The Career Game -- Searching For Work

Career Building
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Table of Contents

Career Building Steps
     Getting Started
     Searching
     Interviewing
     Negotiating
     On the Job
     Climbing the Ladder

F.A.Q.'s

Common Mistakes

Internet Resources

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Searching For Work

Once you have researched the type of job you want and decided on the division of the horse industry you want to work in, you will be ready to start searching for work. Even if you are not yet available to work, the first part of this process should be started as soon as possible.

The most critical stage in the process of searching for work is the preparation stage. If you prepare for your job search properly, the actual process of finding a job will be relatively easy and enjoyable. Preparing involves finding out who the important people are in your part of the horse industry and then establishing a relationship with as many of them as possible. Some people call this "networking." Networking should be done throughout your career, but it is particularly important when preparing to search for a job. You should begin networking now, even if you are not yet available to work.

Why? -- If you do not know the people and are not familiar with businesses in your division of the horse industry, you will have difficulty knowing which employers you might want to work for and what to discuss when you talk with them about a job.

Preparing to Search for a Job

To lay the groundwork for your job search, start by finding out who the important people are in your part of the horse industry. In the next stage, you will work on getting to know as many of them as possible. As you build relationships, people in your division will begin to know who you are. This is a process that will continue throughout your career. It takes time and effort, so it is never too early to start. If you are in school, start now! There are two basic steps in this process: finding out who the people are and building relationships with them.

Finding Out Who the People Are
Start by subscribing to one or two trade magazines that cover your division of the horse industry. Use these magazines to find out who the "movers and shakers" are in your division. Learn facts about these people that will make it easy for you to carry on a conversation when you introduce yourself to them in step two. Look for things like the name of their business, the names of their top horses, their wins or awards, their business philosophy, etc. Use a small notebook to record the information you uncover about each person. Be prepared to demonstrate that you have done your homework. When you have some information about the "movers and shakers," move on to the other people in your division. Don't forget to use the Internet to find out even more information from web sites relating to your division.
Become an expert on the politics of your division. Find out what the important issues are in your part of the horse industry.
Continue this process in step two as you actually meet people. Remember to keep your eyes and ears open all the time to gather more and more information. You can never know too much about your division of the horse industry!

Getting to Know the Important People
Getting to know people is easy when you've already learned some basic facts about them. Plan on visiting some farms, ranches, stables, or businesses that you have discovered in your research. Be sure to call and make an appointment first. Explain that you are working on a career in the horse industry, how you learned about them, and that you would like to visit with them in person and see their operation. Most people will accommodate your wishes, but be prepared for rejection. Some people will not be able to take the time to help you.
Plan to travel to shows and events in your division of the horse industry. Look for opportunities to introduce yourself to people you have already learned about and opportunities to learn about additional people. At shows or events, people won't have as much time to talk with you as they will when you visit their main facility. Consider a simple introduction and a short conversation. Record in your notebook when and where you visited with each person. Then, if you decide to call them for an appointment later, you can refer back to your previous meeting.
Your goal in this process is to build a relationship with the important people and to learn about the structure of their operations. If the person is an employer, you may want to find out what kinds of jobs exist in their operation, ask who does the hiring, or inquire about what kinds of employee backgrounds they prefer. Dress appropriately, be courteous, and ask relevant questions. If you leave a good impression, the employer may remember you next time you meet. However, this is not the time to ask them for a job and not the place to leave them a copy of your resume! (Leaving a business card is OK.) If you should be offered a job unexpectedly, you will need time to make an informed decision. You could make an appointment to discuss the offer later. If you are not ready to accept a job, explain that you are interested but not available right now.

Idea -- If you are unfamiliar with the trade journals or magazines for your division of the horse industry, here are some ways you can find them. (1) Ask people who are already working in your division for the magazine names. (2) Find the information you need at the American Horse Publications web site. (3) Search elsewhere on the Internet to find the names. (4) Get a copy of the current Horse Industry Directory from the American Horse Council (see our Internet Resource Page) for a comprehensive list of horse industry publications.
Idea -- Look in the back of trade magazines to find a schedule of events you might attend, or use the Internet to find association web sites displaying scheduled events in your division.
Idea -- At first, you may not feel comfortable introducing yourself to strangers and striking up a conversation. Work out your technique by introducing yourself to some of the less critical people. Then when you are more confident, work on meeting the "movers and shakers."
Remember -- Keep a notebook with information about the people in your division. Record what you learned in your research about each person, details about your contacts with them, your thoughts and feelings, etc. Be sure to write down critical information like when and where you visited with them and how to contact them again.
Remember -- When people take time to help you, they are doing you a favor. Be sensitive to their time constraints, and be sure to thank them for their efforts. Don't focus the conversation on yourself. Encourage people to tell you about their operations by drawing them out with questions. Strangely enough, people will remember you better when they talk about their own interests rather than listening to yours.
Pitfall -- When your are first getting to know the important people, resist the temptation to ask them for a job. You cannot judge whether you want to work for them or not until you get to know them better.

For additional help with the process of searching for work and for detailed help with almost every aspect of the job search process including changing careers, we recommend the book What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles. The owner of Equimax used this book to help him get into the horse industry more than 25 years ago.
What Color is Your Parachute?
(If this book changes its title or becomes unavailable, you may be linked to a book with a different title.)

Searching Techniques

Now that you are armed with some knowledge about your part of the horse industry and you have gotten to know some key people, you are ready to start searching for work. The horse industry is spread out geographically. Jobs do not concentrate in any one geographical area. Special techniques are required to uncover good opportunities. Plan to be proactive. Looking for a job should be approached just as if it were a full-time job in itself. Dedicate the same time and effort to the job hunt that you will dedicate to the job once you are working.
The first step is to locate contacts. Some techniques work better than others.

Techniques that Work
Pursuing Previous Contacts
The ideal way to find a job is to choose employers you might want to work for based on the research you did in the previous step and contact them again. Communicate directly with the person who does the hiring. Let them know you are available and interested in working for them. Ask if they would like to interview you. Because they may not need to hire anyone immediately, you may have to keep in touch with them over a period of time.
Using a Horse Industry Employment Clearing House
It is very likely that you will not know everyone in your part of the horse industry, and your "ideal" employers may not be hiring at the moment. You may need an additional resource to help you locate employers. Using a clearing house like Equimax can give you the edge you need. Equimax is set up to solve the most difficult problem facing horse industry job seekers and employers -- finding each other.
Using a Horse Industry Employment Agency
If you need someone to act as your agent, choose jobs for you, arrange interviews, and assist with negotiations, you may want to try an employment agency that specializes in the horse industry.

Techniques that Commonly Do Not Work
Mass Mailing Your Resume
Sending employers your resume by mail is the least effective way to generate interviews. At any given time, the number of employers who are actively hiring is relatively small. Contacting them when you don't know if they are actively hiring is like playing the lottery. Employers who are not currently hiring will not save what you send them for future reference because it will probably be out of date by the time they actually need it. Plus, they won't want to clutter up their offices with unsolicited resumes when they aren't in the hiring mode. The likelihood of generating an interview by mailing out resumes is extremely low.
Responding to Classified Advertising
Most magazines have advertising deadlines of several weeks or even months. Most likely, any positions advertised in these magazines will be filled by the time the magazine is available. A few magazines have very short deadline-to-press times. It may be worthwhile to follow up on ads found in these.
To generate traffic, general interest web sites not specializing in employment frequently offer free classified advertising. Employment opportunity advertising can be found at these sites. However, most of these sites make no effort to remove ads that are no longer active.

Pitfall -- Relying on just one search method may not produce results. Use all your skills and options to uncover potential opportunities.
Pitfall -- Don't use "passive" methods to make your first contact with employers. Postal mail and email are examples of passive methods. You may not get any response using passive approaches. When given the opportunity, use the telephone or speak to employers in person to make your initial contact.
Pitfall -- Don't get discouraged by being rejected or ignored. Good self esteem is critical to a successful job search. You are a valuable person with gifts to offer. Don't let anything convince you otherwise.
Idea -- When employers respond to your inquiries and tell you that they do not want to interview you at this time (for whatever reason), ask them if they know of anyone else who might be looking for someone like you.

What About a Resume?

A resume is an important job search tool, but its importance is commonly overrated. Think of it this way: you need a driver's license to drive a car legally, but the driver's license does not actually drive the car -- you do. Resumes are generally given to employers after an interview. Their primary function is to provide a few key facts in written form so the employer can remember important details about you and keep you sorted out from other candidates. Sometimes employers will request a resume before an interview. In any case, never rely on a resume to serve as a substitute for personal contact or verbal exchange of information.
We recommend that you prepare a resume specifically for your current job search. It should include facts that are directly pertinent to the kind of job you are searching for, and it should summarize or leave out any facts that are not directly related to your current job search.

General Resume Writing Tips
In most cases, we recommend that you list your skills once under identifying headings rather than listing them repeatedly in a chronological employment history. This saves the employer time because they don't have to read about the same skills over and over. Use headings like Training, Competing, Grooming, Breeding, and Administration; indicate your specific observable skills under each heading. Specific observable skills are activities you engage in as part of your work, such as longeing, ground driving, braiding, clipping, typing, bookkeeping, shoeing, trimming, etc. If you want, conclude with a brief chronological list of previous employers.
If you start your resume with a statement about your objective, focus your wording of the objective on what you can do for an employer, not on what you want from an employer.
Keep it brief. One page is fine; two is the maximum. More pages will not be read, and lengthy resumes are not impressive to employers.
Stick to the facts, and don't embellish. Do NOT include subjective opinions about yourself such as "self motivated," "honest," "hard worker," etc.
Avoid phrases like "all aspects of" and "every phase of." Give the details of what you have actually done and the observable skills you have.
Keep it simple. Be careful not to "blow the employer away" with your qualifications by making yourself seem overly qualified, too expensive, or inappropriately qualified.
On a separate sheet, provide a list of references with information on how to contact them. Give as many ways to contact them as you can.
Prepare your resume and list of references on a computer or typewriter, keeping the style clean and simple. Use plain paper rather than fancy, colored, or textured paper.

For more detailed information on preparing a resume, a Resume Builder Kit is available from Equimax. Written specifically for a job search in the horse industry, it is the definitive guide to preparing your own resume using the principles of a professional resume writing service. Includes sample resumes and tips on the best use of a resume.
Resume Builder Kit

For an in-depth guide to resumes in general, check out this book.
The Damn Good Resume Guide
(If this book changes its title or becomes unavailable, you may be linked to a book with a different title.)

Pitfall -- Don't depend on your resume as a substitute for real communication with potential employers. When possible, talk to employers on the telephone or in person to get a relationship started before sending them your resume.

Check our Internet Resources page for additional resources to investigate.

Putting It All Together

When you have contacted some employers, you may be asked to come for an interview. Be sure you have studied the interview section of this guide before interviewing with employers.

Remember -- You can only be exactly who you are. The best opportunity for you is the one that genuinely fits your skill levels at this point in your life. As time goes by, you will gain more skills and be given more responsibility. However, you have good things to offer an employer right now. There is no need to pretend you are someone you are not.
Success -- You will know you are succeeding when employers ask to interview you.

To proceed to "Interviewing,"Click Here.