- Networking: Seek a sponsor at companies you're targeting by asking your networking contacts if they or any of their acquaintances know anyone employed there. And when you have your contacts on the phone, remember: Networking is also about gathering information such as salary, market and industry trends, key leadership names and contacts, and corporate values and culture. Of job seekers who leverage their networks, 80% get hired within six weeks to three months by uncovering jobs that never hit job boards or the paper.
- Recruiters: Sign up with and meet local recruiters and headhunters at firms like Kelly Services, M Squared, Volt, Manpower, TEKsystems, and Robert Half International. Be assertive by calling them directly to sell yourself and probe their hiring processes; recruiters and HR professionals receive 100 to 300 resumes a day for the 20 to 200 positions they're each working on, so you need to set yourself apart. Offer to stop by and introduce yourself, and expect recruiters to call you once you post your resume on a job board. For more information, check out career and employment information site www.rileyguide.com or visit www.dearjane.info for a recruiter tips booklet featuring tips like:
>> Allow your recruiter or headhunter to "sell" you, especially if you are introverted and don't know how to sell yourself.
>> Build a relationship with recruiters so they believe in you.
>> Understand that recruiters and headhunters can find positions for you that you couldn't find on your own.
>> Be sure recruiters listen to you; if they continue to urge you into positions you've said you're not interested in, find someone else to work with.
>> The way you treat recruiters during the hiring process matters; they can influence hiring decisions, so be professional.
- Internet Job Boards: Post your resume online on job boards like www.craigslist.com, www.monster.com, and www.careerbuilder.com, and use these boards to search for positions. Additionally, www.dice.com and www.biospace.com list tech and biotech jobs, respectively.
Note: It is extremely important to refresh your resume or upload a new one every other day. Recruiters only review the last two days' worth of candidates' resumes.
- Social Networking: Register on social networking site www.LinkedIn.com and use it to research key names and contacts, company listings, recruiter names and email addresses - and to network for jobs. Then join LinkedIn groups - for example, Community Relations or QA Testing - to create virtual relationships that could give you an advantage with hiring managers in your profession and industry. Beyond LinkedIn, check out other social networking sites like customizable www.ning.com, alma mater-oriented www.myworkster.com and www.alumni.net, and business network site www.ryze.com.
- www.Indeed.com: Check out this new one-stop, national and international online job search solution. PLEASE use www.Indeed.com, it's a mega-search engine that pulls thousands of job descriptions from thousands of job boards all over cyberspace.
- Company Websites: Visit the websites of your target companies to get a taste of their culture. Since like attracts like, executive management bios in the About Us section can be particularly illustrative; highly educated execs suggest the company will value intellectualism, while leaders who have been involved in mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs point to an entrepreneurial environment. Diversity matters, too; boards that lack it are not likely to encourage it. Once you've verified that a company's culture is a good fit for you, submit your resume in their Career sections - even if they don't have a job posted. This way, when corporate recruiters do start their searches, your resume will be ready and waiting in their applicant tracking systems.
- "Real Deal" Websites: To get the inside scoop on corporate culture and values from current or former employees of target companies, try websites like www.ledova.com for job reviews and advice or www.jobvent.com for posts about what people really think about working for a given employer.
- Professional Associations: Post your resume on relevant industry and professional association websites such as the American Marketing Association, the Project Management Institute, the American Society of Training and Development, the Product Development and Management Association, and the like. Also, dig into support-minded websites for others in your unique job-search situation, like www.bluesuitmom.com for women returning to the workforce or www.lifemeetswork.com for those interested in flexible employment.
- Job Fairs: Attend job fairs and introduce yourself personally to hiring managers. Find job fairs online at www.jobjournals.com or in your local newspaper.
- Newspapers: Don't forget to check your local newspaper for recruiting information, job descriptions, and job fair details.
- Let go of all assumptions about how job searches worked in the past - or even last year. The rules have changed. It's a new game, so pull out your playbook and build an offense that works NOW.
- Work with recruiters or hire a career coach to reduce the amount of time you will be out of work.
- Document all your job search activity in a career journal so you can be honest with yourself about how much effort you are really putting into finding work.
- List consulting in your field, with your name as the company name, as your current job on both your LinkedIn profile and your resume - and tell everyone you know that you will consult for a fee or pro bono if necessary. It shows that you are driven and will do whatever it takes to get work.
- Use your resume to communicate both your quantitative and qualitative accomplishments. To land you an interview, your resume - a representation of who you are - must be GREAT and filled with your value proposition.
- Fill gaps in your resume with education or expertise - and if you are light on both, use persistence and cold calls as your main tool to get noticed.
- Get more hits on your resume by posting it for both permanent and contract employment. Most of my clients are getting full-time consultant and contract work because companies don't want to hire permanent employees - it's too much of a risk in today's economy.
You will be hired within 6 weeks to 3 months in today's market if you learn about Rebecca Martin and dear jane's career management methodologies, tips, techniques and strategies. She is current and up-to-date with what is going on in the market and with her clients. Rebecca Martin, Founder/Career Advisor and Consultant of dear jane, has 12 years of expertise in Recruiting and Career Coaching on a national and international level. She has coached thousands of candidates into jobs and assisted thousands of hiring managers and executives with their hiring needs. Rebecca has the "inside perspective" on the hiring process, has developed proprietary methodologies that apply throughout the hiring and job search process, and has a 98% success rate in coaching job seekers/candidates into jobs in today's market. Her advice applies to anyone who is looking for a job, wanting a promotion or a higher salary, etc. She has worked with clients during all phases of the career transition process ie: terminations, RIFF's, layoffs, downsizing, promotions, etc. Visit www.dearjane.info or contact rebecca.martin@dearjane.info for more information. Plus, check out her blog at www.dearjanedialogues.com.
