This article introduces a career search model designed to set clients them up for success and also protect them from unnecessary rejection. It was also developed to utilize the power and connectivity of the Internet.

Think of this model in three stages. The first stage is "Getting the Lay of the Land," gathering all the information that can be acquired through research in the library, the Internet, and contacts made through professional associations, alumnae and friends. The type of interviewing used at this stage is networking. The second stage is a conscious effort on the part of the client to make sure he has chosen the right career or position, "Verifying and Validating Your Interest." This means talking to someone at a collegial level, a person doing something close to the type of position the client is considering. Interviewing at this stage is more formal and is known as an informational interview. The third stage is when the client shifts gears and sells himself to key decision makers, "Finding, Applying, and Getting the Job." At this stage, the client implements a strategy for identifying job openings and prepares for the very important job interview.

The model was built with the power of the Internet in mind and derives its strength from connecting people with information. The model defines seven categories of information that are to be researched by clients, moving from the general to the specific. The seven categories are: Industries, Vocations, Job Descriptions, Professional Associations, Professional Journals and Magazines, Educational Requirements and Specific Companies/Organizations. The accompanying chart explains the relationship between each category and each stage of the Career/Job Search Model and links to appropriate web sites.

One of the advantages of this model is that it insures your clients will be prepared when they have an opportunity to talk with people who could be helpful. It used to be that our clients had to rely on informal networking with people for information about an occupation, a company, the kinds of jobs within the company, etc. Too often, clients sabotage excellent contacts because they talk to contacts before they are prepared. By using the easily accessible information on the Internet, a client can be very knowledgeable before networking people. They will be feel more confident about making a good impression. For example, before attending an association meeting that seems of interest, your clients will be able to study the association's homepage which will include background information, mission and purpose statements, upcoming meetings, forums, a journal or newsletter and probably job postings.

This model recognizes that researching for information and connecting with people are inextricably intertwined. As a result networking and informational interviewing are discussed in the context of the three stage model. For teaching purposes, we have chosen a sample Lifework Objective to use as a case study to illustrate how to use Internet in each step to success. The steps work with any Lifework Objective. The only difference would be substituting the relevant data (industry, vocational area, job title, professional organization etc., etc.) from your Lifework Objective instead of those from the sample Lifework Objective.

I want to be a human resources manager for a health maintenance organization with a good reputation for service and located near my home. I want to use my functional transferable skills in counseling and management as well as special knowledge human resources skills. This kind of position would satisfy my values of service to others and commitment to preventive health care.

Job descriptions within a vocational area (e.g."manager" in human resources)
Although you have knowledge of the trends and forecasts for human resources, you need to know more about the types of jobs within the field. We are going to a site sponsored by the Canadian government called Job Futures at http://www11.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/jobfutures/alphabetical_index/a.html Click on H in the Alphabetical index; scroll down to Human Resources where you will have three choices: managers, professionals, specialists. Print out all three, and you will have an excellent definition of the careers/job titles within human resources, the outlook and educational requirements. Other sites with occupational definitions Berkeley's Career Exploration Library http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/careerlibrary/links/occup.cfm , and the Occupational Outlook Handbook. http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

Professional associations and professional journals related to your vocational area or career field. (i.e. human resource professional associations and human resource journals as suggested by the case study lifework objective) Keep detailed records of all contacts, potential contacts and pertinent information that may be of help to you at a later stage of your job search.

Armed with facts and information about human resources, it is time to meet the people in the field and start networking. Professional associations are an excellent avenue, and there are several directories on the Internet. Our first stop will be The Internet Public Library's site http://www.ipl.org/ref/AON/ called Associations Online. This search is a little tricky but will be a good learning experience for you. When you type "human resources" into the search window, none of the results are appropriate. But if you type in "personnel," you will have a number of appropriate responses with one of them being the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) at http://www.shrm.org/ . Click on it and you will arrive at an award winning site with a wide range of free information about human resources including information about its flagship publication, HR Magazine. Read some of the articles. Did you enjoy them? This is the kind of material you will be reading throughout your whole career. To discover even more professional journals, go to
http://www. ecola.com .

The SHRM site also includes a list of local chapters with contact data. Click on "Local Chapters," and find the one in your area. Make contact by phone or email and plan to attend a meeting. Find out if you really like the people you will be working with and for. Collect business cards and get acquainted. You will use these contacts later.

SHRM also has a forum called "HR Talk." This is an online feature allowing you to share conversation and interests with SHRM members through email. You will be sitting in on conversations with professionals and get a chance to find out if you would enjoy being a colleague. When you first join a forum group, it is best to just read for a while before you post any questions. There will also be rules with each forum specifying the type of entry that is welcome. Be sure to read the "Frequently Asked Questions" before you sign up. In SHRM's forum, as in many of the forums sponsored by professional groups, you must join SHRM before being allowed to participate in the forum discussion. This can be a worthwhile investment, but you may want to try HR forums on some of the public sites first. Check out http://www.dejanews.com and http://www.liszt.com. If you go to http://www.google.com (a fabulous search engine) and type in "human resources"+chat or "human resources"+newsgroup, you will find some free opportunities to "hear" people in HR talk.