Whether you are planning an academic career or looking for options outside of academia, the transition from student to career is difficult.

An academic qualification may be necessary but it is never sufficient to get you a job. Potential employers are always looking at a combination of knowledge and skills in relation to the particular needs they have.

Employers (yes, even academic employers) would also rather hire someone who is enthusiastic about their organization and what they are trying to accomplish, someone who shares their values and will be interesting to work with.

The process of finding a job involves learning about opportunities (in general and in particular) and presenting evidence that you have the necessary knowledge and skills in a way that makes sense to a particular employer. You also need to demonstrate your interest (and even enthusiasm) for this particular job in appropriate ways.

This is tough. For everyone.

What is the most effective way to do it?

You could just apply to everything that looks reasonable and for which you are vaguely qualified. You could put together a standard resume or CV, or perhaps 2 or 3 standard resumes for different broad types of jobs. A kind of carpet bombing approach, except that instead of hitting the target (and lots else besides) you are more likely to miss out on even the jobs you are a good fit for because your materials won’t stand out amongst the many applications the employer receives.

It would be a better use of everyone’s time and energy to consciously select positions that really fit for you and then carefully craft application materials for those particular positions.

It will feel riskier because you are applying for far fewer jobs. But your chances of success with any particular application will be much higher.

How do you conduct a targeted job search?

Lucky for you, it involves research. And research is something I know you are good at.

You research the kinds of jobs that are out there, and even specific employers, using both published sources and interviews with relevant individuals.

You research your own background, using personal reflection and selected personality and skills tests, and develop a clearer idea of everything you have to offer a potential employer.

Then you pull these two things together to identify jobs that are a good fit. You develop effective ways of communicating what you have to offer to the particular audience, which is easier because you have researched their language and style.

If you would like to know more about how I can help you to create this research pack, sign up for one of my Wayfinding courses.