Your Job Search Toolkit

During the course of your job search, you will need to rely on a toolkit of items to assist you. Following are recommended items for you to purchase or borrow for the duration of your search:

• Portfolio - Not the kind that artists carry around, but the 9x12" leather-bound or vinyl-bound type, such as those made by Strattford. You can usually pick up a quality vinyl-bound portfolio for less than $10. You will use it for interviews and job fairs, both for carrying your resume and for taking notes.

• Pen - Whether at a job fair or in the course of your eventual interviews, the type of pen you use will send a message about who you are. Bic pen. Poor college student. Cross pen. Prepared job seeker. Even if you truly are a poor college student, spend the $10-$15 to purchase an entry level ballpoint and keep it reserved for interviewing situations. Function is fine, but form is always more impressive in this category.

• Pocket Organizer - Keep your Day-Timer or Franklin Planner with you at all times. You never know when you will need to capture information for later retrieval. At slow points in your day, use your organizer to plan out your activities for the remainder of the day and week. It can also provide you with a gentle reminder for completing that term paper you have been putting off.

• Briefcase - A briefcase will provide you with a mini office from which to operate when you are at a job fair or at a company-site interview. But before you go out to K-Mart to buy a $19 vinyl briefcase special, consider the value of buying a professional leather briefcase. Both Sam's Club and Office Depot carry leather briefcases for less than $40. Be aware also that the type of leather, although not greatly affecting the initial appearance, will have a large impact on the long-term appearance. Bonded leather is leather parts glued together, which is used in the cheapest--and lowest quality--leather briefcases. It would be much better to spend an extra $10 to $20 to buy either a split-leather (better) case or a top-grain leather (best) case. Buy quality. Remember, you will be using this case far beyond graduation. Invest now in quality that will last you far into the future. And there you have it--your complete buyer's guide to briefcases, included at no extra charge.

Following are optional items which you may choose to add to your toolkit, as available funds allow:

• Computer - As discussed previously, a computer can benefit you in organizing your job search effort, although it is certainly not a requirement. It can be used for tracking information, generating letters, posting and e-mailing your resume, and surfing the Net. But don't go out to buy a computer just for your job search. You can always surf the Net from the computer lab, library or Career Center. You will spend far more time setting it up than you will gain in productivity. If you already have one, use it. If not, wait until the first paycheck arrives.

• Pager - Want to make sure you do not miss that all-important phone call? A pager is an inexpensive (usually no more than $10-20/month) method to stay in constant touch. And it also serves as an excellent job search conversation starter. "Why are you wearing a pager?" "To stay in touch with people during the course of my job search." "Really? How is your job search going?" And so the conversation begins as your network expands.

• Cellular Phone - If you don't already have a cell phone, now would be a great time to get one. Although many providers are giving away phones for free or at little cost, you often need to sign up for a year or more of service. A better alternative, if need a cell phone just for your job search, is a pay-as-you-go phone, where you only pay for service as it is used. But it's also pricey per minute, so make sure you keep its use limited to your job search. Otherwise, you're better off with one of higher usage plans. The key here is to have your cell phone always charged and always with you. It won't help you much in the bottom of your sock drawer.

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