SYSTEMATIC job development is a fundamental core practice principle. Strong employer relationships ensure that people have greater opportunity to secure and maintain competitive employment.
There are a number of job development activities employment specialists can support people with, including:
- Completing and submitting job applications
- Writing/updating resumes and cover letters
- Interview preparation and practice
- Identifying job leads
- Accompanying jobseekers to interviews
- Supporting job application and interview follow-up
Essential to the job development process is the relationships employment specialists build with employers- networking is how people find jobs.
Employment specialists systematically visit employers, based on job seeker preferences, to learn about their business needs and hiring preferences.
By meeting face-to-face over multiple visits, employment specialists learn about the work environment and the employers’ work needs. They also find out about vacancies they may not have been aware of. They gather information about the nature of job opportunities and assess whether it could be a good job fit for their candidates. They gather information about the nature of job opportunities and assess whether it could be a good job match.
Using this approach employment specialists build a network of employer relationships they can use to later introduce compatible job seekers to hiring managers.
IPS recommends following a three step systematic job development process:
- Visit an employer to ask for an appointment;
- Return to learn about the employer's business and staff requirements;
- Return to either talk about a job candidate or continue to build the employer relationship.
Learn more by watching the Dartmouth Supported Employment Centre IPS job development videos and observations:
http://www.dartmouthips.org/?s=job+development
