Job Applications and You

I am curious as to what other people think about this. So far, since June 6, I have applied to 11 jobs in the field of international education. On each one, I have taken the time to thoroughly review the job description, research the university and what sort of programs they have, and then adjust my resume accordingly for each unique position. Some positions are very similar, whereas others a very different. Some deal more with advising study abroad students, whereas others focus on international students and immigration.


But that raises the question- How many applications should you be sending out? Should you go for every available position you think you qualify for, or should you be more selective? I have read on some job seeker advice boards that you should be very selective, not even applying to more than one per week. Whereas others advise you to bombard employers with your applications, so long as the positions are practically the same. Tweak your resume and cover letter a bit, but otherwise just churn out the applications until you find a job.

I'm sure all job hunters have wanted to believe this from time to time!

Though times are hard, and it is difficult to be selective (especially when you are currently unemployed like myself), I tend to fall more on the selective side. That said, I have on average applied to around 4 jobs per week, but that does not mean I have simply regurgitated my resume and cover letter to each school. I spend nearly my entire day researching, making notes, analyzing the school, and then keeping the notes in a binder for future reference. I now know more about international education than I ever have, simply by researching and analyzing the different programs. I have learned what I like about some programs, and what I dislike. I have learned what is a large amount of international students studying at a school (over 7,000!) and what are small numbers. Indeed, you begin to understand more the process of working in an international office, and that it is anything from easy.


The other important question that remains to be answered is: Will this get me anywhere? Currently, I am still waiting to hear back from any of the schools that I applied to. You have to be patient, and you have to be diligent, two very important aspects of the job search that I have mentioned in previous posts. However, at the end of the day, the more you research and prepare for a job application, the more likely you will be asked for an interview, which in these times, is a modern miracle!


Rule #4 for Breaking into the Field of International Education: Research and take notes of all places you apply to, and save those notes for future reference.


LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/zack-wright/49/b26/265

Resources

As many of you may know, landing a job in today's market is very difficult if you do not have a significant amount of experience. That age-old question inevitably is asked by many job seekers as they are on the trail of their perfect dream job: How can one get experience if every open position requires experience? What's the secret to getting a job without having experience? The answer, coming from my unqualified and still unemployed perspective, is resources.


It is extremely important to tap into any and all literature on the subject of International Education. Professional groups, such as NAFSA and the Institute of International Education, are great places to begin expanding your knowledge on the field. Read all of the available reports and publications (the free ones anyway- after all, you are unemployed). Join the SECUSS-L forum, and read ALL of the postings. Gain a better perspective of the field and its current problems, its current goals, and some common actions being taken by different institutions across the world. By doing these, you will come across MUCH more knowledgeable and experienced, even though you have not worked in an international office, per se.

The NAFSA website also has an excellent career center with job postings

A couple of my favorite resources are blogs and newsletters. I have been reading a lot lately the International Student Voice Magazine, which gives a great perspective on the international student experience, and insidestudyabroad.com, which gives great tips on finding work in a study abroad office.


Another excellent resource: study abroad advisors themselves! Contact your international office at the school you graduated from. More than likely, they will be more than happy to assist you as you are breaking your way into the field. Don't be shy- email different institutions that you would like to hear more about, or whose study abroad programs you admire. The worse that can happen is that they will say no.


So, that is my next step- contacting schools across the country whose international offices I truly admire, and asking for an informational interview in order to learn how their offices function, what challenges they face, what aspects of the job they love, and what advice they have for me in getting my foot in the door. You never know what a conversation will lead to.


Here are the links to the resources that I have been using:
International Student Voice magazine: http://www.isvmag.com/
http://www.insidestudyabroad.com/
NAFSA: http://www.nafsa.org/
Institute of International Education: http://www.iie.org/




Rule #2 of Breaking into the Field of International Education: Utilize all available resources.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/zack-wright/49/b26/265