Networking, attitude are key in job search

McClatchy-Tribune Newspapers

How can you land and keep a job? University of Illinois students recently got advice from a College of Business panel that included an employer, a career adviser, two professors and a recent job seeker. Here are 18 tips based on what they said.

1Your job is to find a job, said David Sinow, a UI professor of finance. Stay structured. Stay enthusiastic. "Eighty percent of getting a position is enthusiasm. Don't get discouraged," he said.

2Don't underestimate the power of networking, said Julie Bartimus, vice president of the UI Alumni Career Center in Chicago. Employers say the most effective tools for finding new employees are networking and referrals from other employees.

3If you don't have a network, create one. Yoo-Seong Song of the UI Business and Economics Library said he grew up in South Korea and didn't have a personal network in the United States. "I built my own network, and that's how I got a job at Accenture," Song said. He joined several professional associations, then used their directories to make contacts with members.

4Contact people who went to the same school you did. Take advantage of your school's alumni association resources, said Patrice Yao, whose background is in human resources. Find out which alums work for companies you like, and drop them an e-mail. Tell them you'd like their advice regarding the company or the line of work and listen to what they say. "Don't make it sound like you only want a job," she said.

Read Tips 5 - 18

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/workinglife/article984001.ece

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