Job Search Tips

I have been asked to consolidate my job search tips I put on a couple of previous posts so here they are.

It is really tough to get a game plan together when you are in the search for a job so here is a list of what you can be doing to search for a new position.

1. Marketing Campaign: You must start your marketing campaign. A job search is nothing more than your own personal marketing campaign. Think of 3 words that best describe you and the skills/traits you possess that a company would want. Narrowing down who you are into 3 words is difficult but it helps employers focus on the most important things about you. These 3 words become your marketing slogan.

How do you find your three words? You will have a brainstorming session with at least 1 other person.

1. Pick people you respect from your family, maybe a couple of friends, and/or a couple of previous co-workers.
2. Get a big sheet of blank paper and tape it to a window or a wall in your dining room.
3. Get 3"x3" post-it notes and some bigger markers.
4. Now all you have to do is think of positive words that describe you.
5. Write ALL of the positive words on the post-it notes and put them on the big sheet of paper. It should look like organized chaos. Don't stop until there are around 50 words on your big sheet of paper. Sometimes a thesaurus comes in handy for this exercise.
6. Determine what 3 words best describe you for this job search marketing campaign.
7. Keep the large sheet of paper with your words.

This sheet of paper with words will be really helpful when writing or re-writing your resume. When my friend Shelby and I did this exercise we found she was clearly marketable in at least three different types of positions which seemed to be an added benefit. We actually ended up writing 3 separate resumes with each one sharing the same background but the slant was catered to the 3 different types of positions she would be searching for.

This exercise also helps build the rest of what is needed to focus for interviews, resumes, networking, etc.

You may want to consider getting personal business cards made up to hand out. Lot of people are doing this now with their job search and it makes it easier to have something to hand off when you are networking. I got mine at VistaPrint (www.vistaprint) and they were REALLY inexpensive. They often have business card offer for free cards. You just need to pay for shipping. I got the matte ones and next time will opt for the glossy ones instead. Here are some suggestion for what to have on your cards.

1. Name
2. Your 3 words that describe you
3. Phone number
4. E-mail address
5. LinkedIn public profile link

2. Resume: Create/Update your resume. You may need 2-3 different ones if you are applying for different kinds of positions. It is not enough to have different cover letters anymore! Be sure to utilize your words from the brainstorming exercise. Here are some basic heading suggestions.

1. PROFILE or QUALIFICATION HIGHLIGHTS - In this section include accomplishments and describe the traits which appeal to an employer in bullet format.
2. EXPERTISE or SKILLS - In this section include your specific skills such as your system/computer/technical skills; specific job related skills
3. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE or WORK EXPERIENCE - In this section list your work history for the last 5-10 years. You should not need to go much further back than that. You should include the name of the employer, the date range you worked there, your title, and list (in bullet form) your basic duties for that position.
4. EDUCATION or EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND or EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION or CERTIFICATION/TRAINING/AFFILIATIONS - In this section list all of your degrees and and coursework you have completed. Include any certifications. You will want to be careful about putting in dates as that may be used to determine your age. Although it is against the law to use age to determine applicants, it may be something that happens subconsciously.
5. MILITARY (if applicable) - In this section include the branches of service and dates.
6. INTERESTS/HOBBIES - In this section put some of your hobbies and interests (not all). I was chatting with an HR manager once who said this was a section she always read because it was a good indicator for them to determine if they might fit into the work group.

3. Indeed.com: Set up an account and alert on Indeed.com (www.indeed.com). This site retrieves job announcements from several other sites (Monster, Hotjobs, etc.) so you don't have to go to all of them each day to see what is new.

4. Network: Share with people in your life that you are looking for a position and let them know what you are looking for. Keep this conversation relatively brief and without pressure. Simply ask them to keep an eye out for any openings they see. This is free marketing at it's best. See the above section on your marketing campaign to ensure you are able to focus on the key points about you.

Sign up with online several networking/job search sites.

1. LinkedIn: Set up an account on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). This is a professional networking site where you upload your resume and are able to get recommendations from your previous co-workers. I have found the biggest bang has been to join lots of groups as it seems groups often post job openings and employers tend to look at the groups for people they think might fit their needs.
2. Job Sites: Set up accounts on websites such as Monster (www.monster.com), Hotjobs (www.hotjobs.com), Career Builder (www.careerbuilder.com) and Dice (www.dice.com). You may find more which fit your search better via the Indeed.com search engine, just watch where the jobs that appeal to you from their alerts are from.
3. Staffing/Consulting Firms: Sign up with 4-5 consulting or staffing firms. It doesn't cost you anything (the employer pays them to find you) and you will have 4-5 places looking for something for you. Don't be afraid to take a consulting job or temporary job if it seems like a position that you might take full time if offered. This is how I got my current position! I was hired for a 1 month contract and that was almost 6 years ago! Be aware several firms offer benefits as well and those should be your preferred places to sign up.

5. Tracking/Documentation: You should track and document your job search. My advise is to create a job tracking spreadsheet with the following columns [Company, Website link (put in hyperlinks to the job openings site for each company), Date, Action, Notes]. Use this spreadsheet to put in every company you know of in your area (wouldn't it be great to find a job close to home?) in addition to the job finder sites. Your job will be to review the website job openings each week and document any actions taken such as submitted resume on this date for this position, etc.

ALWAYS keep a hardcopy or electronic screen capture copy of all job postings you send your resume in for. TRUST ME on this, often the employer calls you about a position long after the posting was removed from where you found it. I have seen some employers call 1-2 months after the job was removed from the site.

GOOD LUCK on your search!