Managing Your Search 

Self-Assessment

Your values and your skills will drive every step of your job search. Before you begin anything else, take a few minutes to fill out the values inventory and the skills inventory. These will assist you in setting goals for yourself and targeting a career that’s right for you.

Research

The next step is to research which kind of jobs would be a good fit for you based on your self assessment. The following Career Information Profiles are good places to start to get an idea of what types of organizations are out there, what kind of jobs are at those organizations, and what skills are needed for those jobs.

Setting Goals

It is important to set long-term and short-term goals. In setting your long-term goals, you might want to consider the following questions:

• What is your dream job? What is it that draws you to that particular job?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10 years?
• What mark do you want to leave in this world? How do you want to be remembered?

Setting short-term goals are an important step in reaching those long-term goals. Consider:

• What skills and knowledge do I need to achieve this? How can I acquire this?
• What resources do I need? Where can I find them?
• What barriers do I need to overcome and what steps do I need to take to overcome them?

Building Your Career Portfolio

You career is a life-long enterprise. Begin building your career portfolio now-- look for opportunities which will help you reach your career goals, and take advantage of them. The Career Services Office has put together a series of questions to help guide you through this process.

Resume & Cover Letter Writing

Your resume and cover letter are key marketing tools, created to attract attention, interest, and gain an interview. They are an advertisement of your skills, education and work experience.

Interviewing

The next step in the process it to practice your interviewing skills. For additional tips and information about interviewing, please refer to the Heinz Career Services Interviewing Guide in the Career Services Library section of the website.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities for the Federal Application

Your KSAs are an important part of the Federal Application.

Negotiating

The next step in the process is to negotiate your job offers.

Reassessing

Once you have found your job, it doesn’t stop there! Periodically reassess, asking yourself:

• Am I still committed to my earlier goals?
• How can I take my career to the next level?