Let me take this opportunity to wish you the best of luck with your job search. If you have already found a position you're happy with or if you're not interested in receiving additional reports from us in the future……
There are so many different job searching tools and resources out there, sometimes it's hard to know where to begin. Let me first say the best odds of finding a job are through people you know well. Don't be ashamed to let your friends and family members know you're looking for a job. You may want to consider writing a 20-second elevator pitch describing your background and the type of job you're looking for.
Unless your profession is something easily understood like a college Spanish professor or a restaurant manager, chances are good that you have close friends and family members who aren't clear on what you do for a living. So your first mission is to come up with a simple way to explain it to them, and then secondly to convey what it is you're looking for. You might try writing out a paragraph for each first and then simplifying those thoughts further. The use analogies and visual images in your descriptions will make it easier for people to understand.
Beyond networking with close friends and family, consider some of these tips for finding a new job:
1. Networking Events - If you live in or close to a city, chances are there are loads of networking events happening all the time. Many of these have web sites listing upcoming events. You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce to find out about business networking opportunities.
2. Job Boards - Searching for job listings that match your background and interests can be time consuming. There are lots of job sites out there. Recruiters do use them though and many people have found jobs this way. Consider using a resume posting service like ResumeDirector to get your resume on all the job sites at once. This way you can let the recruiters come to you.
3. Corporate Job Sites - Can you think of the top 10 companies you'd like to work at? Maybe even the top 20? Well then you're probably in luck because many of these companies have their own corporate job sites where you can go and submit your resume. It wouldn't hurt to also give these companies a call and ask to speak to someone in the human resources department to find out if they have any openings for what you're looking for. Often times when you submit a resume to a big company, it simply goes into a database and by calling them too, you can alert a human being that you're truly interested in working for their firm. This will increase the chances that someone will actually go to retrieve your resume from the database.
4. Polish your Presentation Skills - If you're getting called in for interviews, you've won half the battle. It means you've developed a good system for generating job leads and your resume is effective at getting recruiters interested in talking to you. If you find yourself interviewing with people but not closing the deal, consider some out-of-the-box ways to upgrade your presentation. Do you have friends working in your field who know how employers and recruiters for your profession think? Ask one of them to do a mock interview with you and give you a critique.
You may be surprised to learn something - even something simple like improving eye contact or the style of the tie you wear to the interview can have an impact. And be sure you command respect - without appearing cocky or arrogant - with the dialogue you use. Interviewing expert Marco Cepeda has developed something called the Reverse Interviewing method which is essentially a set of guidelines for leveling the power relationship between interviewer and interviewee to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and one where your strengths are highlighted instead of your weaknesses. Employers often try to steer interviews to learn about your weaknesses - your job is to get them to want to hear about your strengths.
Unless your profession is something easily understood like a college Spanish professor or a restaurant manager, chances are good that you have close friends and family members who aren't clear on what you do for a living. So your first mission is to come up with a simple way to explain it to them, and then secondly to convey what it is you're looking for. You might try writing out a paragraph for each first and then simplifying those thoughts further. The use analogies and visual images in your descriptions will make it easier for people to understand.
Beyond networking with close friends and family, consider some of these tips for finding a new job:
1. Networking Events - If you live in or close to a city, chances are there are loads of networking events happening all the time. Many of these have web sites listing upcoming events. You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce to find out about business networking opportunities.
2. Job Boards - Searching for job listings that match your background and interests can be time consuming. There are lots of job sites out there. Recruiters do use them though and many people have found jobs this way. Consider using a resume posting service like ResumeDirector to get your resume on all the job sites at once. This way you can let the recruiters come to you.
3. Corporate Job Sites - Can you think of the top 10 companies you'd like to work at? Maybe even the top 20? Well then you're probably in luck because many of these companies have their own corporate job sites where you can go and submit your resume. It wouldn't hurt to also give these companies a call and ask to speak to someone in the human resources department to find out if they have any openings for what you're looking for. Often times when you submit a resume to a big company, it simply goes into a database and by calling them too, you can alert a human being that you're truly interested in working for their firm. This will increase the chances that someone will actually go to retrieve your resume from the database.
4. Polish your Presentation Skills - If you're getting called in for interviews, you've won half the battle. It means you've developed a good system for generating job leads and your resume is effective at getting recruiters interested in talking to you. If you find yourself interviewing with people but not closing the deal, consider some out-of-the-box ways to upgrade your presentation. Do you have friends working in your field who know how employers and recruiters for your profession think? Ask one of them to do a mock interview with you and give you a critique.
You may be surprised to learn something - even something simple like improving eye contact or the style of the tie you wear to the interview can have an impact. And be sure you command respect - without appearing cocky or arrogant - with the dialogue you use. Interviewing expert Marco Cepeda has developed something called the Reverse Interviewing method which is essentially a set of guidelines for leveling the power relationship between interviewer and interviewee to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and one where your strengths are highlighted instead of your weaknesses. Employers often try to steer interviews to learn about your weaknesses - your job is to get them to want to hear about your strengths.
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