You’re ready to pursue your career pathway – great! This module will provide an overview of important strategies for taking that next step. You’ll learn how to align your experiences with job descriptions, communicate strengths with key stakeholders, and create an action plan for job negotiation. You’ll also review the components of an application process, such as resume/CV and cover letter, and how to prepare for an interview.
Introduction
Introduction
Learning Objectives:
Align your experiences and strengths with job descriptions;
Communicate your strengths to key stakeholders (search committees, references, etc.);
Create an action plan for how to approach job negotiation;
Reflect on how to use the skills you’ve built to be successful in your job.
Choose one or two job descriptions. Find your own by purposefully searching across several different sectors. Then, in this table, summarize the job responsibilities and list what stands out as the most important skills/expertise in the job description.
Self-reflection prompts:
From the job description, what do you already know about the institution/company?
Does it make clear what is valued beyond skills and accomplishments?
Does this align with what you value in a career and your workplace?
Communicating your Strengths
Elements of Your Job Application Materials
Cover Letters
Resume? CV?
Communications with Your References
Activity: Draft an e-mail to a reference, summarizing the strengths you’d like them to communicate.
Preparing for Your Interviews
Activity: Preparing for your Interview
Use this table to prepare for your interview. Think about what questions you might be asked, what about your experience is important to the interviewer, and what questions you want to ask them.
During the Interview: from short phone calls to multi-day events
After the Interview
Negotiating the Offer: Early Stage Career Professionals Share their Negotiation Process
Core Principles of Negotiating
Self-reflection prompt: what do you need to be successful in your career?
You Got the Job! Now What?
Self-reflection prompt: reflect on how to use the skills you’ve built to be successful in your new job.