You will need to do the following:

• Develop the required skills for an appropriate entry-level job. Organizations hire people and pay them salaries with the expectation that they will be able to do work useful to the organization. Make sure that you are familiar with the kinds of job duties expected of someone with your academic background and/or previous training. Most entry-level jobs with potential for advancement now require computer proficiency and well-developed written and oral communication skills.

• Develop the required attitude and behaviors for promotability. While there are exceptions, most organizations prefer to hire people who have demonstrated that they will be able to earn promotions and assume increased responsibility over time. Employers look for demonstrated teamwork, good interpersonal communication, and social skills; initiative; commitment to learning; flexibility (willingness to do a variety of tasks and to live a variety of places); and a broad range of interests.

• Match your skills to the requirements of appropriate organizations. Recent developments in technology have simplified the process of researching organizations. Most major organizations (and many small companies) have information—often including job postings—on the Internet. Campus placement centers, internship programs, help-wanted ads in newspapers, and personal referrals are all good sources of information about job possibilities. Newspaper and campus placement service job ads will frequently specify the required job skills.

• Develop the written and oral skills required to communicate entry-level qualifications and promotability. Your job application materials exemplify your written communication skills, and the interview will reveal your oral communication skills. Employers will use your letter of application and resume to evaluate your ability to address their needs and to present information in a logical, attractive, accurate, and persuasive way. They will use the interview to evaluate your ability to express yourself orally and to gauge your interpersonal communication skills.

The three sections in this part address these concerns.

• Preparing Yourself covers planning and preparing for the process of applying for a job.

• Selling Yourself covers preparing a resume and letter of application.

• Negotiating for What You Want covers interviewing and preparing postinterview correspondence.