Career Research Beyond Google

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Innis Library – McMaster University – http://library.mcmaster.ca/innis

Career Research Beyond Google


What will we cover today?

Part One: Why? The reality of today’s market Published versus hidden job market Why is career research critical to your job search

Part Two: How? Identify companies and competitors in your industry Basic use of the library services @ McMaster Identify key business / career resources Practice!


The Job Search Process

IDENTIFYImmediate or

Long Term Goals

SEARCH

for opportunities

APPLY to available or potential jobs

CAREEREXPLORATION

& SELF-ASSESSMENT


Reality of Today’s Job Market

15%

85%

•Newspapers•Internet•Agencies

•Family•Friends•Professors•Former Employers•Word of Mouth/Referral

Published Job Market

Hidden Job Market

Source: 2003 McMaster Alumni Survey


Why is Career Research important?

Career Exploration: connect with others of similar backgrounds and interests

Access the hidden job market: more opportunity and less competition than the published market

Identify potential companies; typical entry positions; market demand and salaries

Preparation: define the ideal candidate and plan further skill development and experiences; training and education required

Company and industry preparation: the prepared interview candidate increases the odds of winning the interview


Library e-Resources

McMaster subscribes to hundreds of licensed databases Annually spend $3M on e-Resources Access – currently registered students, staff and faculty Use your MAC ID to access the library resources in the

library or off-campus To register for your MAC ID, go to MUGSI

https://mugsi.mcmaster.ca


Web site @ Innis Library

Your starting point for all business information and e-Resources: http://library.mcmaster.ca/innis

Not sure which databases to try first? Top Business Databases at McMaster

http://library.mcmaster.ca/innis/topbusiness.htm


Access through Innis Library Web Site


Finding Company Information

Company Directories: Comprehensive list of companies by industry Limit your results by geographic area Key company information:

location, contact information, number of employees, sales, year established, names of key executives


Canadian Company Directories

Canadian Business Database One of the most comprehensive lists of Canadian

companies, public and private Search by name, geography, SIC code and more!

2008 Canadian Key Business Directory Includes largest companies in Canada Search by name or SIC code

Scott’s Manufacturing Directories Covers manufacturing companies in Canada Search by name or NAICS code


Specialized Company Information: Print Sources

Check out these print resources for company info:

Career Directory - Identifies Canada’s 1,000 best employers for recent college and university graduates

Canada’s Top 100 Employers - Profiles Canadian employers with the most innovative workplaces & progressive HR policies

Blue Book of Canadian Business - Major company profiles and executive bios

International Directory of Company Histories - Profiles hundreds of significant companies from around the world. Entries include information on company history, organization, philosophy and resources for further reading.


Exercise 1: Canada’s Top 100 Employers

1. Go to Innis Library home pagehttp://library.mcmaster.ca/innis

2. Do an ‘Anywhere’ search in the Library Catalogue for the book:Canada’s Top 100 Employers

3. Click ‘Link to online resource’ – look at the website

4. Look at the print copy

Questions: How are the web site and book different? Was there any information that you found in one that you could not find

in the other?


Industry Associations

Great place to find career info Best source: Associations Canada

Online database with details on over 19,000 Canadian organizations and international groups

Includes industry, commercial, registered charities, special interest and non-profit groups

Innis library has the print edition for in library use only Location: INNIS Reference HS 17 .A88 2008

Online version available (need to login with Mac ID) http://tinyurl.com/282k88 (link to catalogue record)


News, Company, and Industry Sources Factiva

Access to current issues of the Globe & Mail and other newspapers from around the world

Up-to-date industry/company information

Lexis Nexis Contains news, legal, and business modules Includes Hoover’s company profiles

Business Source Complete Full-text business database (11,000+ sources) Includes international industry reports and company SWOT analyses

Canadian Business Database Excellent resource for finding company information Searchable by SIC Code


More News, Company, and Industry Sources…

Mergent Online Business & financial information for publicly traded companies

worldwide Industry reports covering U.S. & Canada

Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys Industry reports covering over 50 industries in the United States In print, available at Innis Library only (Reference HG 4961.S73)

FP.infomart.ca Canadian source for company and industry Mainly publicly traded companies


And yet more News, Company, and Industry Sources…

Business Monitor Online Provides country risk, industry and competitive intelligence.

FAITS (Faulkner Advisory for IT Studies) Provides hundreds of industry reports and company profiles related to

information technology worldwide.


Exercise 2: Use Factiva and Lexis Nexis to find Company Information

Factiva: Select the Companies / Markets tab

1. Select Company (can also search by Stock symbol or RIC code)

2. Enter the name of a company (e.g. Google) and hit search

3. Select the company in the results list to read detailed info about the company, such as stock price activity, company contacts, competitors, and recent news

Lexis Nexis:

1. On the main search screen, click Business in the toolbar

2. On the Company Profiles search screen, go to the Enter Search Terms box and type: SIC (2082!) and Canada

3. In the Sources menu, select International Company Reports

4. Hit Search.


Exercise 3: Locate an Industry Report and a company SWOT analysis

To connect to Business Source Complete, on the library home page, type BSC in the Databases search box and hit Go. Then click on the title to connect to the database

Task 1: Find an Industry Report for an industry you are interested in

1. Under Browse section on right, click Industry Profiles

2. Next to Browse for: enter the name of an industry (e.g. oil)

3. Select the By Title, Subject & Description radio button

4. Click on Browse button

Task 2: Find a SWOT analysis for a company you are interested in

1. Under Browse section on right, click SWOT Analyses

2. Next to Browse for: enter the name of a company (e.g. Halliburton)

3. Select the By Title, Subject & Description radio button

4. Click on Browse button


Career Information – Where to begin Center for Business Career Development (DSB 112) Career Cruising - http://careers.mcmaster.ca

Access to information on occupations, career pathways and valuable resources. Includes CareerLINKS – online mentorship database

Career Matters (Independent Learning Centre TVO) - http://www.ilc.org/cfmx/CM/

Job Futures (Services Canada) - http://jobfutures.ca/en/home.shtml Occupational Outlook Handbook (US Dept. of Labor)

-http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm The Riley Guide - http://www.rileyguide.com/

Employment opportunities and job resources Subject Guide for Business Employment (UBC)

http://toby.library.ubc.ca/subjects/subjpage2.cfm?id=419


Salary Information

Salary.com - http://www.salary.com/home/layoutscripts/homl_display.asp salary profiles, breaks down by industry, position and level; searchable by metropolitan city (US)

Payscale.com - http://payscale.com/mypayscale.aspxcreate customized profiles (International)

Salary Calculator - http://www.homefair.com/Find_A_Place/Calculators/SalaryCalc/index.aspCompare cost of living in US cities

Monster Salary Wizard - http://salary.monster.ca/Search by job, province or metropolitan area (Canadian)

Labour Market Information – Wages & Salaries http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca/ (Canadian)

Associations


Avoid the “Google” Trap

Google (and other search engines) only provide access to FREE information

Use McMaster’s databases (Factiva, Mergent Online) to access value added content

Off-campus access supported


Stay current…and succeed

Stay current Read key publications in your field Read current business papers including Globe &Mail and

the National Post (Financial Post) Check Innis Library website for new books, new products and new

trials

Start from Innis Library Web Site:http://library.mcmaster.ca/innis Subscribe to Library news via RSS feed:

http://library.mcmaster.ca/php/blog.php?id=94&display=full


Need Help with Your Career Research?

Innis Library (KTH-108) Research Help Desk ext. 23318 or email [email protected]

During the summer, assistance available: Monday to Friday 10am-12pm 2pm-4pm or by appointment

Centre for Career Business Development (DSB 112) Your first contact for career-related advice Get help with your resume, cover letter Practice, practice, practice


Questions?

Career Research Beyond Google

Documents

Transcript of Career Research Beyond Google