Are You Doing What it Takes to Get Noticed?

Hiring methods have forever changed. In the past 10 years, the internet has revolutionized the way we look for jobs as well as the way employers go about hiring. This became even more evident to me recently when I took on a new job seeker client; she’d had zero experience in using the Internet to find work.  She had been in her previous position for the last 13 years and suddenly was out of a job because the small company she worked for was going under. She didn’t have an electronic version of her resume; only a paper one. She had never used a job board or even craigslist, let alone built a LinkedIn profile. She felt like a fish out of water.

It’s an all too familiar story, really. Many casualties of this recession have been long term employees of small businesses who suddenly find themselves without a job and without a clue about how to find a new one. Does this sound like you? You might be wondering, “where do I begin?” You might also be surprised when I tell you that job boards should not be your focus. Of course, they should be included in your job search efforts but they should not be the only sites you rely upon nor should they be where you spend most of your job search efforts.

First, let me tell you about 3 things that you MUST do/have before you start your job search:

1. You MUST have a resume. If you can afford to pay a professional, then I’d advise you to do so. If you cannot, then there are a plethora of available resources to help you but you have to invest the time in getting it done or you are simply extending your unemployment. Make sure you have it stored on someplace other than just on your home computer. A CD is great but you should also keep a copy in gmail, yahoo or other free email account so that you can pull it up from anywhere. You never know when you might need it!
2. Get a LinkedIn profile. This is just as important as having a resume. LinkedIn is the number one “go to” site for recruiters when they are looking for potential candidates. Not to mention, it’s a great place to make connections and network with other professionals in your line of work. Building your profile should be fairly self explanatory, as LinkedIn does a great job indicating how complete your profile is and what needs a finishing touch. If you aren’t sure how one should look, search profiles of other professionals in your industry. Find one that is complete and review it carefully. There are a lot of things you can include on your LinkedIn profile now such as blogs and tweets.
3. Get a Twitter profile. Stop saying, “I don’t Twitter.” Stop saying, “I don’t get Twitter.” If you want to be noticed, this is a MUST HAVE tool.  If you don’t get it, then read Twitter Tips. Then go build your profile and don’t flake out. Santa is watching and so is God. They will know if you skip this step.

Now that you have a resume, a LinkedIn and a Twitter profile, you’re ready to start! Here’s what to do next:

1. ENGAGE. Here is the hard part. Most are afraid to jump in and start networking but you can’t be. Start with friends and family if that helps – connect with them on these platforms and let them know that you are actively job searching. Ask for leads. Don’t be afraid to tell anyone that you are out of work – this is NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. Not telling people isn’t going to help you and they will still know you are unemployed eventually.
2. Get INVOLVED! LinkedIn has thousands of groups and you should be a part of them! Search the groups on LinkedIn for keywords in your industry. These groups will lead you to others in your line of work that you can network with. In addition, there are job search groups that can help with additional tips and guidance. Make sure you continue to stay involved once you start! If you want people to take you seriously, this is the key. Besides, if you aren’t involved you won’t be on top of your game. Consistently staying involved is more likely to net more leads and connections.
3. Get out from behind the computer. Yes, you read that correctly. This was the advice that worked like a charm for my most recent client. Visit every temp and employment agency that you can.  Don’t rule out temporary work because full time work can often be found through them. That doesn’t mean send them all your resume by email. I mean shower, get dressed like you’re going to interview, get in your car (or on the subway, bus, train, whatever!) and beat feet. People don’t generally ignore you in person like they might be tempted to do through email. Make sure you bring paper copies of your resume as well as a CD with a Word Doc version of your resume on it.
4. Review these tips as often as necessary and ask yourself, “Am I doing what it takes to get noticed?”

The most important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself. Job searching is a tough task for anyone and it can wear you down. Try to follow as normal a routine as you can. Maintain your Monday through Friday schedule; get up early and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Although your job search should be a full time job, you should still be taking time off. Weekends are a great time to recharge and doing so will help you remain sharp.

Do you have additional tips to share on how to get noticed in today’s work force? Please feel free to share them with us!

Advanced Job Search – How to use Google for a job search

For many people, finding a job has changed drastically. Many workers have found themselves displaced by the economic times. Some of them have not been on the job hunt since the Internet became mainstream. Want ads in newspapers and storefront windows have evolved into job boards, search engines and social networks.

The competition for jobs is fierce. Fortunately our friends at Google have built this incredibly powerful search engine. An engine that is very hungry for content.

If you’re using Google to look for a job, you are probably using in the typical job board search method; skill set + location. You can do much better. Those type of search results are typically content from the 3 big job boards: Monster, Careerbuilder and Yahoo’s Hot Jobs.

While those sites often have legitimate opportunities, they are often so congested with job seekers that  getting through to the hiring manager is nearly impossible. Imagine a company with two sales positions inundated with over 1000 respondents. They may not have the resources to even look at 10% of those responses in any kind of detail. How do you stand out?

Be proactive – get ahead of the game! This is where your advanced tools come into play, including Google. Advanced search is a very powerful method of locating information. Online job ads are just that; pieces of information shared in cyberspace. You can find job opportunities in a wide array of methods; Search Engines, social networks, coffee shops and networking events.

How to search Google for Jobs

Have you noticed the advanced search link at google.com? Just to the right of the text field in little tiny letters, is the advanced search link. This is where Google can help you immensely. A plethora of options are presented to the search savvy user. Be specific with your questions for Google (called queries). For those with specific skill sets, make sure your search string includes those skills. Use your location as part of the search string as well. Other locations in your area can be combined using the boxes separated by the  Boolean operator OR. You may search for exact phrase matches, you may also exclude phrases. You can search specific sites by entering what sites to limit your search to. Linkedin.com and craigslist.org come to mind. You can find fresh content by clicking the Date, usage rights, numeric range and more option. This will help by only showing content that has been added to Google’s  index within last hour, day, week , month, or year. You can sort by date, or relevance. Hopefully by now you are beginning to see how powerful this tool can be in a job search. Often times when a company posts a job on their own site, it is indexed by Google rather quickly. The downside to this is that almost no one knows about that employers web or career portal. Company results rarely show up in Google’s organic job search results. When they do it is almost always because it is sponsored on a popular job site. Guess what? Many companies have stopped using the big 3 to post their jobs.

Do you see where this is going? Think outside the box, be specific in your search, try new methods. Use Google’s advanced search to your advantage. Do you really just need a job, any job? Search the last 24 hours or the last week in several neighboring cities. If you find something interesting, again be pro-active get more information about the company using a tool like jobshouts.com socializer web search to locate people on social networks. You can search for company names, people’s names or job skills.

No Response to Applications on Monster/CareerBuilder/HotJobs? Here’s One Reason Why:

Like most job seekers, you’ve no doubt applied to job listings on the major career boards like Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs. In doing so, you’ve likely seen little or no response to some applications although you keep seeing that same job every time you log in.

It’s frustrating as a job seeker to see the same job over and over, knowing you’ve applied and are qualified for the job but haven’t been contacted. Why does this happen? Are they looking for the “perfect” candidate?

No.

Chances are they aren’t even really looking for a candidate.

Why then, is the job posted? Here is where I let you in on a nasty little secret of the staffing industry. That job posting was paid for when that employer renewed their contract with the major job board. That might have taken place a year ago, a month ago or anywhere in between. Employers are often charged hundreds of dollars per job posting in advance; what this means for the job seeker is that often times “bogus” jobs are posted in an effort to not waste money. How does this make sense? Let me explain.

Since the job ads are already paid for, employers want to make sure they are “getting their money’s worth” even if they have ZERO job openings. If their contract is about to expire or if they hire a certain skill-set on a regular basis, many employers will post general job openings with these skills in order to “build a pipeline”. In other words, they are simply candidate mining. All these employers want is your information for their database, in exchange for the price they paid for that job listing.

Now to you as a job seeker, this seems completely unfair and cruel. Why post a job that isn’t real? From a business perspective it’s easy to understand. It’s like vacation time – use it or lose it. Employers would rather post a fake job to gather potential candidates for later use than to “lose” a job posting they’ve paid hundreds of dollars for. Unfortunately, it’s discouraging to job seekers and makes them wary of using job boards at all, so this is a trend with a backlash for employers.

So how can you tell if a job posting is “real”?  The truth is, you can’t. As a job seeker, as frustrating as it may be to encounter this type of situation, I’m afraid it’s unavoidable if you’re truly “pounding the pavement”. What’s important to remember is that if you don’t receive a response to your application, don’t send another for the same job. Wait until you see a different job opening or until 6 months has passed to apply for the same job. If you’ve applied for the same job twice within a 1 year period, you’re either not what the company is looking for, or you could be responding to a  bogus posting.

The good news is, even if you’ve applied to a bogus job posting it isn’t going to hurt you. It means that company that mined your information may eventually call you about that dream job! It might just be 6 months or a year too late.

The Definition of Insanity in Your Job Search

Face it: job searching right now is a bear for nearly everyone. It is harder for some than for others but by and large anyone looking for a new job is struggling to find one. We can analyze why; fewer jobs, employers are more selective, etc. Many job seekers turn to job boards and social networking as tools for their job search. There has been a lot of negative feedback from job seekers about the use of job boards and the lack of response from employers using these job boards. “Are they real jobs?” “Why don’t they respond?” “I feel like my resume goes into a black hole!”

By the same token, employers complain about the lack of quality applicants on job boards. Job seekers fail to follow application instructions or reply to positions for which they aren’t qualified. Employers become complacent about responses from job board applicants, likely thinking they aren’t going to find the candidate they want to hire in that stack.

It goes without saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If we truly want to change the landscape of job searching and recruiting we have to change the approach. Job boards can be a very useful tool for both employers and job seekers, if utilized properly!

Job Seekers, consider this: Do you think you have a better chance of getting that job by submitting a good cover letter and targeted resume to a job posting? Or do you think you’d have a better chance by doing all of that and making a social connection within the hiring company? What if you were the hiring manager? Would you be more interested in interviewing someone you know nothing about, or someone with which you have made a connection and know something about? Making that connection helps make you a real person instead of just a personality-deficient resume.

Here are some quick do’s and don’ts for Job Seekers:

Do use job boards. All of them, any of them.

Do use targeted resumes. (modified resume containing job key words)

Do use cover letters when applicable.

Do use social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to connect with potential employers and recruiters.

Do use the power of Google to help you learn about the companies you want to work for (or the ones that are advertising openings).

Don’t be afraid to make those connections! You don’t catch a fish with an empty hook!

Don’t be a pest! It’s unprofessional and makes you look desperate. Calling multiple times a day or sending more emails when you haven’t yet received a response guarantees you won’t.

Don’t complain. People are watching you on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. Complaining about how much your job search sucks doesn’t make you a more attractive candidate.

Don’t give up! Job Searching can be tough on the self-esteem. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, it won’t help you. Treat your job search like a job and make sure you take off 2 days a week like you are supposed to. You need that time to recharge.

I’m sure we have some readers that can contribute more to this list of do’s and don’ts. We encourage you to list yours! As for how we can get employers back into shape with regard to using job boards properly, well that’s another blog post. Stay tuned!

- Robin M. Eads, Co-Founder & President, JobShouts.com

How to search for a job…not where…but HOW

A lot of focus is on the job market these days. Much is being said about how to search for a job. What sites to visit, where to look, how to network. What is missing from this? How to input the correct search strings into the search boxes of Google, Twitter, or any job search engine you might encounter during your job search.

That’s just about as important as where to look. If your search phrases are not specific enough, you’ll be wasting your time sifting through jobs that are not relevant to your skills or profession. If you’re too tight on your search specifics your results will be too small to work with.

Each person will go about this in a slightly different way. Dependent on your skill sets your search phrases will vary. However, the logic behind search queries will be fairly consistent across almost any profession.

Boolean Search operators are very useful when conducting a search on google. Setting up google alerts to do this for you should be a integral part of your job search arsenal.

Before you begin your search, first make a list of keywords related to your chosen industry. Also make a list of cities, or geographical locations that you will be searching for jobs in.

When you enter your keywords into search fields, you can search for either a specific word or string of words. This can prove useful when you wish to enter multiple criteria e.g. software developer Tampa Florida. If your job requires a particular skill or qualification you may also wish to include this e.g. C#, PHP, Java, SQL etc.

Do not enter words that are not keywords, a, an, the, at, on etc. There is no need for them and they could throw your results off. You might just end up with movie titles for results. Not what you are looking for.

Use the Boolean operators  AND, OR, and NOT.

You can also combine words using AND, OR, and NOT. For example, network AND engineer will search for jobs which contains both the words network and engineer, although not necessarily next to each other.

Sales OR manager will search for jobs which contain either the word sales or manager.

Sales NOT manager will search for jobs which contain the word sales but not manager.

You can also search for a phrase by typing it exactly as you wish it to appear. E.g. typing “Quantity Surveyor” would return jobs containing the phrase ‘quantity surveyor’. placing your search phrase inside of quotes will return result that only match what was put into the quotes.

Try this search string (without the quotes) in Google and see what you get.  “(job, tampa, fl) network OR engineer -Novell”.

Parentheses ( )If you are sure about one search term, but not so sure about the others, you can group them together with parentheses. For example, I know for sure I want to search jobs in Tampa, fl. I also told Google to narrow my results to postings that contain network OR engineer but not Novell. Since I don’t know squat about Novell, why would I need to see search results that need filtering further?

Just try to keep in mind that Google automatically inserts the AND statement automatically anytime you enter multiple keywords. Most job search engines do as well, but if your not getting results use the AND statement. See if it helps; each person should get comfortable using operators, and search phrases that are relevant to their own careers, and goals.

Searching for jobs on twitter.

This is where your search takes on a different spin. Twitter and job authorities on twitter make use of what is known as hashtags. Hashtags are preceded by the ‘#’ symbol. e.g. #jobs or #seojobs, or #prjobs.

Here is an example search phrase to put into a search window in tweetdeck or twhirl. #jobs tampa .net developer. Not using a 3rd party client like tweetdeck of twhirl? Well if you’re serious about your job search you should be.

Using a tool to manage your search on twitter, such as Tweetdeck or Twhirl will put your search on autopilot. You wont have to sit in front of your computer waiting for the perfect job to come along. Leave your client running in the system tray and check it periodically.

Good Luck with your job search I hope this helps. If you would like to contribute more information to this article feel free to contact me @tall_geek on twitter.

Using Social Media to help with your job search

In 2008 America shed a record numbers of jobs (over 2.5 million) The largest decrease since the end of WWII. With more losses looming on the horizon, and no slowdown in site, many people are wondering when will it end. This is an unprecedented time for workers in the US, with many people losing their jobs through no fault of their own. This will cause a ripple effect globally. No one is really safe. JobShouts.com wants to offer some ideas to help you in  your search.

2009 marked the beginning of a new era in America.  A new president is in the oval office. Social media is taking center stage in the web 2.0 movement. Job boards are getting a lot of attention from job seekers.  This article is designed to assist the job-seeker. It includes ideas and information gathered from a variety of resources. It details the specifics of using LinkedIn to build your career network, and ideas on how to grow and develop your social networks.

It’s not the be all, end all guide that will guarantee your immediate success. It takes time to build and develop a network. There is no 30 second microwave networking class that actually works. JobShouts.com wants to help by providing ideas and solid advice. Please share this by passing this information along to your peers, friends, family members, or anyone affected by the current employment crisis. Read more

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