Laura writes:
I am trying to get work in production companies as I want to make the move into helping people make TV programs and documentaries. It has proven extremely difficult, but I will continue to keep trying this year.
Because I don’t know the position I am applying for — it makes it hard for me to write a letter to the company because I don’t really know what’s involved in making a show I don’t really know where I want to be in that plan… does this make sense? I am happy to work as an assistant and all that to start off with but is there a way that you can cover this in a cold cover letter? I basically just want to get into the company — find out what’s going on and work my way up.
You face several problems common to many job-seekers, and I’ll try and address all of them for you — and for all those other job-seekers in similar situations.
First, you must not sound desperate (and unqualified). Even though I totally understand your point about doing anything to just break into the business, employers aren’t interested in people who sound desperate (and willing to do anything) to get a foot in the door. You need to clearly identify a job that interests you — and that you are qualified for — and then apply to the hiring managers at the production companies with a dynamic cover letter and powerful resume.
Second, you need to discover the position you are seeking. How you accomplish this important step is through two methods — traditional research and informational interviews. There is so much career information available from so many sources — offline and online — that you should easily become quite knowledgeable about production companies. The other method of getting information has benefits beyond learning about production positions. With informational interviews, you will not only get the information you seek, but you will begin building your network within the production industry — which should open some doors for you once you’ve clearly identified the position you seek.
Third, a great way to break into a new industry is through volunteering. You should look into local colleges and universities that have production facilities. By volunteering, you will not only build your portfolio, you will also be expanding your network.
Fourth, while there are some success stories of company presidents who started in the mailroom, more often than not, you can easily get pigeon-holed as the great assistant — but one who will never be considered for a promotion into what you really want to do.
So, do your research, polish your job-search materials, network, and go after a specific job. And be sure to follow-up each and every job lead — until you land that job.
I recommend you review some or all of the steps in this tutorial published on Quintessential Careers: Job Search 101.
Judith writes:
I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I have been able to get a few job interviews, but I never get beyond the first interview. One of the interviewers told me that I did not seem interested in the company — that I didn’t know anything about the company … but how am I supposed to? Please help me. I haven’t worked in almost a year.
A critical mistake many job-seekers make is not bothering to research potential employers, which is bad for several reasons. First, you should always research companies to help you decide if you even want to work at any of them; fit is such an important aspect of job enjoyment. Second, having information about the company can help you better prepare for the interview; the more you know about a company, the better you’ll understand all aspects of its operations. Third, you need to conduct some research on each company because you should expect the inevitable question from the interviewer: “What do you know about our company?” Sometimes it might be phrased as: “Why do you want to work for us?”
All job-seekers need to conduct research and develop critical information about each company — its products and services; key executives; new products, plants, or divisions; company culture; organizational structure; diversity and values; benefits; career paths; etc.
What’s the best source of company information? The company’s Website, of course! It’s absolutely amazing what you can find published on company Websites. You can either try directly entering the company name in your favorite browser. For example, if you were researching Aetna, you could simply try typing in www.aetna.com. Or, go to your favorite search engine (such as Google.com) and type in the company name in the search box. You can also go to the Quintessential Directory of Company Career Centers.
But not all companies have been quite so forthcoming on their Websites, so where else can you get company information? There are many, many sources — both online and in print — for both private and public companies.
Finally, you may also want to conduct some research on the main or key industries that the company operates within. To do so, simply use one or more of several industry sources available online and in print.
The last word(s): If you really want to make an impression, either add your company research to your portfolio or put the research into a binder. Then, when the interviewer asks you about what you know about the company, you can pull out the binder and do a little show and tell.
Want to learn more? Go to my article published on Quintessential Careers: Step-by-Step Guide to Researching Companies.
Find key country, industry, and company research tools here: Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries.
Kathleen writes:
Could you possibly advise me where to go to research various careers, and the current average salary for each career? It would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you.
The best source for conducting your initial research is the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. This publication, updated annually, provides general information about types of jobs within a large number of occupations; the outlook for job growth; working conditions; average earnings; education and training required; related occupations; and sources for finding more information. The Handbook is a great place to start your search. Contact your local library or go online to access the Handbook.
From there, I would locate the professional organizations for those careers. For example, if you were interested in marketing as a career, I would recommend contacting the American Marketing Association to learn more about careers in marketing. To get salary information for a specific geographic location, I would use one of the many salary calculators available online.
Since you’re in college, I would also recommend that you use the many resources available to you in your college’s career services office, as well as talking with professors who teach in the areas you are considering.
To find links to key career resources, go to: Career Exploration Resources.
To find a wealth of research material, go to this section of Quintessential Careers: Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, and Countries.
Karen writes: I have encountered this situation in one way or another on three of my last four jobs, and I am wondering if there is a good way to see it coming and to deal with it. The problem: a company culture that involves a lot of drinking and hanging out after work. I’m a drafter. I don’t mind staying late if there’s work to do. But I’m not into drinking; I have responsibilities outside of work, and the noise in a bar often makes it very hard for me to carry on a conversation. (By the way, I have no problem ordering soda when my friends have beer.) This probably hurt me on my last job. I got cut and I’m looking again, and I’m wondering if you have any ideas.
You’ve found, the hard way, the importance of researching companies while job-hunting. We usually talk about the importance of researching a company for the job interview, but it’s just as important to conduct research to make sure there is a good fit between you and the employer. If the cultural fit isn’t right, as you have unfortunately discovered, then the job usually ends up not working out for the job-seeker.
What is corporate culture? At its most basic, it’s described as the personality of an organization, or simply as “how things are done around here.” It guides how employees think, act, and feel. Corporate culture is a broad term used to define the unique personality or character of a particular company or organization, and includes such elements as core values and beliefs, corporate ethics, and rules of behavior.
How do you uncover the corporate culture of a potential employer? The truth is that you will never really know the corporate culture until you have worked at the company for a number of months, but you can get close to it through research and observation. Understanding culture is a two-step process, starting with research before the interview and ending with observation at the interview.
Before the interview. While you are researching the company for the interview, spend some time searching for clues about the company’s culture. Review the company’s annual report, Website, and other materials. Some companies even discuss their corporate culture on their Website (often in their career center section).
At the interview. Experts suggest arriving early to the interview — unannounced if possible — and spend the time observing how current employees interact with each other, how they are dressed, and their level of courtesy and professionalism. If there is a meal involved, observe if the employees drink alcoholic beverages with their meals. Ask questions about outside or after-work activities.
Learn lots more tips in my article published on Quintessential Careers: Uncovering a Company’s Corporate Culture is a Critical Task for Job-Seekers.
S. G. writes: We live 60 miles from a large city. My husband is applying for jobs nationwide, with not much luck. My question is: Should we move to an area that has more publication positions available? If so, can you tell me where to find information on publishing companies location?
First, let’s address the issue of job-hunting and researching companies. Since your husband has a specific set of skills for a specific type of company, you need to conduct research on where these companies are located. Because of my background, whenever someone says publishing, I think of magazines, but there are many types of publishing companies. My first suggestion is to develop a list of companies and locations. Contact the industry trade association and see about getting a membership directory. For book publishers, contact the Association of American Publishers; for magazine publishers, contact the Magazine Publishers of America. For other types of publishers, you can easily find a trade association by using, for example, Google.com. You can find even more resources in our Guide to Researching Companies, Industries, Countries.
Second, there’s the issue of a long-distance job-search. Since you live some distance from potential employers, your husband is going to need to work harder and smarter to locate employers willing to discuss job possibilities. Once you’ve identified a set of companies, the next step is getting the name of the hiring manager at each company; do not settle for someone in human resources — you need the name of the hiring manager. If the companies are concentrated in a few locations, you might consider planning trips to these locations — where you can do further research and go on job interviews. While it is always easier to search for a job where you live, I would strongly caution against relocating without having any kind of job offers. You can read more tips in our article, New City, New Job: How to Conduct a Long-Distance Job Search
One final suggestion about methods for researching employers. Our article, Researching Employers through Informational Interviews, takes a unique approach to conducting employer research — and includes some great strategies and tips for gathering in-depth research about prospective employers.
Robin writes: I’d like to know if there are any books that give descriptions of which careers do what? I thought it was a simple question, but I am having a hard time trying to find a resource like this. I am in the midst of making a career decision and don’t want to miss out on understanding the basics of each career.
I think the two best books on careers, career potential and requirements, and job outlook are the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Career Guide to Industries — both published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The books are available in print (usually in reference areas of libraries) and online (with search or browse capabilities).
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations. Follow this link for the current edition of the Handbook.
The Career Guide to Industries (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) provides information on available careers by industry, including the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings and benefits, employment outlook, and lists of organizations that can provide additional information. This edition of the Career Guide discusses more than 42 industries, accounting for more than 7 out of every 10 wage and salary jobs. The Career Guide is a companion to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which provides information on careers from an occupational perspective. Follow this link to the current edition of the Guide.
There are also numerous books written about careers within specific industries. For example, someone interest in marketing as a career could read Opportunities in Marketing Careers. You can find a fairly extensive list of career books — organized by industry — in this section of Quintessential Careers: Industry-Specific Career Books.
Finally, I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention that there are a growing number of Websites that either offer just industry-specific career information or a combination of job postings and career information…and many universities with majors in specific disciplines also offer career information. I suggest visiting these two sections of Quintessential Careers: Career and Job Resources — by Industry and Career Exploration.
Saurabh writes: I am an 20-year-old graduate, wanting to take up real estate as my career. I am really interested in this field but lack the primary information in real estate.
I need information like:-
- Pre-requisites.
- Future scope.
- Legalities.
- Needed knowledge or skills.
I would appreciate if you would reply me with some sites that explain such basic information.
The Career Doctor responds: According to several sources, there are more than five million people in the United States employed in identifiable real-estate fields such as title insurance, construction, mortgage banking, property management, real estate appraisals, brokerage and leasing, and real-estate development.
Where should all job-seekers begin their quests for information about specific careers? Your immediate answer should be the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. (You can search it directly from this page on Quintessential Careers.) The Handbook provides lots of information (job descriptions, nature of work, training/education required, salaries, future demand, etc.) for “Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents” and “Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers” — depending on your specific interests within the real estate field.
Another great source for you as you begin your quest is from the College of Business at Ohio State University. Go to their Careers in Real Estate: Is Real Estate for You? This site has an amazing collection of information and resources, including skills and requirements, key job areas, facts and trends, salaries, and offline and online resources.
Tiffany writes:
I am interested in starting a career in the advertising field. I have no idea where to start with my education to get this headed in the right direction. What schools would be able to help me or what are your suggestions??
The Career Doctor responds:
The advertising industry is an exciting and dynamic industry, where lower-level employees often work long hours for lower-than-average pay. There are two major paths to take in advertising — the creative side (art, copy-writing) or the management side (sales, account planning). You can work in advertising on the client side (the advertisers) or on the agency side.
A great source of information and resources is the Advertising Educational Foundation. Another great site is Advertising World, from the Advertising Department at the University of Texas. Finally, you can find some good information at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Career Guide to Industries — Advertising.
Anonymous writes:
I would like to find out what my job position is worth on the job market. What sites are best to research on salary surveys?
The Career Doctor responds:
We list the best salary sites at Quintessential Careers: Job Offers & Decision Tools. Which are the best? It totally depends on your industry, since some salary information is more readily available than others.
My all-time favorite salary site is Salary.com, which provides information gathered through the compilation of proprietary research and published reports. The site’s “Salary Wizard” enables users to research salary ranges for thousands of job titles in a comprehensive set of career fields, sorted by occupation and region. And it’s all free.
Anonymous writes:
Hi, I am currently in my undergraduate studies, and for one of my term papers we have to research 3 companies and come up with questions and answers to things that might be important to know before an interview. Do you know of any sources that would have a good number of things that are relevant and useful in a job search?
The Career Doctor responds:
Having knowledge about a company and the industry (or industries) it operates in is critical to interviewing success. Employers want job candidates who take the time to do a little research. A great place to start, of course, is Quintessential Careers: Guide to Researching Companies.
Questions you could easily research (partly dependent on whether you are researching a public or private company:
- strengths/weaknesses of key industry company operates in;
- key competitors in the industry;
- recent news about the company (new plants, takeovers, etc.)
- past quarter, six-months, or annual sales performance;
- past quarter, six-months, or annual profits (or losses);
- recent stock performance (if a public company).
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