by Adriana Hall & Valerie Kielmovitch

People love lists…they like making to-do lists, they watch David Letterman give a top ten list every night, and they find grocery lists to be useful.

What about a list of employers to target during a job search, employers who will hire you based on your specific circumstances?  That would be a great list to have!  We often have students ask Career Services for a list of employers who are hiring, but the truth is that you can make your own list.  Every job seeker should have a list of targeted companies to help guide him or her through the job search process.

Formulating your list of employers will take time and patience. To set you on the right track,  here are a few resources that we suggest you use to create your list.

• EagleHire Network – career management system with a database in which companies and Career Services post both full-time and internship positions for Embry-Riddle students and alumni. Once logged in to EagleHire, you can conduct employer searches based on various criteria and identify companies that may be interested in your education, skills, and experience
• CareerShift – job/internship search engine that can be accessed through the EagleHire Network; it is especially valuable for those searching based on geographical location. It also allows students and alumni to search company contact information and track their job search efforts
• Company-specific Websites – search company career pages for opportunities
• LinkedIn – professional networking site with job postings and groups to join. We recommend that you join the Embry-Riddle Career Services group along with those groups related to your field of study and interests
• Networking – connect with those around you, including your fellow classmates
• Industry/Career Expo – October 10, 2010 from 9am-4pm in the ICI Center (Check out the list of 2012 attendees)
• Online Recruiting Events – Career Services hosts a Virtual Hiring Event in the spring, and you can take advantage of other groups offering online events
• Professional Associations/Conferences – seek out associations to join and conferences to attend; many of the associations have job opportunity sections and lists of their industry members and conference attendees
• On-Campus Visits – stay up-to-date on what employers will be on campus giving an information session and/or interviewing for open positions
• Home Country – if you are a citizen of another country, conduct research about other countries’ bi-lateral agreements with your own country
• Home State – research companies in your home town/state. Again, CareerShift is a great resource for these efforts
• Going Global – all students and alumni have access to this database through the EagleHire Network, which hosts an H1B section that summarizes a list of companies from the Department of Labor who have requested H1Bs in the past
• Internet – there are many resources, but a good one to start with is myvisajobs.com, which discusses information about H1B visas, green cards and work visas and contains information on preparing for a job search in the U.S.
• Faculty – talk to faculty; let them know your career aspirations and ask if they know of any companies that may be a match

Once your list is developed, you want to effectively use it to search for co-op/internship or full-time job opportunities.  Your list can guide you through many of the basic job search methods, including networking, researching, preparing, interviewing and more.  For research purposes, you can spend your time wisely learning about your top companies and their culture, developments and resume and interview preferences.  You can focus your networking efforts on people who are working at or have connections to your targeted companies.  Many of the more advanced company applicant tracking systems allow you to set up a job feed, so you automatically get a list of opportunities in your inbox.  Use the list throughout your search but be ready to adapt it based on your changing needs and priorities such as a new geographical preference or a new career goal.

Your targeted company list can be consistent, or it can constantly evolve.  There are many reasons to regularly re-evaluate your targeted company list, but the main, overreaching reason is that companies have changing needs just like you do.  Other reasons include new product development, different company focuses, varying government contracts and company regulations that change on a frequent basis.    For example, a company may advertise desirable jobs, but the organization may lose out on its bid to obtain a contract, which means that those job opportunities are no longer available.  In other scenarios, a company may advertise opportunities open to non-U.S. citizens, but the next day the opportunities may change due to restrictions imposed by various governing agencies.  It is imperative that you stay up-to-date on these developments, so you can revise your targeted company list based on real-time information.

Lists are part of everyone’s life, and many people rely on lists to help them through their professional and personal experiences.  For your job search experience, create your own targeted company list that enhances your abilities to conduct the search to your specifications…a list just for you.

Adriana Hall has a Bachelor of Arts in Languages (Spanish-English) from Colombia-South America and a Master of Science in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  She has been with ERAU for 9 years. Adriana worked for the Department of State in Colombia at the United States Embassy before moving to the U.S.

Valerie Kielmovitch has been working as a Program Manager in the Career Services Office at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for nearly two years.  She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida and Master of Education specializing in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of South Carolina.  Valerie has a diverse background in the field of higher education from residence life to career services.