Happy Holidays And Warm Wishes For 2009!

From BusinessWeek MBA Express: The View From Pepperdine's B-School Linda Livingstone, dean of Pepperdine's B-school, discusses the job market for MBAs, why the time is right to get an MBA, and life as one of the few female B-school deans.

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Tips for Finding a Job in Turbulent Economic Times
By Christiana Wu

Finding a job in this economic climate takes persistence, hard work, and focus. The same principles that apply to finding a job during good times applies to finding one during not so great times, only you need more persistence and patience. As one member of the Graziadio School career team, Jeff Farmer, puts it, "You have to be vigilant. Vigilance is keeping your eye on the ball, and remaining confident and in control."

Over the years, I've had my fair share of career transitions from being laid off after the tech bust to proactively changing my career path from corporate to education.  
Through it all, I've found that whatever industry/function or economic climate you're in, the same principles to job hunting apply.

• Tip 1 – Balance Career Focus and Flexibility
  During times like these, you might feel inclined to "cast a wide net," applying to any and all jobs that fit your profile and seem like something you could do even if the thought of doing it pains you. It might seem counterintuitive, but focusing your efforts will help you become more effective at achieving your goals. One good way to start is to assess your skills, values, and interest.  An assessment tool available to Graziadio students and alumni is CareerLeader.  After reviewing the site, if you are interested in taking the assessment send an email request to careerresources@pepperdine.edu.
• Tip 2 – Market Yourself Effectively
  One principle of marketing is "smaller is bigger." In other words, targeting a niche market will likely yield better results than trying to be everything to everyone. The same principle applies to job hunting. For example, if you have years of sales experience, rather than applying to any and all sales related jobs, think about where else you have interest and/or proficiency. If you have a great interest (and preferably some experience, even extracurricular is fine) for the latest technology and gadgets, think about a sales related position at the firms that make your favorite items. Start by taking a good look at your resume to uncover elements that make you unique (e.g., extracurricular activities, education specialty, types of companies).
• Tip 3 – Network, Network, Network
  As an MBA student or graduate, and as a business professional, you probably hear this all the time. It's important to reach out to people not only as potential leads but as great sources of information. Especially if you are making a career transition, you will need to do your research into the job functions/industries you are interested in to determine if the "dream job" is truly a good fit and if so, how you can market yourself most effectively to prospective employers. There is no better way to do this research than through informational interviews.  A helpful tutorial we recommend can be found on Quintessential Careers
• Tip 4 – Start Small If You Want To Become Big
  If you want to change careers and break into a new field, entertain the idea of starting small in a company or industry, maybe taking up a part-time, contractor, project-based, or volunteer position. Remember, you're building up invaluable experience in your chosen field, and it demonstrates to employers that you're serious about working there.
• Tip 5 - Be Confident
  In times like these, it's easy to get down, so it's more important than ever to rely on your network of friends and family for moral support. The job hunt is an arduous process and no one can do it alone. You want to make sure that you find a way to channel any negative emotions so they don't affect the way you present yourself to employers. Showing lack of confidence or desperation is a sure fire way to not secure that coveted job offer.
• Tip 6 – Keep Searching During the Holidays
  Here are some reasons to keep your search activities moving forward now, as quoted from the Keep In Touch (KIT) site:
  • "Out the front door. In the back door." Even when a company is
    having layoffs, they are still hiring for jobs that are important to
    their business.
  • Companies are putting together budgets for next year, so they're
    getting ready to hire.
  • Many companies are in the final phases of product development with a
    Q1 release. They're going to need help to launch and support their products.
  • Use the holiday down time to get current in new technologies if you've gotten out
    of touch. That will make you more marketable.
• Tip 7 – Use Graziadio School Career Resources and Contact Pepperdine Alumni.
  You can find resources at /career.  The Pepperdine Alumni Network directory is on WaveNet.  Graduates need to click on "Create an Alumni Account" to begin.

Christiana Wu is a career development and employer relations manager with the Graziadio School, located at the Irvine Graduate Campus.  She completed her MBA at Duke University, and after several years in marketing in the U.S. and overseas, made a transition into academia.

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