Finding Your First Job
Larry Birnbaum, PhD, FASEP, EPC
Department of Exercise Physiology
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN  55811

You have completed four or more years of academic work and earned a degree in exercise physiology.  Now it is time to secure a job.  This can be quite a challenge.  Before you jump right into the search, you should answer a couple of questions.  What kind of job do I want (e.g., cardiac rehab, fitness, corporate wellness, etc.)?  What geographic area of the country do I want to live?  What kind of salary and benefit package do I want?  How flexible am I and how much time do I have to secure a job?  Bear in mind that there is no such thing as “the perfect job.”  All jobs have advantages and disadvantages.  You need to decide what is desirable, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.

You do not have to face this task alone.  Colleges have career placement centers that provide a variety of job placement services.  Talk to your professors.  It is common for employers to notify faculty about open positions they have.  Use ASEP and other organizations to which you are a member to network.  Potential employers may be members of the same organization and/or use the organization to find qualified employees.  Jobs are also posted on the ASEP website.  You could also search the Internet.  Most businesses have a web site.  Checking out business web sites is not only helpful for finding jobs but also finding out about the businesses.  Information you find on their web site may be helpful during an interview, should you apply and be invited for an interview.  You can also compare businesses to each other to help you narrow your selection.

The best way to check out an organization is to complete an internship there.  By doing so, you will learn a lot about them and they will discover whether or not you would be suitable employee.  If they are impressed with you, you will likely get a job offer if they have any positions open.  At the very least, they will serve as a good reference.  Even if your academic program does not offer an internship, you could seek one out for yourself during your senior year.  Obviously, you want to select sites that truly interest you.

Do not apply for only those positions for which you feel you are qualified.  You don’t know what the applicant pool may be like, and it is not uncommon for employers to hire someone with less than the ideal qualifications.  Even if you do not get an interview, employers may keep your application on file for a period of time. 

You cannot over prepare for a job.  Find out everything you can about the organizations that are offering positions.  Fine tune your resume to fit each job that you apply for.  As mentioned above, your preparation will pay off during an interview.  It is important to know the organization’s mission, philosophy, goals, clientele, and plans for expansion.  Consider how you fit in and can help the organization achieve its goals.  Be prepared to share this information during an interview.  Always follow up your applications and interviews within one to two weeks if you do not hear from them.  If you are at the application stage, ask if they have started the interview process yet.  You can use the opportunity to say something about their organization that really impresses you and makes the position desirable for you.  A written thank you for the interview within a day or two of the interview is proper etiquette.  It also serves to remind them of you.  A phone call a week or two later is appropriate especially if they indicated during the interview that they would make a decision by that time.  If you do not get the job, politely ask them what you can do to improve, to increase your chances of securing a similar job.  Going through the application process is an education in and of itself.  The more you do it, the better you get at it, assuming you make a sincere effort to learn something from each application and interview.

The introductory paragraph mentioned that you should contemplate what types of jobs would be unacceptable.  Realize that your first job is typically not your dream job.  You may have to work several jobs before finding the one you really want.  Use each job as a learning experience to broaden your knowledge and skills.  At the same time, be careful to not job hop.  A resume that lists several jobs for relatively short periods of time is a red flag for employers.

Perhaps the most crucial advice regarding job searching is to stay positive.  Getting your first job is generally much more difficult than getting subsequent jobs.  Employers may want 2-5 years of experience.  Apply any way and learn what you can.  Be positive about yourself and enthusiastic about every job you apply for.  Eventually you will succeed.