Find Your Dream Job

STEM Career Services 7-Step Method to Finding Your Dream Job

Prospective clients frequently ask us about our process or what it’s like to work with us. While all of our work is tailored to each individual client, we’ve found that the majority of our clients need help in the following areas, and thus, have created a 7-step process to help you find your dream job. Our 7-Step process is a dynamic and tailored. Not everyone will go through all 7 steps in a linear fashion. We customize everything for you based on what you need.

Step 1 – Discover and articulate your skills. We have yet to meet a client who has been able to fully describe all of their amazing talents effectively on a resume. In fact, at least 90% of our past clients were unaware that they possess, and frequently demonstrate, extremely desirable skills that an employer values and wants to see on a resume. Our first step is to help you see yourself as a highly talented job candidate and not just an academic researcher, scientist or entry-level candidate.

Step 2 – Create a “master resume”. A master resume contains all of the numerous and diverse skills and experience that you possess in a format that clearly communicates the value of these skills and experiences to an employer. A master resume serves as a foundation from which you use to create the position specific resumes that you will submit to each job you apply for.

Step 3 – Understand how to read a position description and to create a position specific resume. Employers communicate their job requirements through position/job descriptions. However, they are not always straightforward in their writing, nor are their expectations always reasonable. Since our career counselors also work as hiring managers in the private sector, we have written hundreds of position descriptions ourselves. Therefore, we understand this disconnect and can help you determine if you are a good fit or are qualified for a position. We help you understand what skills/experiences an employer is seeking for the particular position and we help you create a resume that presents you as the perfect candidate for the job; thereby increasing your odds of getting an interview. The position specific resume will draw from the points that you developed in your master resume (Step 2).

Step 4 – Build an appealing LinkedIn profile and professional social media presence. A strong LinkedIn profile will help employers and recruiters that are searching for qualified candidates on LinkedIn find you to offer you jobs. The top recruiters use LinkedIn and their tools to locate desirable candidates and we can help you build your profile to show up in more of these searches, thus, improving your chances of being contacted by recruiters. We call this “passive” job searching, since you are not doing any work – the recruiters find you based on the quality of your LinkedIn profile. But, in order to benefit from this, you must have comprehensive and inviting LinkedIn profile.

In addition to the “passive” search benefits, a powerful LinkedIn profile is critical to maintain while you are participating in your “active” job search. When you meet potential employers or network with other professionals who offer to assist in your job search; it is quite likely that you will connect with these people through LinkedIn. Having a well crafted and informative LinkedIn profile will impress these people and further assist you in the job search process.

Step 5 – Networking. Over 70% of jobs are obtained through networking. However, networking is also one of the elements of the job search that people find most challenging. STEM Career Services believes that networking is an ongoing process and not something that you only do at “networking events” or at professional meetings and conferences. Our proven techniques will help you become more comfortable networking and we will help you communicate your skills to people in ways that they will clearly understand that you will make meaningful contributions to their organizations. We will also help you identify networking opportunities in your every day routine that will increase your chances of meeting people and finding meaningful connections for jobs. Lastly, we will share our networks with you to facilitate strategic connects in the career fields and companies that you desire.

Step 6 – Apply for jobs and get interviews. By this point in the process, you are fully capable of applying for jobs and creating targeted, position specific resumes on your own. We are always available to support you should you need it, but this is where you get to shine and start to apply for jobs and get interviews. Once you have an interview scheduled, we will work to prepare and coach you for the interview so you know what to expect and how to respond. Unlike other career counselors, we know how to get you prepared since we have decades of experience interviewing candidates just like you. Our experience is your advantage.

Step 7 – Select the best position from your offers and negotiate a fair compensation package. The final step in our process is to help you determine which job is the best one for you and strategies for how to ask for what you deserve when discussing compensation.

In addition to the 7-step process described above, for those candidates who might not be sure what they want to do in their careers, we also offer the following preliminary services in addition to the process outlined above…

The world of employment opportunities for STEM graduates. Most STEM graduates are uninformed about the numerous types of careers they can have and the variety of employment sectors that highly desire STEM degree candidates. We help you understand the types of jobs available to you that go well beyond Industry and academia.

Understanding your passions. We find that nearly 50% of our clients are unsure about “what they want to do when they grow up,” and that is perfectly understandable. We welcome these clients because we love to help them discover what they are passionate about and how to find a career that aligns with those passions. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of our jobs. We have exercises and tests to help you learn more about yourself and feel more confident that you are targeting the right jobs to make you feel satisfied and valued, not just make money. Job searching is difficult and the last thing you want is to get a job that isn’t right for you and go through this process again shortly after. Hence, your job search will be much more targeted if you know the types of causes you care about, roles you want to play, skills you want to utilize and/or company cultures where you will thrive. And we can help you with all of this. With our help, you will get it right the first time around!