Self-Assessment

Reduce the uncertainty and stress of the career search through systematic research into your own interests and values.

Since prospective employers expect to see evidence that you can do, want to do, and will do, think about your potential arguments systematically to help you find gaps in your career search and preparation.

Audit your strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

Figure out what technical abilities and interpersonal skills you're using in your work.

Interpret your experiences in terms of marketable skills.

Rehearse for interviews by considering your weaknesses and articulating what you plan to do about them.

Identify your key skills and why they're important to you, record when and how you've demonstrated each, and clarify how each is relevant to the position you're seeking.

Begin to find matches between you--your character and conventional ways of acting--and specific types of work settings.

Take into account what you value, the qualities you possess most strongly, and your styles of learning and communicating.

Take advantage of instruments for measuring learning and communication styles to gain useful information for making career decisions.

Determine the working environment, the kind of work and organization, and the particular rewards you'd find satisfying.

Career and Organizational Research

Reduce the uncertainty and stress of the career search through systematic research into the needs, interests, and characteristics of prospective employers.

Find out as much as possible about the organization's goals and work so that you can discover and then explain how your skills, experience, interests, and character match those of the organization.

Explore paper and electronic resources on careers and organizations.

Interview people who do the sort of work you'd like to do: Someone already in the job can inform you about career requirements, trends, and prospects, and enable you to test your impressions of a position with the day-to-day reality.

You should be clear about
why you're asking for an interview
what link you have to this person
and how long you plan to meet

When you meet for the interview, keep your promises not to turn the interview into a request for a job and not to overstay the time you requested.

Complete your self-assessment, career search, and organizational reconnaissance before the interview so you have a good sense of what you want to find out about what the interview subject does on the job.

Prepare a list of questions for the interview concerning the person's job, background and qualifications needed, career prospects, useful contacts, and career preparation.

Follow etiquette in scheduling and holding informational interviews, including thank-you letters as follow-ups to the meetings.

For questions and suggestions, please e-mail us at kilbornj@stcloudstate.edu or rinkster@stcloudstate.edu.

The print version of the Instructor's Manual for The Writing of Business
was written by Robert P. Inkster and Judith M. Kilborn for Allyn and Bacon.
This web version of the manual was coded by Judith M. Kilborn.