It can be tough to find a job even when the economy is thriving, but during down times it seems almost impossible to find a position that fits. Recessions take their toll on just about every job sector. But, that doesn’t mean you have to be discouraged by the lull in the market. Now is a great time to show your resiliency, improve your skill-set and prove how qualified you are. So how do you begin your job search? Prepare Yourself
Education is key. It’s a perfect time to take additional courses or go for accreditation in your field. Subscribe to your industries newsletter, find out about upcoming projects, look at what firms are hiring, which market segments are experiencing growth, so that you can target your job search appropriately. Connect yourself. Join online groups like Facebook, LinkedIn or Fastpitch.com. Now is the time to make the internet work for you, make yourself the authority in your field online and you will see the job market expand. It’s imperative to keep up with the changing landscape, so do what you can to stay abreast of trends. Reach Out and Connect
Your network is the most valuable asset you have, but it’s only strong when you utilize it. Make a list of business associates, friends, owners, coworkers and anyone else that you’ve ever known or done business with. Get yourself out there and let these people know that you are available and looking for work. You may just be the missing piece that their company has been looking for. Until you have one, networking should be your full-time job. Contact friends, family, old school roommates, vendors or anyone else that might allow you to find a job. Time to be Flexible
Flexibility will help you find a job no matter the economy. However, in a down market, you have to be open to trying different things. Maybe your full-time job will get its start through a small contract position. Some firms are reluctant to hire a full-time position due to fears of failing financially – so getting a contract position could give you an in that you need. Just get your foot in the door and be open to positions that are not related to your work experience. Always be Prepared
Remember, everywhere you go, no matter if it’s dinner with friends, a social gathering or networking event – it could lead to job opportunities. Finding a job is your job now, so you have to do everything in your power to find a job. There are so many opportunities to work with people who will help you find a job. Who knows, maybe the next person you strike up a conversation with will know of an open position. You don’t know, so you should always be prepared to showcase what you can do.
Try to leave a lasting impression with the people you meet. Many people have found a job just by talking to people they meet at parties or through friends. Keep those eyes open.
Advantages of Focusing on a Specific Type of Position
Once you’re unemployed, it can be tempting to go for that easy job that has nothing to do with your field. But maybe you should not be looking for just any job because the right one could be just around the corner. If you are trained in a certain field, it may be hard to find a position in this economy, but that doesn’t mean there are not advantages to focusing on a specific industry. In fact, you can make a case that if you position yourself correctly, you can find the right job quickly. So what are the advantages of focusing on a specific type of position? 1. Serious job searches are time consuming. If you are unemployed, you should spend at least 30 to 40 hours a week looking for a position. Some people who are not focused put a lot of time and energy into their job search and end up feeling as though they are doing everything in their power. But, their energy is actually focused in other areas, so they are not putting forth the full effort. Focusing on a specific career will give you a leg up on the competition who are looking into different job options. 2. The more contacts you make in your search, the more likely you are to find a desirable position. The more you concentrate on these contacts, the better it will be for your job search. Putting a concerted effort will give you a better chance of something positive happening. The likelihood will be decreased if you focus on several different career paths. 3. Jobs often appear to those who use most of their energy in a specific direction. It will be difficult for people who are all over the map in their job search. HR managers look at the different careers job prospects have had and weigh that carefully when comparing candidates. Job seekers who are not focused rarely make any significant impact or impression on HR managers in order to attract the right position. 4. A productive job search requires that you present yourself convincingly to your prospective employer. Employers are not impressed by statements like, “I do not care what type of job I do” or “I’ll do anything as long as there’s a paycheck in it.” If you present yourself as professional and are focused in both written and verbal communications, you will give them more of a reason to believe in your skills. It’s important to find the right fit for both you and the company, and if you’re just doing a job for a job, you may be shortchanging yourself and the company. 5. Look at it this way–it may be hard to be enthusiastic and extremely well qualified for a 20 different jobs. So stick with what works for you and find the position that makes you happy and pays you well.
Face-to-face networking is incredibly important, and if you know your way around, then you have a distinct advantage over much of your competition. You’re making a serious mistake if you do not have a social media presence or if you skip social media sites all together.
If you’ve neglected to create a social media presence, especially on LinkedIn, then you are missing out on an incredible opportunity to find open positions. Targeted, extensive networking is still the number one way to find a job, to achieve this you need to have a complete and up to date profile on several social media sites.
The reason social media is so important is because 83% of employers look to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter when looking for new hires. 89% rely exclusively on LinkedIn to fill their empty positions. So if you’re not using social media, then your chances of getting a job are seriously diminished.
Without a solid social media presence on LinkedIn, you make it much harder for HR managers who are looking for you specific skill set to actually find you. Employers will also review your social media sites to examine more information after they have received your resume. So you have to take the necessary steps to stand out and never put a bad face forward. Here are some tips for putting the right social media face first: 1. Think of your online profile as your brand.
Identify your abilities that set you apart from other applicants. You should define the areas where you excel, and always make a solid case for the value that you bring to a prospective employer. 2. Use your online profile to showcase your skill set.
On Facebook and LinkedIn, there is a headline below where you put your name. This is an incredible important part of your branding, you need to put something with keywords HR mangers will instantly gravitate to. Your headline should show a range of what you are capable of doing. 3. Position yourself as the expert in your field.
Include searchable keywords in your social media profile so that HR mangers can see your in depth experience and talents. Employers will often look through social media sites in search of a fit for a specific problem, if you have your expertise highlighted, then you may be the one they’re looking for. This makes it much easier for them to find you. 4. Clear up any discrepancies between your resume and your social media profiles.
Make sure your dates of employment, job titles and other extended details match your resume. HR managers will not contact prospects who have inconsistencies on their resume and social media profile. 5. Join Facebook or LinkedIn groups that are associated with your field.
Who knows, by commenting on a group post or by offering your advanced knowledge, you could attract someone looking for your particular talents. Answering questions in these groups is an excellent way to attract attention to yourself, just make sure you approach groups with the correct mindset, you’re trying to garner the right attention. So make sure you know what you’re talking about.
People have been fired over what they’ve said in blog posts or on social media sites. Sharing confidential information or making negative comments about a business have cost many employees their jobs. Some employees have even been fired over making positive comments about their company. What is grounds for termination in the cyber-world and how can social media affect your job search? Can having a personal blog, professional blog or social media account impact your job search? It most certainly could and probably will. If you post about how you conduct yourself in interviews or if you post about how you embellish your resume, potential employers will be able to see it. You want to have a profile that does not scream “bad employee” and that could be anything from bragging about excessive drinking to how you steal notepads from work. Is it alright for prospective employers to be reading your blog or social media account? Perhaps not, but, when you post something on the Internet, it’s there for anyone to see, no matter what their motives might be. Some people, who have taken extra steps with their job search, will list their personal site or social media address on their resumes. Again, you should only do this if there is nothing you want to keep from a prospective employer on your site. Who hasn’t Googled someone they were interested in? Well, HR managers do the same thing with prospective employees. If you have it on your resume, then the employer will definitely look at it. Most hiring managers will look at a prospect’s website if they list it. Others will try to find out as much personal information as they can. This is not the days of “3 references” anymore, now your 3 references are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
If your blog is hidden or private and people in the office or a hiring manager finds out your identity, they can still look up sensitive information about you. They certainly won’t mind reading it, so don’t put anything negative about current coworkers or any past employers you have had. Once again, do not include a link on your resume to your social media site or personal website if it contains anything that might be damaging to your job search. Always be careful about what you put online. If you have a social media account, people will probably have no problem reading it, after all, you put your information out there, so it’s public domain now. Even if you think only your friends can access it, you still have to take caution and be proactive about what you put out. If you’re unemployed, consider putting together a website or social media site that’s specifically related to your job search. You can position yourself as an expert in your field. Attach samples of your resume, portfolio or any certifications you have.
People are searching, so when they find you, what do you want them to see?
Is Your Email Address Preventing You From Getting a Job?
Everyone has an email address– or if they don’t then they are seriously lacking the skills necessary to find a job. Most people only have one email address they use for everything and a lot of the time they have had that address since they were younger. This might not be a bad thing if your address is based on your name, but if you have an email address like: partyanimal69@’madeupaddress’.com or sexykit10@thisaddress.com, then you probably need to create a separate email account just for your job search. Typically, your email address will be the first thing that a prospective employer will see when you send them your resume. You email address should be as professional as it can be. Instead of having biglarr@’madeupaddress’.com, you should use a variation of your name. It’s much more professional and it won’t have a negative impact on your chances of getting the position. Some hiring managers won’t even look at a resume if it comes in with a novelty email address. Do you think that a hiring manager would be interested in adding someone who does not present a professional demeanor? One thing you definitely need to do is create a new professional email address. It’s easy to sign up and get a free email address. You could create your email address based on your name, but if you have a creative profession, you could do a play off of that. But, you don’t want to over do it. If your email address based on your name is taken, then try a last name, first name combination. If this is taken then you can add a number to the end of it. The most important thing is to create an email address that will get you through to the hiring manager. There are thousands of email combinations that you can create, you just want one that will not raise a flag with the HR manager. Another thing HR managers hate is when they get a resume from a work related email address. This shows the HR manager that at your current employer, you’re not fulfilling your job requirements. Actions like these will definitely raise the red flag when an HR manager sees this. Who knows, they could have worked at your employer before and still know people there. Imagine the problems that could come when they get in touch with your HR manager about you sending out resumes on company time. This could put you current position in jeopardy and affect your ability to find a new job. You never know if they will not take offer you the job because they believe that you might do the same thing to them. You should set-up an email address that’s professional and will not get you blacklisted by the HR department. It’s a tough job market out there, and everyone needs that extra little edge.
The following is a guest post from careers writer, Brendan Cruickshank.
++++ The idea is such a joke that there is now a book out by this name,Overqualified by Joey Comeau. Comeau writes cover letters to send with resumes, but they are not your run of the mill cover letters. Instead, they are outrageous, over the top cover letters. Comeau writes cover letters that say things like “It sounds like the sort of job that I don’t even need to think about while I’m doing it,” and “I have been programming Perl for eight years, on every business appropriate platform there is, and I’ve been around long enough to understand that there are no human beings reading this.” Comeau writes his letters as a joke, but as with all jokes, there is a kernel of truth here. And the truth is, people who are overqualified for a job get cynical and jaded.Please don’t apply for or take a job for which you are overqualified. Even if you are hired (and most employers know better than to hire someone who is grossly overqualified), that job will not only make you unhappy, but make everyone around you, at work and at home, utterly miserable. Good human resources managers know this already: an underqualified and inexperienced candidate is preferable to an overqualified one any day. Why? If you are underqualified, but enthusiastic about a job, you can and will learn how to do it. Learning the job will give you a challenge – and employees who are appropriately challenged are a joy to be around. They approach their work with creative, open minds. They don’t bring with them any preconceived notions or entrenched bad habits that they learned from previous coworkers or managers. Most importantly, they are not burned out. If you lack experience for the work that you are applying for, don’t try to hide that fact. Instead, play up the advantages: you are enthusiastic, eager to learn, bright, open, full of energy and ideas. Once you get to the interview stage, it will be relatively easy for you to show your enthusiasm for the job. But in your resume, it is harder. If you want a potential employer to notice your energy and enthusiasm, and ask you in for an interview, use your resume to highlight the experience that you do have, and to point out areas of your life in which you show tremendous energy and motivation, even if those areas come from volunteer work, internships, extracurricular activities, or sports that you participate in. Then, write a compelling cover letter – not a Comeau-esque letter like the ones I’ve quoted above, but a letter that shows your personality and the ways in which you are personally a good fit for this kind of work. Take a humble approach. Write about what you think you can learn from the job you are applying for – what you can learn from your supervisors, from your colleagues, from the company itself. This might sound like a risk. It might sound as though you are highlighting your own lack of experience. In a sense, you are, but that’s okay. What you are really doing is showing that you are ready for something new – and that you are smart enough to recognize a good opportunity when you see it. Have you ever heard the expression, “flattery will get you everywhere?” Flattery may not get you everywhere, but in a good cover letter, it will get you in the door for an interview – and that’s exactly what you need it to do.
— In his 8 years in the job search and recruiting industry, Brendan has served in senior client services roles with major sites like Juju.com and JobsInTheMoney.com. He has been regularly quoted on topics such as employment as well as jobs. His opinions have appeared in the Wall Street Journal and US News & World Report as well as other major publications.
Top 5 Ways to Increase Your Chances of Finding Employment
When you’re out of work, you need to use every advantage you can think of to increase your chances of finding a job. With today’s fluctuating job market, there are more people applying for the leftover jobs than there are jobs available. This makes finding a job incredibly difficult. Of course there are some things you can do to help improve your chances of finding a job. Make finding a job a full-time job
If you are looking for a job, then you probably spend most of your time looking for a new job. While you’re looking, it can become tempting to watch TV or browse the internet. But, instead set a schedule for yourself and follow it. Every day your schedule should reflect your job-hunting efforts.
Start working on your resume
You need a resume that will stand out above the mass of people applying. The average hiring manager spends between 10-20 seconds reviewing a resume, so it has to be eye catching to get noticed. You want to have more than one resume when applying for jobs, so it helps to have professional resume writers review your resume and make needed changes. Depending on the job you’re looking for, you will need to highlight different aspects of yourself on your resumes. Professionals are great at creating different resumes for every client.
Don’t skimp on the cover letter
Think of the cover letter as a quick handshake introduction to a prospective employer. Your cover letter should be unique to the job you are applying for – don’t send out a cover letter addressed to “Sir or Madam”, you want it to be personal and show that you put some effort into the process. Highlight your skills that will set you apart from other prospects, and never, ever use a generic cover letter. HR managers can spot those a mile away.
Get your networking on
Networking is a great resource for professionals seeking employment. With websites like LinkedIn and Facebook, you can connect directly with people in your industry, in the area that you wish to find employment. Let people know that you are looking for a job–there’s no shame in asking if someone is hiring. Other professionals can often connect you with HR managers when your skills are qualified. But, you need to do more than just network online, get out and go to some networking clubs or events. You can meet more people over a drink than you can with blasting out your resume to Facebook friends.
Start expanding your search
Sending out resumes in one industry may have worked in the past, but that’s simple not the case, today you have to be well versed in many different fields. You never know what your next platform for success will be. If you have experience in marketing, then your next career may be in sales or advertising. Just try to branch out and see what’s out there.
Is it Bad Etiquette to Ask For Another Job While Interviewing?
A lot of people will browse a company’s website and see if they have open jobs available, nothing wrong with that and some people will even apply to more than one job while on the page. Nothing wrong with that either. It’s when you get to the interview phase that things can become tricky. Job interviews never seem to get any easier – even if you have gone on more interviews than you can begin to count. You keep meeting new people, talking about yourself and what you offer, and sometimes getting the third degree from employers. But, what if you go into an interview for one job, but you know the company has something that would be a better fit for you?
No one is going to go into an interview and start talking up the merits of one job versus another, but if you interview with a HR representative first it does give you the ability to mention other jobs you might be interested in. So, what can you do to show your interest for another job while interviewing? Practice makes Perfect During a usual interview, you may be sweating bulletsabout the questions or how you appear, but if you took the time to learn about the company and the open positions you are qualified for, you can converse intelligently about the open positions. Think of actual examples that you have used in the past that works well with the job you want. Providing evidence of past work in that field is a great way to shift focus towards other positions. Prepare for all Contingencies Prepare a response so that when you ask about other positions you have a quick response to why you are interested in that position. Make sure that you know about the company and the positions that are available. Try and relate your past experience with the skills needed for the other position, sometimes interviewers will know that you are not qualified for one position and will offer you others. Watch and Learn
Look at what others have done to find a way to bring up other positions lightly. You do not want to go into the interview proclaiming how you are right for another position, the interviewer will not respect that position and it will damage your chances at either job. Get yourself Ready
Make sure that you are dressed the part, no matter what part it is you’re applying for. Try and look neat, tidy and appropriate for any situation. Bring clean copies of your resume that highlight the relatable experience you have and bring a pen and pad for notes. Staying Calm During the job interview try to relax and stay calm, if you need a moment before the interview, take it. Now is the time to get your mind right for dominating the conversation and letting your desires be known.
It may not work every time but if you can get yourself in an interview; you may be able to transition away from one position into interviewing for the one that is right for you.
