Job Search & Career Change

Career development is a lifelong process, and it can be a valuable experience to reflect on your path and profession at various points in your career. For those contemplating a career change, here are some things to consider:

• Do you enjoy the work you're doing, but not the environment? You might want to pursue similar opportunities but with a different organization. 
• If you like the environment, but not what you're doing, is there the opportunity to move into a different department or another position with the same employer?  Are there people at the employer that are doing work you'd like to do?
• If you are not happy with the work you're doing, are there certain components that you do like?  Are those components a stepping stone to another field?
• What do you like doing in your free time?  Can those interests be ideas for a new career path?
• What accomplishment are you most proud of?  What skills did you use to reach that goal?
• Can you identify the values that are most important to you and how a career choice is impacted by those?

Begin exploring what broad career fields match up well with the things you have learned about yourself.  Research salaries, working conditions, training & qualifications, and daily responsibilities.  Here are some ways to get started:

• Read job descriptions for advertised openings. Indeed, Simply Hired, and LinkedIn have listings for a variety of fields. 
• Volunteer for a few hours or join activities in your areas of interest to see if you enjoy the type of work.
• Speak with Goucher alumni. You can search LinkedIn using the LinkedIn Alumni Search Tool.

Useful Links

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Business Journal Directory
From the Baltimore Business Journal website, check out this searchable database of companies in a wide range of industries from various metropolitan areas.

Fortune Magazine's List of Best Companies
Check out Fortune Magazine's annual ranking of best companies.

Glassdoor
Research hundreds of companies to learn about the overall organization, average salaries, interview tips, and read anonymous employee reviews.

One of the trickiest parts of any job interview is the salary discussion. The best way to prepare yourself to sail smoothly through it is to go in with a clear idea of what you want and what you can reasonably expect. The links below will give you an idea of what various kinds of organizations pay for various kinds of work, and you can always contact the CEO to refine your ideas, based on your experience, about how much money to request.

Useful Links

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College Grad Negotiations
Site covers everything you need to know to negotiate your salary and benefits.

Glassdoor
Search through hundreds of companies to research salary information for specific positions.

LinkedIn Salary 
See a detailed breakdown of salaries by job title and location.

NACE Salary Survey (PDF)
Compiled by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), this survey provides information on salary offers in a wide range of career fields. This is a great tool to use when preparing for salary negotiations.

NACE Salary Calculator Center
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Salary Calculator Center is the hub for compensation data, with salary data for more than 500 occupations in 560 regions of the United States. Datasets are updated monthly to ensure consistently accurate data. Select the appropriate salary calculator to begin your compensation planning.

Negotiation
From Jobhuntingadvice.com, this page offers a step-by-step plan of how to approach the negotiation process.

Salary Negotiation Guide (from NYU Wagner)
This "how to" guide provides information about how to approach a successful salary negotiation process.

The best way to protect yourself from an employment scam is to practice vigilance before applying. For this reason we want to ensure that you are taking the measures necessary to identify scams before they become unfortunate situations.

Tips for Identifying Job Scams

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• Research the company and job. Can you locate the company and does the job posting seem to fit? Is the contact information provided in the listing accurate to the main company information?
• The email address associated is not the same url associated with the company
• The posting focuses only on the benefits, not the actual requirements
• The employer asks you to deposit a check for them once you are hired (If the check turns out to be fake or bounces, you may be responsible for items deposited into or cashed against your accounts)
• The employer requires you to pay money up front or to use your bank account
• When you contact the employer/are hired, the job requirements aren't what was stated in the ad
• If it seems too good to be true, it just might be

Protecting Yourself from Scams

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• Search for the email address/phone number/company online- does the company come up in your results? Is any of the information reported as a scam? Does the posting seem to fit with the companies mission?
• Do not provide any personal information unless you feel 100% comfortable with your employer
• Check their references just as they may ask to check yours - Ask to speak with current or previous employees

For more information on job scams or to report a job scam, visit the Federal Trade Commission.

Protecting Yourself from Scam Employers
Provided by the Experience network, this article offers suggestions on how to avoid scam employers and job postings.

If you find yourself victim to an employment scam, view these resources on Fraud Victim 6 Step Recovery and Avoid Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for additional support.