After wanting a job and before landing it, job seekers must take the important step of looking for an occupation.

It is important to know where to look to find the perfect job. There are several resources to use for getting that job after graduation.

Becky Bennett, career specialist for the Career Services Center, said there is work to do before getting the right job.

“Get a good start on job experience and job leads by participating in co-op or internship work experience before graduating,” Bennett said.

She said starting early is essential to finding a job. While getting work experience in college is vital, Bennett said that there are other prerequisites to the job search.

Most importantly, students should register with the Career Services Center as soon as possible, Bennett said.

“Stay updated with the center so that you will receive information about job opportunities, career and employment workshops being offered, on-campus interviews, job fairs and employment events sponsored by the center,” Bennett said.

Bennett said the key to job searching is networking. Friends, family, relatives and the Internet can be great sources of job opportunities.

If networking is not successful, Bennett said events like tomorrow’s Career Expo at South Campus and going to the Career Services Center Web site at www.wku.edu/CareerServ can help job seekers find job postings.

While on-campus students can employ the services of the Career Services Center, off-campus organizations such as the Department of Employment Services in Bowling Green can also be great resources.

“We should be one of your resources, but not the only one,” said Ray Lanham of DES. “We are second to none in putting all the information needed to get you a job.”

DES offers assistance in career planning, job posting and resume building.

Lanham said he can help in the job search only if the applicant is willing to take ample time to fill out the proper paperwork.

“If you want to find a good job, spend an hour or an hour-and-a-half to get detailed info to be considered for employment,” he said.

Lanham said that many applicants leave out important information like work history and phone numbers. Some even forget to sign the application.

Without the correct information on an application, Lanham said, applicants cannot be certain of getting the job they want.

If the right information is provided, applicants can receive personalized job postings from the DES’s automatic calling system. DES also provides job postings from across Kentucky.

Lanham suggested watching television advertisements and searching the newspaper for more job position openings. For more information on job searching, visit www.job.state.ky.us or www.ajb.dni.us.

Reach Stephanie Toone at [email protected].