Typology of job seeking strategies

Kathrine Jensen (HECSU)

Information oriented

• Main focus: locating job advertisements

• Characterised by formality (eg. Qualifications and job specs)

• Typical actions: finding the information and sending applications

Examples are:trawling job boards, using search engines and other websites.

Can be defined as skills matching

Locating

People oriented

• Main focus: opportunities to network

• Characterised by informality• Typical actions are building

contacts

Examples are: joining online interest groups/professional body, going to career fairs

Can be defined as skills presentation

Connecting

Profile oriented

• Main focus: getting yourself out there

• Characterised by the personal/branding yourself

• Typical actions are building skills and a portfolio

Examples are: uploading and sending CVs, being visible on-line by blogging and a linkedin profile

Can be defined as skills performance

Targeting

ReferencesThe typology was informed by:

• Top Tips for Students Graduating in 2009 in A HECSU

Survey: How are Higher Education Career Services

experiencing the Recession? (Jensen and Higgins 2009)

Available from the HECSU website in the research reports

section at: www.hecsu.ac.uk

• And Julia Horn’s article Values at work: a qualitative

study of careers education in higher education from

Graduate Market Trends Winter 09/10