Career Research Beyond Google

1. Career Research Beyond Google

2. 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!

3. The Job Search Process CAREER EXPLORATION & SELF-ASSESSMENT SEARCH for opportunities IDENTIFY Immediate or Long Term Goals APPLY to available or potential jobs

4. Reality of Today’s Job Market Published Job Market • Newspapers • Internet • Agencies 15% Hidden Job Market • Family • Friends • Professors • Former Employers • Word of Mouth/Referral 85% Source: 2003 McMaster Alumni Survey

5. 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 candidateand 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Access through Innis Library Web Site

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. Exercise 1: Canada’s Top 100 Employers 1. Go to Innis Library home page http://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 onlineresource’ – 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?

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.

17. Factiva: Select the Companies / Markets tab Select Company (can also search by Stock symbol or RIC code) Enter the name of a company (e.g. Google) and hit search 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: On the main search screen, click Businessin the toolbar On the Company Profiles search screen, go to the Enter Search Terms box and type: SIC (2082!) and Canada In the Sources menu, select International Company Reports Hit Search. Exercise 2: Use Factiva and Lexis Nexis to find Company Information

18. 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 • Under Browse section on right, click Industry Profiles • Next to Browse for: enter the name of an industry (e.g. oil) • Select the By Title, Subject & Description radio button • Click on Browse button Task 2: Find a SWOT analysis for a company you are interested in • Under Browse section on right, click SWOT Analyses • Next to Browse for: enter the name of a company (e.g. Halliburton) • Select the By Title, Subject & Description radio button • Click on Browse button

19. 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

20. 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

21. Avoid the “Google” Trap • Google (and other search engines) only provide access to FREEinformation • Use McMaster’s databases (Factiva, Mergent Online) to access value added content • Off-campus access supported

22. 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

23. Need Help with Your Career Research? Innis Library (KTH-108) • Research Help Desk ext. 23318 or email innisref@mcmaster.caDuring 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

24. Questions?