Alumni Resources and Tools
Assessment
Free Online Career Assessment:
- Career Assessment: http://www.sokanu.com
What path should I take?
Skills + Interests + Abilities + Values = Good Career Fit. Take time to assess yourself. You will save time in the long run. Make an appointment with a career counselor to discuss results if needed.
Career Research
Online Tools
- Federal website to research careers/job titles: www.onetonline.org
- Find alternative job titles and job descriptions as well as salaries: www.payscale.com
Company Research
Online Tools
- Join our LinkedIn group
- To find jobs, alternative job titles, detailed descriptions and salaries: www.payscale.com
Résumés, Cover Letters and Thank You Email Sample
Résumés
Sample Cover Letter
Sample Email
Networking
In person:
Online:
- University of Houston Bauer’s Rockwell Career Center
- University of Houston Bauer College of Business Alumni
- Houston Bauer MBA Alumni
- Using LinkedIn
Asking for advice rather than a job (Informational Interviewing)
Prepare
- Self Assessment: Why are you interested in learning more?
- What values, skills and interests led you to this point?
- What interests you the most about this career?
- Type out your questions in advance.
- Bring your questions and a notepad.
- Make sure you mind the time on the day of the meeting. If the professional would like to continue the conversation, that is fine however, make sure he/she initiates this.
Approach
- Find professionals via LinkedIn, in-person networking groups and through personal referrals.
- Ask for 15-20 minutes of their time.
- Explain that you are interested learning about his/her career path.
- If you aren’t sure of the career path but are interested in the industry and the possibilities available, this is a good way to find out more.
- Do NOT ask for a job in the initial email or first meeting.
Day of
- Dress professionally.
- Arrive 10 minutes early.
- Bring a copy of your résumé but only present if asked.
- Offer to pay for the meeting if it is coffee or a meal.
- Thank the interviewer.
- Ask for a business card.
- Ask if he/she knows anyone else you can talk to in the industry and/or with a similar job title.
Follow-up
- Send a professionally written email thanking the professional within 24 hours of your meeting.
- Self reflect-Is this the career for you? Are there questions that you wish you would have asked? If so, write them down for the next time.
- Keep the professional in the loop as far as your progress goes.
- Follow-up occasionally when appropriate, for example, if you have something in common and you see an article that makes you think of this person.
Job Search
Useful Links
- Bauer Career Gateway
- Set up job search agents based on company name, key word, city, state, zip code, job title or any combination of these: www.indeed.com
- Join LinkedIn
- Professional Organizations: Join professional organizations related to career goals and review their job postings
Interviewing
The Star Interviewing Technique: Behavioral Based Interviewing
- S: Situation-What was going on?
- T: Task-What did you need to do?
- A: Action-What exactly did YOU do? Tell a very brief story/give a specific example.
- R: Result-What was the result?
Your story should be 1 minute or less. The listener should be able to picture your example. Please see worksheet: Behavioral Interviewing Grid
Interview Stream
- Practice your interviewing skills via webcast while it is recorded via this link: cba.uh.interviewstream.com/home.
- Watch and critique yourself or send it to us for feedback.
- Log in to user dashboard and select “Conduct Interview”.
- Select appropriate interview questions.
- Please note that you can record and re-record your answers to each question up to three times before the system requires you to start over.
Salary
Online Tools
- Salaries based on industries: www.salary.com
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: bls.gov/ooh
- Payscale: www.payscale.com
