|
Finding the Right Job
A job search actually starts long before you end the
first resume. It starts with a decision on what areas
of the industry to focus on. Then you focus on companies
and opportunities in those areas. How do you make that
decision? With research.
Research
Get to know the industry - the trends and current events
- and get to know more about the key players and firms
in the field as well.
- Newspapers: The consumer goods
industry is covered in one way or another by nearly
every newspaper department, and it occupies a prime
position in the business section of the major news
outlets. Begin by scanning your local newspaper's
business section as well as the Wall Street Journal,
New York Times, and the websites of other major
dailies. Information on the companies and organizations
in the sporting goods sector will be part of the business
coverage, but to get more detailed information on
the sector as a whole, check out the sports and lifestyle
sections as well. Equipment trends and innovations,
and performance enhancing technologies and materials
are big news in these sections, and watching for news
like this can give you a good idea of which companies
are working in your fields of particular interest.
- Trade and Industry Publications:
The next set of publications you should review regularly
are trade and industry magazines, such as Sporting
Goods Business, Entertainment Engineering, and even
Sports Illustrated. And don't forget the publications
on specific sports like Snowboarder Magazine, Runner's
World, and Tennis Week. Whatever is happening in a
sport itself will have a great impact on the companies
that are making the equipment and accessories used
by the participants. Publications like these report
on all aspects of the industry, make product recommendations
to consumers, and can help you focus your search and
target specific companies.
Once you have your industry sources established, you
can start researching the companies you intend to target.
Don't forget that one of the best sources of information
about a company is the company itself. Most company
websites include not only information on product lines,
but also company history and links for employment opportunities.
For a list of leading companies in the industry, check
out the Companies
section in this module.
On-campus Resources
Many companies visit campus for recruiting purposes.
Your university Career Services Office should be able
to tell you what companies are coming and when. They
might also be able to provide information and contacts
related to internships. For more information on using
these on-campus options, our Career
Planning module.
Networking
Many people dismiss networking as simply "asking
around" but it's much more than that - it can be
the key to getting in the door and standing out from
the crowd. You might hear of job openings not yet advertised
or about people who plan to leave a job in the near
future. Another advantage is that being able to associate
yourself with someone known to the hiring manager means
you will have an edge in your first interview over an
applicant who is just one of many names on a list. For
tips and suggestions on effective networking, review
our Career
Planning module.
Online Job Listing Sites
You can certainly find industry jobs on the large, general
job-listing sites like Monster.com or careerbuilder.com,
but winnowing down the list to the jobs in areas you
want to focus on can be time consuming. Still, these
resources are very comprehensive and it's worth looking
at them—if only to get a sense of the range of
engineering positions available at any given time.
If you want to give your search more focus, you should
check out these sites specifically aimed at those looking
for positions in the sporting goods and equipment field:
Additional resources can be found in the Industry
Resources section in this module.
|
Consumer Goods: Sporting Goods & Equipment
