in what
type of organization will fit your career intentions. The issues for you now
are to do with specifics in particular when?
where? and what? When to
apply? Put your
details on this site as soon as you can - and get some control over your job
seeking process and schedule However if
you are near the start of an MBA program dont start
applying for specific jobs straight away. Few organizations will offer you a
job to take up at a much later date so apply
when you are well into your MBA program. If your School organizes recruitment
fairs then find out when recruiters from
organizations will be visiting your School and make sure you apply for any
specific jobs that you are interested in before these begin. As a general
rule the end of your program should be in sight before you
start applying - as organizations will want to know how your have been
getting on with your program- eg your average grades etc and they
may want to get references on you from the School so you
need to have been there long enough for people to have got to know you.
Generally - 6 months form the end of your program is about the right time to
start applying Tips- 1.
Watch what the others are
doing, and apply around the same time - not later. 2.
Try to avoid getting into a situation
in which you have to prepare for and attend interviews when you want to be
concentrating on exams etc You know what your deadlines and critical times
are external organizations dont!. 3.
Be prepared for time
consuming processes. Possible employers may expect you to meet with them lots
of times so try not to get involved at times which do not suit you Where to
apply? You need to
research the organizations that are potentially of interest to you. Not only
is this necessary at this stage but it is
essential also in preparation for any applications and subsequent interviews. Start this
process early there will be lots of other things
that you need to do later. Look at the
organizations on this site. Use this as your starting point - because these
are the organizations that are interested in people like you. Also look at
local/national papers and business magazines to find organizations that might
be of interest to you not only the ones that are
advertising for staff but also those with general
advertisements Now do your
research. Your
potential sources of information include the following- The
Organizations Web page for the official info.
(Print off the key pages for possible future use) Your
Library check the business directories, on-line and CD ROM databases for
company information and search the on-line newspapers, business journals and
abstract services for references to the organization. (Print off the key
pages) The
Organization if you are really serious about an organization and need more
info after you have done the above call them
and ask (eg for catalogues, annual reports, etc) The Alumni
of your School if there is a database or
directory you may find some people who do or have worked for the
organization. Contact them and ask them questions (They will probably be
pleased that you have found them) Some of the
things you may be aiming to find out during this search of value
in making your choice as well as in preparation for any interview may include
Location(s) Ownership Size Growth and
profitability record- eg in comparison to their business sector Background
of senior staff eg do they have an MBA and where
from? Human
Resource policy/practices eg any management development
programs Tips- 1.
Dont confine your interest
to those organizations that are currently advertising jobs of the type that
might interest you. Cast you net widely at this stage. Not all the good jobs
are advertised 2.
Dont rely solely on the
organizations own information- or only on factual information eg from annual
reports. Get inside info, comments and judgements from press reports. (Its
the snippets and the up-to-date info that will impress if you go for
interview) 3.
Use your networks ask
around 4.
Make notes create a
dossier on each organizations they may be useful later eg at an interview
5.
Pool/share information with
other people on your program. (This is not yet a competitive situation) 6.
Get negative info as well as
positive stuff you are most likely to get it from press /journal coverage
it will be of value to you in any interview 7.
Also collect information
as above about the sector in which each organization works - eg activities
of main competitors , etc What to
apply for? Often you
will have to decide what job, or what type of job, to apply for in the
organization you have chosen. However, if you have little or no work
experience this may not be the case an
organization will probably consider taking you on to give you some initial
training etc before they or you decide in what part of the organization to
work. So you can skip this stage If you have
a choice to make - we are back to considerations of your career path. In
thinking about your career you will have assessed your strengths and
weaknesses You will
want to be able to use your strengths in the job but will
know that you are unlikely to develop your career unless you also have the
opportunity to learn new skills and perhaps
rectify some weaknesses. So your choice of what to apply for will be
influenced by your desire to strike a balance between familiarity and
challenge. You will also be wanting to ensure some linear direction
to your career so unless you have been totally
unhappy with any earlier job, or unless you have chosen to take an MBA in
order to change the direction of your career - your new job choice will be
intended to move you forward Look at the
jobs on this site (and also of course the local/national papers). You may
find something that fits your requirements, but dont assume
that these are the only jobs that exist. Not everything is advertised Tips 1.
Aim high not low. An organization
may offer you a job slightly below what you applied for but will rarely
offer you one above. 2.
Have a good reason to apply
for the job- if your are interviewed you will be asked this question 3.
Know what the job will do
for you as well as what you can bring to the job 4.
Know what the job involves
if necessary ask 5.
Find our whether it is a new
job or has been/is currently being done by someone else. If the former, why?
If the latter where is the person going up? 6.
Talk to people who have done
this type of job before (alumni, faculty?) and get an inside view (make a
note of their names, job title and organizations it may be
useful to drop this info into any interview) Source: http://www.mbajobs.net/graduates/advice_choosing.html |