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Getting a Job


There are three tricks to getting a job:

  1. Figuring out what type of job you'd like;
  2. Finding out about specific companies and organziations that do what you want to do;
  3. Applying for and getting the job you want.

The Placement and Career Services office specializes in helping you through these three hoops. Go see them! They are very helpful. Make sure you see them before your senior year so that you do not miss out on any opportunities! The sooner you do this, the less stress you will have over the whole job process.

The following are some general thoughts:

Looking for the Job You'd Like

If you have no idea what type of job you'd like, then the career planning office will give you some sort of self-assessment test that helps define what types of jobs you are more likely to like. Then it will be up to you to go through their resources to narrow the choices down to a reasonable number. Once you get to this point, you can go onto the next step.

If you know the general field that you'd like to go into, say you'd like to work for some sort of environmental organization, then you've got to find out about what organizations are out there, what sort of jobs they may have going, and what it might be like to work for each particular organization. This should entail at least as much work as a 50-page research paper, so the sooner you start the better. Once you have narrowed your choices down to a finite number of organizations, it's time to get the inside scoop on what it's like to work at each one and to make the contacts necessary to get a job that you'll like.

The Pittsburgh Geological Society

The Pittsburgh Geological Society is a very active organization consisting of both professional and academic geologists. It is by far the single best way to meet local people working in various branches of geology and environmental science, to learn about the various branches of geology and environmental science, and to learn about what professional geologists and environmental scientists do when working for both private companies and government agencies. The Pittsburgh Geological Society provides cheap student memberships and, moreover, makes attendance at their monthly meetings quite attractive by offering a bargain feast (only $5!!) on the third Wednesday of each month. You just have to call ahead a few days to let them know that you are coming. Visit their website to learn when and where the meetings are held, who the speaker each month is, and about the various activities that the society sponsers. If you have any inclination to work in geology or the environmental sciences in this area, joining this group is the single best thing you can do.

The Informational Interview

There are two types of interviews:

1. A job interview is a formal interview that consists of a boss or recruiter asking you questions and answering your questions with the purpose of hiring one of the candidates being interviewed. Because real jobs are on the line, these interviews are formal and follow certain rules in order to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. You do not get any inside scoops on a company in such interviews, but you do potentially get a job.

2. An informational interview is an informal interview that allows you to learn more about a company or the type of work that a specific job entails. This is where you get excellent insight as to what sort of specific jobs you might like to have, and which companies have corporate cultures that you find agreeable. You are usually paired up with a real person doing the job you are interested in. You can ask this person any questions you want. You want to be sure to have thought about the sorts of things that you'd like to know so that you ask intelligent questions, don't waste the person's time, and create a positive impression. Such an interview may take 20 to 30 minutes and may be conducted over the phone. The main rule to these interviews is that you should not ask for a job. You can leave them a resume so they can get in touch with you in the future if a job opens up, but this is not a job interview!

Beyond mere self-education, the informational interview brings another very important benefit: most jobs in the business world and in many organizations are never advertized. When a position comes open, they want to fill it immediately. If they know someone they can call up, they will call them up and may offer them the job. If you have made a positive impression with any of the people you met during an informational interview or at the Pittsburgh Geological Society, they may call you up! Thus, an essential aspect to the informational interview is that it allows someone with no connections (like you) to start establishing contacts with people who can give you a job. You could view this as schmoozing, but, if you are a sincere person, you are asking questions out of honest interest and you are building a network of future professional contacts with whom you will work in the future. You can call these people with questions and get a feel for who does the best work in town. The informational interview thus represents the first steps in developing a community of professionals with shared interests and diverse experiences.

The Resume and the Job Interview

The last steps to getting a job are creating an effective resume, getting a job interview, and conducting yourself well at such an interview. The Placement and Career Services office can give you expert advice in these areas. If you would like further advice, show it to your favorite faculty member or your advisor. We are glad to help!


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