Professional Development Topics ➜ The Job Search


Title & Content Type Due Date
Pre-meeting Assignment

Visualize your dream job: What would be the perfect role for you? Imagine you are in that role. It’s 3 pm on a Thursday. What are you doing? Why would you like it so much?

Take stock of your assets:

  • basic career assets, such as jobs you’ve held and courses you’ve taken, computer or technical skills you’ve developed, and relevant service, hobbies, awards, etc.  
  • unique-to-you assets, like your strongest skills and values, accomplishments, and special knowledge you’ve gained through your life experience.

Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.

Jot down your notes from these thought exercises.

Pre Meeting After -2 Days
Meeting One - Conversation Starters
  • What are your goals for the job search?
  • How did you find your current or most recent position? How did it align with your interests, skills, and abilities?
  • What advice can you offer on finding jobs in the local community or industry?
  • A major part of the job search is defining what you are looking for. What are your goals for the job search? What would be a good fit?

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 2, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 2 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 2 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Two – Conversation Starters.

Event After 0 Days
Deliverable
  • Browse O*Net Career Clusters https://www.onetonline.org/find/career 
    • What keywords, job or career titles, or roles are useful for describing the type of work roles or career you are looking for?
    • What type of position best aligns with your interests and assets? 
Submission Required After 11 Days
Meeting Two- Conversation Starters
  • How did you go about searching for these positions?
  • How do your skills and abilities match up with the careers or job roles of interest to you? 
  • What are some suggestions for keeping track of job applications?
  • How can the job search process help to refine your assets (social media profiles, portfolio, resume, cover letter)?
  • What are your suggestions for next steps in the job search process?

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 3, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 3 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 3 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Three – Conversation Starters.

Event After 13 Days
Final Deliverable

Develop a Job Search Action Plan to share with your mentor. Make a weekly or daily schedule of job search activities that involve exploring career options, searching for positions, and networking to support your job search. This plan will help you keep on track during your search. 

Suggestion: use an online schedule maker to organize your plan.

Submission Required After 18 Days
Meeting Three - Conversation Starters
  • What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
  • What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
  • What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?
Event After 20 Days
Post-Engagement Survey

Mentors and Mentees please use the following link to complete the Post-Engagement Survey

Evaluation After 21 Days