TellMeAboutBuffalo.com

How to Find a Job

Step 1: Look for Jobs

General job boards

  • Indeed – Job search engineer for a large number of jobs
  • LinkedIn – Social network for professionals with a large job search focus
  • Glassdoor – See jobs and also reviews of the listing companies
  • ZipRecruiter – Job search engineer for a large number of jobs
  • Monster – Job search engineer for a large number of jobs
  • AngelList – Jobs at startups where many of the positions are remote

Buffalo specific job boards

Job Fairs

There are often events that occur within the community on variable dates where companies who are hiring come to look for individuals seeking job positions. Attendees will often come with resumes and ready to speak with companies to inquire about job openings.

This is a list of organizations who have been known to organize job fairs:

Step 2: Apply for jobs

American resumes

American resumes look very similar across the country. If you are coming to Buffalo from a different country, something to note is that resume formats often differ based on industry. Specific types of jobs or industries expect your resume to be presented in common formats. Here are some useful links to create a general American resume:

Cover Letters

The online job posting will sometimes ask you for a cover letter in addition to your resume. These are not always required and have become less popular in recent years, but some employers still do ask for them.

A cover letter explains who you are, what you do, why you applied for this specific job, why the job/employer is right for you, and why you are right for the employer.

Cover letters are more personal than a resume. Your cover letter should be different for each employer. Do you research and personalize the cover letter for each position you are applying to.

Keeping the cover letter short and easy to read is important. This is the way for your application to stand out from other applicants.

Step 3: The job interview

In the USA, job interviews can vary greatly depending on the job you are applying for. For some you’ll have one conversation and you can be hired. For other poisitoins you may have to complete multiple weeks or months of interviewing. You may have multiple interviews with different people and may have to keep track of all the conversations you are having.

Phone interview

For many jobs, the interview process will start with a short call. A recruiter or hiring manger will call you to ask a few general questions where they try to understand a little bit about who you are. They also want to know what you want and how you fit into the job role. This is also a call to check how your communication skills are and if you are personable.

Technical interview

Some roles require you to demonstrate that you know how to do the job or that you have the basic set of skills required for the employer to teach you more.

These are most common for technology companies where they will have a technical interview or a coding challenge. These interviews are different at every company and also depend on the person conducting the interview.

They may ask you to solve a problem, ask you questions about certain concepts, or give you a challenge/project to complete at home on your own.

Many jobs also do not have a technical interview.

Final meeting with the team

A hiring manager will often get the opinion of their team when hiring someone. They will often invite you to lunch where you meet with the team and see how you get along with everyone else. Food is not always included, you may just talk with the team.

Step 4: The job offer

Once the company is satisfied with your interviews and believes that you are a good candidate for the role, they will make you a job offer.

Job offers can include:

  • The amount of money they will pay you
    • Salary
    • Hourly wage
  • Benefits
    • Health insurance
    • Dental insurance
    • Vision insurance
    • 401k
    • Remote work
    • Paid time off (PTO) / Vacation days
    • Sick days
    • Equity/Ownership of the company
    • Relocation bonus – If you are moving to get this job, the company may pay for this
  • Start dates – When you will start the job
  • End dates – If this is a contract position, they will tell you when the contract ends

Salary negotiation

After you get a job offer, you are able to negotiate a better salary if you feel as if the offer is not good enough. You can also ask for better benefits such as more vacation days or a relocation bonus.

You can use tools such as Fishbowl and Glassdoor to see if the salary you have been offered is good.

Step 5: Start working

You will start working at your new job on the agreed upon date. The first couple weeks of your job will be an onboarding period.

During this time you will:

  • Complete paperwork and sign agreements
    • Make sure you only sign agreements that you believe are just and that you agree to.
  • Complete tax forms
    • There will be forms that you will have to complete for tax purposes.
  • Complete proof of ability to work documents
    • Your employer needs to verify if you are able to work in the USA.
  • Undergo training
    • You are new to the company. They don’t expect you to be 100% effective on your first day. They will teach you the things you need to do your job.
  • Account setup
    • The company will set up the necessary accounts like email.

Probation periods

Some jobs will have a period of time, for example, 90 days, where you are not considered an employee of the company. If you complete good work and they are satisfied, they can then choose to hire you once the probationary period ends.

During this time period, it is easier for the company to fire you and also not provide some benefits. Make sure you understand what the probationary period is at your company if there is one.

Local resources to help you get a job

Career counseling

There are services that can help you get hired. There are many free resources in the list above with these services.

There are also other paid resources that can help you write your resume and cover letter to find jobs. Many of the free resources do the same things.

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