Company Searches
Okay, this one might sound a bit odd, but don't reject it until you've tried
it.
Think about the products you use on a daily basis, the magazines you read,
the clothing line you really like. How would you like to work for one of
these companies?
What the heck would I do for Tommy Hilfiger as an English major????
All companies have public relations departments. They have consumer relations
departments. They have personnel offices. The list is endless. If you can
read, write, edit, research or do any number of things that English majors
are supposed to be able to do, then you have a chance with practically any
company!
If a company has a web site, then it's almost guaranteed it will also have
a link to employment possibilities. It will be easy to find the employment
sections of some web sites, but not so easy to find others. But this is where
persistence pays off.
Let's try a search or two to see how this whole deal works......
Example 1: The Body Shop
Jane uses natural, cruelty-free cosmetics from The Body Shop, that
cool store that originated in England. In fact, she likes the company's
products so much, she wouldn't mind working at one of the stores
or maybe in hq. She plugs into Body Shop's web site to search for jobs.
When she gets there, she checks out the USA link, and then has to
search a minute on that page before she finds a little link--very
unobtrusive--that says Join Us. That's the link to employment
possibilities with the Body Shop.
Example 2: WW Norton
John figures since he's had to buy umpteen anthologies from this
company for his English classes, and since he'd like to become an
editor, maybe he ought to check out job possibilities with Norton.
So he goes to the Norton web site.
On the main page of the Norton site, in the right column of links,
John finds the heading "Careers." His job search on the Norton
site is just a click away.
Example 3: Home & Garden Television (HGTV)
Okay, you're not sure you want any of your friends to know this,
but Martha Steward is your idol. In fact, since Christmas break,
you've come to admire just about anyone who has a show on Home and
Garden Television, where you watch Martha daily. You're now an addict.
Maybe it would even be kind of interesting--and talk about creative--to
work for HGTV.
So you visit the HGTV web site.
Down at the bottom of the page, there's a list of links to other pages
at the site, and--sure enough--one of them says Jobs.
What's even better about visiting this employment site is that it
provides you access to a number of different job opportunities. You
see, HGTV is owned by Scripps-Howard, the group that also owns newspapers
and television stations. So you'd be able to search for any number
of different jobs in your field!
Example 3: LL Bean
Since you were a kid, your favorite summertime activity involves
throwing a pup tent, basic camping supplies, and a good pair of hiking
boots into your car and hitting the trail. You were raised in the
outdoors--camping, hiking, fishing, and the like--and even as an
adult you are drawn to escaping whenever you can.
And you remember wearing a LOT of LL Bean gear along the way. So why
not actually try to get a job there? Since you've probably ordered
from the company's site, you have it bookmarked, so you go
there. It's easy to find the Employment link in the left-hand column
under the "About LL Bean" heading.
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Think about your favorite companies. Are there any you'd like to work for?
What could be easier than doing two kinds of research at once: for that perfect
job and for information about the company that could help you out during
that all-important interview!
