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This guide was developed for you, the student of
International Trade & Marketing at FIT. Here, you will
find helpful hints, plus a list of publications and
websites that can help you develop an international
career plan.
Career planning is more than a job hunt. First, you need
to define the industry (apparel manufacturing or
cosmetics, for example) and also the type of job
function (such as logistics or marketing). Second, you
may want to narrow your search further, according to the
size of company (greater than $75 million in annual
sales) or the size of the organization (an agency with
at least 150 employees). Other criteria to consider
include job location (New York or Tokyo), the
organization's past performance and its reputation as a
“good place to work”.
All this is right here! The ITM Career Guide can help
you define your international career path. Get started
with “Career Planning” since understanding the
industries, the types of jobs and the companies and
organizations is the first step in determining which
type of career is right for you.
The last section on “Job Postings” will launch you into
an actual job hunt via web links. Good luck!
If you have an idea of the type of industry you want to
work in (such as apparel manufacturing or non-profit
associations), learn as much as you can about the major
companies or organizations. As with any career planning,
finding a good job in international trade and marketing
requires that you have current and broad knowledge of
your chosen industry.
Once you have a better understanding of the industry,
you can then begin to identify the types of jobs that
will get your “foot in the door”.
One report estimates that you will have at least seven
jobs in your career, so look at this first job as a
platform to other jobs within your industry of choice.
Also, most entry-level positions are designed to give
you the skill set you need to be promoted within 12 to
36 months.
Spend at least 3 to 6 months to RESEARCH industries
/companies/agencies/job types to narrow and target your
job search.
Plan on spending another 1 to 4 months TO JOB HUNT for
open positions, sending resumes, writing cover letters,
interviewing, and writing thank-you letters. For
first-time job hunters, it may take applying to 20 or 50
or 100 jobs before landing an interview. Be persistent!
Good luck!
Career Planning: Part 1
Planning Tip #1
Know the major players and trends in your industry.
Here's what FIT's Career Center (Room B216) can do for
you:
· career counselors give you one-on-one career advice.
· Job Fair in the Fall semester.
· On-Campus Recruitment in the Spring semester.
· Career Planning (3-credit course) for helping you find
the right career.
· Plus, Career Days, Seminar Speakers, Workshops on
resume writing,
interviewing skills, job search strategies.
· job postings that don't require a degree (see bulletin
board outside B216)
· job postings for seniors and alumni, posted online at
http://www3.fitnyc.edu/careerservices/
See the FIT Career Service's informative RESUME GUIDE on
the
website listed above for the following two links:
To develop a resume click on the link Resume Guide
To develop a cover letter click on the link Writing a
Cover Letter·
Additional resources for obtaining employment are
available in the Alumni Job Bank, located in room B202.
Career Planning: Part 2
Check out FIT's Career Services for
resume preparation, interviewing techniques, and MORE!
Career Planning: Getting Started
Websites on industries
The following websites have useful information and
current news on international trade.
http://www.infomat.com
InfoMat. Includes international directory of apparel
industry companies, research reports & statistics, news,
global calendar, business guides, and more.
http://www.tradeport.org/
TradePort. The “Trade Maker” section provides a detailed
guide to starting or expanding an import/export venture,
planning, market research, buyers, leads, financing,
logistics.
http://www.stat-usa.gov/
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of
Commerce, is the site for the U.S. business, economic
and trade community, providing authoritative information
from the Federal government. GLOBUS & NTDB -- Access
this area for current and historical trade-related
releases, international market research, trade
opportunities, country analysis, and our trade
library...the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB).
http://www.ft.com/ft500
Financial Times (international business newspaper from
England)
http://www.forbes.com
Forbes business magazine lists the top Global 2000
companies
http://www.fortune.com
Fortune business magazine lists the top Global 500
companies
http://www.corporateinformation.com
Contains over 300,000 public and private company
profiles worldwide. Reports feature in-depth analysis of
sales trends, profitability, stock performance,
financial position, research and development
expenditures, dividends, etc.
http://www.businesswire.com
Get the latest business news from this newswire service.
http://www.inc.com/inc500/
Inc. business magazine rates the top 500 companies
INTERNATIONAL Jobs in the
Private Sector
Private Sector job titles:
·Assistant Manager-Marketing or Product Development at a
cosmetics company
·Import/Export coordinator for an apparel company
·Analyst for an international human resources management
company
·Production Planner for a Logistics or Sourcing company
·Account Manager for a Customs Broker
JOB CATEGORIES
Domestically-stationed personnel
Export Salesperson: Seeks out prospective clients and
concludes deals.
Export Zone or Regional Manager: Supervises overseas
sales team.
Export Assistant: Manages correspondence with foreign
contacts.
International Broker: Intermediary between buyers and
sellers.
Commercial sales agent for foreign manufacturer:
Represents foreign manufacturers in domestic market.
Distributor for foreign manufacturer: Sells and often
services in domestic market the products of foreign
manufacturers.
Personnel stationed abroad
Foreign Branch Manager: Manages a foreign office of the
firm.
Functional categories
Export Product Manager: Responsible for a particular
product line.
International Marketing Manager: Develops export
marketing strategy.
Buyer: Seeks sourcing, supply from foreign exporters or
markets.
Administrative categories
Traffic manager/Export coordinator: Coordinates between
the firm, sales personnel and foreign representatives,
clients, and shipping services.
Transport and logistics
Logistics manager: Responsible for storage, transport of
export products.
Freight forwarder: consults exporters/importers on the
most appropriate and cost-effective means for shipping
products internationally.
Shipping agent: Represents the interests of the carrier.
Markets and sells the carrier's services, negotiates
transport contracts, etc.
Customs agent: oversees the passage through customs.
Financial categories
International treasurer: Manages international funds
transfers. Develops policies for currency risk
management.
Export credit manager: Evaluates credit risks associated
with particular clients, countries (political risk), and
currencies.
Insurance broker - Analyzes exporter/importer's risk
exposure in international transactions, negotiates and
concludes insurance policies.
Credit insurer - Provides the exporter with coverage of
foreign credit risk via a specialised credit insurance
policy.
Typical INTERNATIONAL Jobs in
the Public Sectors
Government jobs:
·International Trade Specialist for the U.S. Dept. of
Commerce
Tip: Look for “analyst”, “associate”, “coordinator”
positions at
·Federal, State and Local Agencies promoting trade;
·U.S. Customs;
·International Multi-Government Organizations (World
Bank, IMF, UNCTAD, etc.)
NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) & Non-Profit jobs:
·International Communications Coordinator for the
Carnegie Foundation
Tip: Look for “analyst”, “associate”, “coordinator”
positions at
·Global Research & Policy Institutions;
·International Outreach (i.e. Amnesty International, Red
Cross);
·Industry Associations (Cotton, Inc.);
·foreign trade councils (Hong Kong Trade Development
Council)
As the international representative of your
organization, speaking a foreign language will be an
asset when explaining your products or services to
foreign markets.
Define Your IDEAL job
Reference Books
Find these books at the Reference Desk in the FIT
Library.
The following list is a selection of reference books on
careers in international trade and marketing.
Define Your IDEAL job
Stone, Elaine. Exporting and Importing Fashion: A Global
Perspective. (1994)
Euromonitor. World Cosmetics and Toiletries Marketing
Directory (1999)
Adams, Rob. Start Your Own Import/Export Business: Your
Step-by-Step Guide to Success. (2003)
Kocher, Eric and Nina Segal. International Jobs: Where
They Are, How to Get Them (1999)
Krannich, Ronald L. and Caryl Rae Krannich.
International Jobs Directory. (1999)
Krannich, Ronald L. and Caryl Rae Krannich. The
Directory of Websites for International Jobs. (2002)
Lauber, Daniel and Craig Rice. International Job Finder:
Where the Jobs Are Worldwide. (2002)
The Directory of Jobs and Careers Abroad. (1997)
Work Worldwide: International Career Strategies for the
Adventurous Job Seeker. (2002)
PREPARATION: RESUMES FOR INTERNATIONAL JOBS
Krannich, Ronald L. and Wendy S. Enelow. Best Resumes
and CVs for International Jobs: Your Passport to the
Global Job Market (2002)
Resumes for College Students and Recent Graduates (1998)
Resumes for the First-Time Job Hunter (1995)
Remember FIT's Career Center's online Resume Guide
http://www3.fitnyc.edu/careerservices/
Understanding Job Descriptions
Employers and recruiters speak their own language when
it comes to describing jobs. To help YOU understand what
THEY are looking for in a job candidate, check out these
tips below. Here is a sample job description from a
global cosmetics company seeking an international
marketing associate.
Location: NY
Status: Full Time, Employee
Job Category: Marketing
Relevant Work Experience: 1 to 2 Years
Career Level: Experienced (Non-Manager)
Education Level: Bachelor's Degree
Job Description:
- Assist in all marketing capacities related to the Face
Segment and Eye Segments.
- Create and maintain all profiles in E Profile, E-IMIS,
IMIS and tracking development through Pert Schedule.
- Regularly maintain Laundry Lists/ US Calendars for
accuracy and informational content for all program
details related to Face and Eye.
- Work on Create Creative briefs, attend turnover
meetings with Creative and follow up on any
questions/suggestions on What's New and Brochure
executions.
- Assist in the development of promotional products from
inception to completion- Work with Global, Design,
Engineers, Product Costing, Product Development
- Assist in creating collateral pieces and work with
Manager and appropriate groups to implement them.
- Run and maintain Reporting Systems (Datamart, Web
Reports, IMIS) to track brand and shade rankings, sales
history).
- Regular attendance and key point person for Color
Operational Meetings.
- Research Competitive products and stay abreast of the
competitive landscape, updating group on new product
launches within Face and Eye segments.
- Assist in data gathering to support Manager for any
analyses needed for strategy development.
- Review and update the on-line product reference guide.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree
- 1-2 years relevant experience in Marketing or other
industry with applicable skill set
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong computer skills
- Detail oriented
- Strong analytical skills
- Multi-tasker
(Below are explanations of terms listed in the above job
description)
“NY” means you would work in the New York office. “Full
Time” means regular employee (not a temp/not hourly). “1
to 2 yrs” is sometimes only an ideal, but not required.
Apply even if you don't have 1-2 years experience.
“Face, Eye” are the product categories you work on,
excludes “Fragrance, Lips, Nails”. Say what you know
about the latest successful liquid foundation or mascara
launches.
“Profiles, Program Details, Briefs” are organization
tasks you'll learn on the job. Highlight your
organizational skills.
“Assist in…” means a group project where you are a
“helper”. Emphasize your “teamwork” abilities.
“Maintain Systems” means keeping data charts up-to-date
and accurate. Emphasize Excel, PowerPoint proficiency.
“Applicable skill set” means ability to work in a team
setting, having organizational and computer skills.
“Strong skills” means ability to do the job on Day One,
with minimal training or supervision.
“Multi-tasker” means this job requires someone who can
work on many projects at the same time.
Websites: job postings
Here are a few links to websites devoted to job
postings. Think of these sites as a bulletin board where
employers, employment agencies and recruiters let the
world know about a job opening. Keep in mind that when
you send your resume to apply online to a job, hundreds
of other job-hunters are doing the same. That's why it's
so important to have a professional, accurate, polished
resume and cover letter. Good luck!
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
Explore the 15,548 Federal jobs in the USAJOBS database.
Create and store a resume for applying to Federal jobs.
http://www.ita.doc.gov/jobs/
Sample job posting: International Trade Specialist in
Washington, D.C., International Trade Administration,
Information Products and Product Coordination, Office of
Global Trade Programs.
http://www.monster.com
Search jobs. Network. Get career advice.
http://www.monsterTRAK.com
(for students seeking entry-level jobs)
http://www.hotjobs.com
Search jobs. Network. Get career advice.
http://www.careerbuilder.com
Search jobs. Network. Get career advice.
http://www.overseasjobs.com
Features “international job opportunities for
professionals, expatriates and adventure seekers.” Plus,
career advice.
http://www.wwd.com/classifieds
Women's Wear Daily newspaper has a Help Wanted section
in the Classifieds. Features jobs in apparel and the
related industries. Jobs are posted by companies and by
search firms.
http://www.cew.com
Cosmetics Executive Women is a trade organization to
promote the beauty, cosmetics and fragrance industry.
The CEW website includes job postings, but you must
first become a CEW member and pay the annual membership
dues.
http://www3.fitnyc.edu/careerservices/
FIT Career Services online job posting for seniors and
alumni.
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