8 lists that you need when starting a job search

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This article first appeared in Fast Company, September 26, 2019, written by Stephanie Vozza

A job search has a lot of moving parts. From finding positions to filling out applications to sending follow-up notes, it can be easy to let things slip through the cracks. Instead of missing out on a good opportunity, think of your job search like an ongoing project where you’re the project manager, suggests Cheryl Hyatt, cofounder of Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search.

“Strategic lists can help you focus your energy on the substance of your applications and interviews rather than getting mired down in distracting details,” she says. Here are eight lists you need to make to track your progress and find your next job.

1. EMPLOYERS

Start with is a list of 10 to 15 potential employers, says Jill Gugino Panté, director of the Lerner Career Services Center at the University of Delaware.

“This list is important because it makes your search more targeted and manageable,” she says. “Once you have this list, you can start seeing what jobs are posted, which alumni work there, what events they will be attending, what connections you have on LinkedIn, and, more importantly, you can share this list with your internal networks.

“It’s difficult for people to help you when you tell them you’re looking for a job in finance, for example. But when you say, you are looking to get hired at XYZ company (in finance), people can already make those connections in their networks.”

If you don’t know where to start when assembling your dream employer list, look at businesses deemed the “Best Companies to Work For” by local magazines or journals, suggests Carisa Miklusak, CEO of tilr, an app that matches companies and job seekers. “Take time to research the types of companies you want to work for, and make a list of the top ones that you want to spend extra effort to target,” she says.

2. POSITIONS

Positions of interest come your way through many avenues, says Hyatt. “Whether you see a position on LinkedIn, hear about it from a friend, or are contacted by a search firm, you need to capture the position to a central list where you can return to it later,” she says. “Research jobs in this list to determine if they are a good fit for you, and gather information about the company to inform your cover letter and résumé.”

3. CONNECTIONS

Make a list of all the people you know and interact with both personally and professionally, says Debora Roland, vice president of human resources for CareerArc, a hiring and outplacement firm.

“Give them your elevator pitch on what you do and what you’re looking for in your next role,” she says. “You never know where your next job will come from. Make a list of people who work at companies you’re interested in, and see if any of your contacts know these people. Sometimes, you can get your foot in the door by asking for an introduction.”

4. LOCAL NETWORKING EVENTS

Networking is always one of the best ways to find a job because you’re building face-to-face or digital relationships with people who can pave the way to opportunities or provide advice and information, says Miklusak.

“Research and compile a list of some upcoming networking events in your area, and then pick two or three to attend as part of your job-hunting process,” she says. “It also helps to prepare a succinct list of what you hope to accomplish ahead of time so you can stay focused on your mission.”

5. INTERVIEW RESPONSES

Most interviewers will ask some of the standard interview questions, such as “tell me about yourself” or “what can you bring to our company?” Make a list of your answers and practice them so you’ve got them down, suggests Miklusak.

“These are some of the most popular icebreaking questions asked during an interview, yet some of the hardest to answer on the fly,” she says. “Athletes practice many times before they play the actual game. Think of yourself like a career athlete, and practice alone, with friends, and with family before you actually swing.”

6. QUESTIONS TO ASK

During the interview process, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions. Make a list of go-to questions to ask a recruiter or potential employer—because interviewing goes both ways, says Miklusak.

“You want to ensure the position is suitable for you before you sign on, so think of questions that will help you understand culture fit, what the position entails, the management structure, their work-from-home policies, and the performance review process,” she says.

7. FOLLOW-UPS

Once you have submitted an application, it’s normal for there to be a lag as the hiring manager or search committee reviews all the applications they’ve received, says Hyatt.

“Checking in to see that they have all the materials necessary can prevent you from being passed over for an incomplete application,” she says. “You can also use this list to track thank-you notes once you’ve had an interview.”

8. WEEKLY ACTION STEPS

Finally, make a list of weekly action steps, says Gugino Panté. “Sitting and waiting in the job search is never a good idea,” she says. “Have reachable goals each week.”

For example, set a target number of jobs to apply to, people to contact, networking events to attend, and companies to research.  “Your job search is like a business plan for your career,” says Roland. “List out your activity for every day, achieving one bite of the apple at a time—each phone call, each résumé sent, each interview, each conversation. This helps you to recognize that you are moving the ball forward and keeps you on track.”

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How many COVID-19 vaccines it will take to stop the pandemic, explained by a scientist

A computational biologist breaks down estimates of the critical vaccination level, which can help predict when life can start to return to normal.

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BY PEDRO MENDES—THE CONVERSATION4 MINUTE READ

It has been clear for a while that, at least in the U.S., the only way out of the coronavirus pandemic will be through vaccination. The rapid deployment of coronavirus vaccines is underway, but how many people need to be vaccinated in order to control this pandemic?

I am a computational biologist who uses data and computer models to answer biological questions at the University of Connecticut. I have been tracking my state’s COVID-19 epidemic with a computer model to help forecast the number of hospitalizations at the University of Connecticut’s John Dempsey Hospital.

This type of computer model and the underlying theory can also be used to calculate the vaccination rates needed to break the chain of transmission of the coronavirus. My estimate is that for the entire U.S., roughly 70% of the population needs to be vaccinated to stop the pandemic. But variation in how people behave in different parts of the country, as well as open questions on whether the vaccine prevents infection entirely or just prevents people from getting sick, add a degree of uncertainty.

CUTTING OFF TRANSMISSION

Clinical trials have shown that once a person gets vaccinated for the coronavirus, they won’t get sick with COVID-19. A person who doesn’t get sick can still be infected with the coronavirus. But let’s also assume that a vaccinated person can’t spread the virus to others, though researchers still don’t know if this is true.

When enough of the population is vaccinated, the virus has a hard time finding new people to infect, and the epidemic starts dying out. And not everyone needs to be vaccinated, just enough people to stop the virus from spreading out of control. The number of people who need to be vaccinated is known as the critical vaccination level. Once a population reaches that number, you get herd immunity. Herd immunity is when there are so many vaccinated people that an infected person can hardly find anyone who could get infected, and so the virus cannot propagate to other people.
This is very important to protect people who cannot get vaccinated.

The critical vaccination level depends on how infectious the disease is and how effective the vaccine is. Infectiousness is measured using the basic reproduction number–R0–which is how many people an infected person would spread the virus to on average if no protective measures were in place.

The more infectious a disease is, the larger the number of people who need to be vaccinated to reach heard immunity. The higher the effectiveness of the vaccine, the fewer people need to be vaccinated.

NOT THE SAME EVERYWHERE

R0 values differ from place to place because their populations behave differently–social interactions are not the same in rural and urban locations, nor in warm climates compared to cold ones, for example.

Using the data on positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, my model estimates that Connecticut currently has an R0 of 2.88, meaning that, on average, every infected person would pass the virus on to 2.88 other people if no mitigation measures were in place. Estimates at the county level range from 1.44 in rural Alpine, California to 4.31 in urban Hudson, New Jersey.

But finding an R0 value for the entire U.S. is especially tricky because of the diversity of climates and because the virus has affected different areas at different times–behavior has been far from uniform. Estimates vary from 2.47 to 8.2, though most researchers place R0 for the entire U.S. around 3.

While R0 varies by location and between estimates, the effectiveness of the vaccines is constant and well known. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are 95% and 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19, respectively.

Using values for vaccine effectiveness and the R0, we can calculate the critical vaccination level. For Connecticut, with an R0 of 2.88, 69% of the population needs to be vaccinated. For the entire U.S., with R0 of 3, this would be 70%. In New York City, with an estimated R0 of 4.26 this would be 80%.

A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY

While the math is relatively simple, things get complicated when you consider important questions for which epidemiologists still have no answers.

Unfortunately, other unknowns could have an opposite effect. First, the formula for critical vaccination level assumes that people interact randomly. But in the real world, people interact in highly structured networks depending on work, travel and social connections. When those contact patterns are considered, some researchers found critical vaccination levels to be considerably smaller compared to assuming random interactions.

Vaccine trials clearly show that vaccinated people don’t get sick with COVID-19. But it is still unknown whether the vaccines prevent people from getting mild infections that they could pass on to others. If vaccinated people can still be infected and pass on the virus, then vaccination will not provide herd immunity–though it would still prevent serious disease and reduce mortality drastically.

A final question that remains to be answered is how long immunity to the coronavirus lasts after a person is vaccinated. If immunity wanes after a few months, then each individual will need repeated vaccinations.

It is hard to say with certainty how many people need to be vaccinated in order to end this pandemic. But even so, the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines has been the best news in 2020. In 2021, as a large proportion of individuals in the U.S. get the vaccine, the country will be heading toward the critical vaccination level–whatever it may be–so that life can start to return to normal.

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