The Self-Directed Job Search
Carlos Pierre
Issue date: 11/17/08 Section: Administration
For the BBA class, 33% of the class has reported in, indicating that 61% of the respondents have received an offer. Last year at this time, 40% of the class had reported and 73% of them had received an offer.
As those of you who are continuing to look for employment, begin to look past on-campus interviewing. Here are some of the activities that you can begin to think about:
Psychology of the Self-Directed Search
The frenetic pace, high visibility and relative transparency of the on-campus search can have the effect of making off-campus seekers feel isolated. This should not be the case. The figures that are tracked and quoted by OCD focus on those who have received an offer. The number of people that have accepted an offer is importantly always lower.
There is also the concern that the highest profile and highest paying jobs come through the on-campus process. Our experience shows that those who secure positions beyond campus experience a greater range of salaries, but that the median compensation figures reported are actually right on-par with the on-campus positions. The people who seek the (typically) lower paying not-for-profit and entrepreneurial positions are off-campus seekers. This helps to explain the above phenomenon, and further emphasizes the level of compensation that is available through the off-campus search.
Industry by industry, self-directed career seekers are not necessarily taking a back seat in compensation to those who have found what they desire on-campus. This is a good point for everyone to bear in mind as you negotiate offers. Continuing to search is an option as viable as having another offer from which to negotiate.
Timing
Another bit of good news about the self-directed search is that you can afford a bit of a lull in your efforts if you feel that you would like one. While the on-campus search has the advantage of an early commitment - the employers who do not come to campus usually will not commit until they have a need or are ready for you to start work after graduation.
As those of you who are continuing to look for employment, begin to look past on-campus interviewing. Here are some of the activities that you can begin to think about:
Psychology of the Self-Directed Search
The frenetic pace, high visibility and relative transparency of the on-campus search can have the effect of making off-campus seekers feel isolated. This should not be the case. The figures that are tracked and quoted by OCD focus on those who have received an offer. The number of people that have accepted an offer is importantly always lower.
There is also the concern that the highest profile and highest paying jobs come through the on-campus process. Our experience shows that those who secure positions beyond campus experience a greater range of salaries, but that the median compensation figures reported are actually right on-par with the on-campus positions. The people who seek the (typically) lower paying not-for-profit and entrepreneurial positions are off-campus seekers. This helps to explain the above phenomenon, and further emphasizes the level of compensation that is available through the off-campus search.
Industry by industry, self-directed career seekers are not necessarily taking a back seat in compensation to those who have found what they desire on-campus. This is a good point for everyone to bear in mind as you negotiate offers. Continuing to search is an option as viable as having another offer from which to negotiate.
Timing
Another bit of good news about the self-directed search is that you can afford a bit of a lull in your efforts if you feel that you would like one. While the on-campus search has the advantage of an early commitment - the employers who do not come to campus usually will not commit until they have a need or are ready for you to start work after graduation.
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