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Job Searching While Still Employed

By Jared Cole on Thursday, July 19, 2012

Maybe you’ve been at the same job for a few years and are looking for that next great challenge. Or maybe your current job isn’t working out for you. No matter your situation at work, it’s best to have your next job ready before quitting your current one.

Looking for a job while still employed can feel taboo. Many workers feel uncertain about the best actions to take at work when looking for new employment. You shouldn’t let this fear hold you back from advancing your career. Here are some ways you can improve your chances of finding a new job without stepping on your employer’s toes.

Shhh! Keep It Discreet
It’s best to keep your search away from work. You shouldn’t feel obligated to inform your current employer you’re job searching until you’re ready to give notice. While you may have a strong working relationship with your boss, you could still disrupt relations and teamwork with your boss and co-workers if you talk about a new job opportunity and end up not getting it. Also, don’t use your managers or co-workers as references during your search unless you’ve discussed with them your plans to look for a new job. Wait until you’ve left on good terms.

You should also avoid posting your resume into search databases online, instead directly apply to open positions. You never know who could be looking at them, and the news of your job search could reach your current employer. Consider changing some privacy settings on your social media accounts. Social media can be a powerful tool in your job search, but if you’re friends with co-workers and managers, you could burn some bridges with them by publicly announcing your job search. You may feel like it’s keeping a secret, but it’s more about keeping the search out of the workplace until you’re ready to leave.

Don’t Use Company Time or Company Dime
Your employer is paying you to work for them, so don’t use company time and resources to look for a new job. Wait until you’re off work to search online and send resumes to hiring managers. Make sure you include your personal contact information and not your work number or email in a cover letter or resume.

If you need to schedule an interview, make sure it’s before work, during your lunch break, or after work. If asked why you’re taking your lunch break early or late, you can tell management that you need to take care of some personal business. You can also take scheduled time off for interviews, but don’t use sick time off for this purpose.

Avoid using company equipment and resources during your job search as well. It may be small things like paper, but it can really hurt your chances of getting hired if you send cover letters with your current employer’s letterhead.

Resign with Respect
If you get a job and accept it, make sure you give your boss ample time to prepare before you leave. Be upfront and give as much notice as possible. When you’re leaving your job, it can be easy to stop caring about your responsibilities. Make sure you have your duties and responsibilities clearly communicated to the right people. If you continue to work as a model employee before leaving, you’re more likely to be able to use this employer as a recommendation, contact, or reference in the future.

Applying for a job while still working a full-time job can be tiring. You have a lot to do during your off time, on top of your regular life schedule, but the long hours are worth it. What has helped you find a job while still employed?

Find a Job Like Detective Ace Jobseeker

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The days of graduating, posting a resume online, and sitting back while you wait for recruiters and HR representatives to call with job offers are gone. Gone like a host of sparrows escaping the winter months. Odds are, you’ll be scratching up dough at 11 different jobs by the time you’re 44. With all that job hopping, you’re going to need more than just one method of finding a job.

Nowadays, there are several different resources at your disposal to find a job. You just have to look for them, like a detective. Whether it’s job fairs, social media, internships, or staffing agencies, it’s a matter of finding what works best for you.

That’s why Express’ own private eye, Detective Ace Jobseeker, is here to explain. See how he puts his investigation skills to work.

What are some methods you’ve used to find a job? What do you think about the gumshoe Ace Jobseeker? Sing like a canary in the comments section below.

Career Options The Job Search

Answer These 3 Questions to Discover Your Perfect Job

By Movin On' Up on Friday, July 6, 2012

Do you ever feel a tad envious when you hear about people who absolutely love going to work every day because they’re so passionate about their jobs? Maybe you think only really lucky people land jobs like that. But finding a job you love involves more than luck – it’s about knowing yourself and what type of work you find most rewarding.

By answering the following three questions, you can discover what it will take for you to wake up every day excited about going to work.

What are you best at?
Research shows that you’re more likely to feel professionally satisfied when you work at a job you’re good at. In fact, the book Now, Discover Your Strengths, cites 2 million interviews and 30 years of research to confirm that fact.

While it’s possible to become proficient at almost any task if you’re given enough time or training, that doesn’t make the behavior a strength. Your true talents are in the areas where you naturally excel.

To determine your natural abilities, think about roles you’ve thrived in. Don’t limit yourself to thinking only in terms of work either. Brainstorm talents you use at home, in volunteer work, or for hobbies.

Knowing what you’re good at is essential to finding the career path that’s right for you. For example, recognizing that you excel at meeting new people or public speaking could point you in the direction of jobs that would use your natural talents such as a sales or hospitality position.

What gets you excited?
While determining your strengths helps you figure out which jobs you’ll have the natural abilities for, this next question aids you in narrowing down the fields or industries you’re most likely to thrive in. For instance, after examining your talents, you might decide that a role as a salesperson would best suit you. However, salespeople work in many different fields, so how do you determine which one is right for you? This is where understanding what energizes you becomes important.

To zero in on the field that’s right for you, think about the kinds of activities and types of environments that make you feel most alive. Do you feel your best doing hands-on projects in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt? Or, does the prestige of wearing a slick business suit and working on a high profile project appeal to you more? Are you passionate about working with children, the stock market or environmental issues?

Spend some time thinking about what gets you going. Understanding the physical, mental and emotional atmosphere that you enjoy most can lead you to the industry that best matches your disposition and drive.

What matters most to you?
Answering this final question will assist you in discovering the types of employers you’d enjoy working for the most. Because companies’ cultures, values and structure vary widely, it’s important to evaluate what’s most important to you in a job.

Different employers appeal to people with different personal and professional goals. Some organizations require 70-hour work weeks but the pay-offs in financial rewards and status are high. Other employers offer flexible schedules and reduced stress but have less monetary perks. And many businesses offer a range of positions between the two extremes.

When thinking about what you want from an employer, consider the type of hours you’d like to work, a job’s distance from your home, the opportunities for growth within the company, and the organization’s values and culture. Knowing what matters most to you in a job will allow you to target employers that provide the things that are essential to your happiness.

Knowing your strengths, passions, and priorities will help you select a job that’s right for you. Then you too can be one of the “lucky” ones who wake up excited to go to work every day.

Career Options The Job Search

Get a Job, Charlie Brown

By Jared Cole on Friday, June 29, 2012

Charles Schulz’s famous comic series, “Peanuts,” was about fusing adult ideas on art, psychology, and current events with the world of children. The comic has delighted, thought-provoked, and entertained children and adults for more than 50 years. The cast of characters in Peanuts typically cover a wide variety of issues about daily life, but with tough economic times, even the most prepared job seeker can feel like saying, “good grief.”

The truth is, there are several things to take away from Charlie Brown that can affect your job search. Here are three lessons you can learn to improve your job search from Charlie Brown.

The Great Career Pumpkin
In the 1966 TV special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” the character Linus waits in a pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin, who rises out of the pumpkin patch on Halloween night and flies through the air delivering toys to all the good little children in the world. Despite Linus’ faith and commitment, the Great Pumpkin never shows.

Sometimes we treat our job search like we’re waiting for the Great Pumpkin. We have that dream job in mind and no other opportunity will do. The hard truth is that sometimes that dream job may just be out of reach. Those just graduating from school or training might need more job experience before getting the dream job. Look at your industry and see if you need to follow another opportunity and build your skills and experience before jumping at job openings you aren’t qualified for yet. You’ll be better prepared and more skilled to do it if you work your way there.

Book Reports and Resumes go Hand in Hand
In the musical and TV special, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the Peanut gang has trouble writing a book report on “Peter Rabbit.” Lucy focuses solely on the word count, Linus gets lost in his own vocabulary, Schroeder ends up writing more about “Robin Hood,” and Charlie Brown gets so nervous, he never writes anything at all.

We can have the same mishaps when writing resumes. Like Lucy, we can meet the minimum requirements on a résumé, but we can forget to market and sell ourselves as the best candidate for the job. We may be the most qualified person, but can end up like Linus and fill our resume with jargon and technical words recruiters might not understand. It’s easy to ramble like Schroeder about what you’ve done for previous employers, but stick to the experience that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for. If you see a job opening for a position you want, customize your resume before applying to present your abilities in the best light for the position. Don’t wait and get panicked like Charlie Brown.

It’s a Group Affair
In “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Charlie Brown finds a small, almost broken Christmas tree to use in his nativity play. Depressed by the commercialization of the holiday, he gives up on the holiday until his friends show up to decorate the small tree together, which revitalizes Charlie’s Christmas spirit.

Just like Charlie needed his friends to decorate the tree to revive his passion, we should be open and welcoming of others to help us with our job search. Have old contacts or mentors review your updated résumé, practice interviewing, and talk about any job leads. There are several people in your life who want to help, you just have to ask.

It’s amazing how Charlie Brown can give us insights as kids and adults. What are some lessons you’ve learned from Charlie Brown and the Peanut gallery?

Career Options Current Affairs The Job Search

Doctor Who’s Guide to Job Searching Across Space and Time

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Allons-y and Geronimo job seekers! If you’re not familiar with Doctor Who, it’s the longest-running science-fiction TV program of all time. With nearly 800 episodes, the show has been on British television since 1963. The story is about The Doctor, an eccentric alien who befriends companions from Earth to travel across space and time in his time machine, the TARDIS.

While Doctor Who is a family program teaching viewers to better understand each other through knowledge and compassion, there are several correlations to the job market that The Doctor can teach you as well. Here are some lessons you can learn from the Doctor’s adventures that you can use to help your job search, no matter where or when you are.

Do What You Can With What You Have
Most of the time, The Doctor is able to protect the universe and beat the bad guys with his intellect, sonic screwdriver, and trusty time machine. But, the doctor will often have to figure out ways of saving the day without his handy, dandy gadgets. In one episode, the TARDIS gets trapped in the time vortex by an unknown alien force with one of The Doctor’s companions still trapped inside while the doctor is stuck in modern-day England. To find the alien threat, The Doctor has to fit in as an ordinary human and build a tracking device out of lampshades, paddle oars, and shopping carts in his room. You can get an idea of what the Doctor has to do without being discovered by the alien threat in the video below.

Please note, the video clips herein and their sponsors do not necessarily represent the views of Express and are used for educational purposes only.

Just like how The Doctor has to take the junk he finds and play like a human to save people, you as a job seeker should be as adaptable. If you find dead ends in your job search, you may have to consider alternatives like freelancing, going back to school for special training, or look into staffing agencies. Sometimes a job in another area can lead to something much more desirable.

Finding a Job is Like a Big Ball of Wibbley Wobbely, Timey Wimey… Stuff
The story in the Doctor Who episode “Blink” folds upon itself and doesn’t follow a strict line of progression. It correlates to the way The Doctor sees time. In the episode, he is trapped in 1969 and needs help from two characters in 2007 through a DVD recording and explains this theory in a way only The Doctor can explain.

Since The Doctor sees time as a giant ball of wibbley wobbely, timey wimey stuff, job seekers should treat their search in the same way. Job seeking isn’t just about handing a résumé to a recruiter, manager, or decision maker, then get the interview, then get the job offer. Opportunities to find a job can be found in unconventional places. Making a good impression at a job fair could lead to an unexpected opportunity later in life, providing content on LinkedIn could catch the eye of someone who could offer work, or being active in a hobby or activity could lead you to working in that industry. There are opportunities out there, we just might not know when or how they appear.

Regenerate When you Need to, Like a Time Lord
One of The Doctor’s most famous abilities is to regenerate his physical form when he’s about to die. When he changes, he still keeps all of his memories, motives, and skills, but his looks, personality, and attitude change. This puts The Doctor in new situations, planets, and interactions with different allies.

Just like The Doctor changes during his adventures, as a job seeker, you should too. You should be the same person with the same talents, motivations, and soft skills, but you should adapt your message, résumé, and cover letter to highlight your specific skills that fit the job description you’re applying for. Sending the same stock application to every job posting will get much fewer results than customizing your work to match the needs of each job and employer.

No matter where you are in your job search, you can always use a little push by learning from The Doctor. If he can chase his dreams across time and space, you can achieve your job searching goals.

Social Media The Job Search

Like, Mention, and Friend Request Your Way to a New Job Through Facebook

By Jared Cole on Friday, May 25, 2012

Facebook just recorded 901 million active monthly users at the end of March. Needless to say, it’s a big deal. Odds are you are one of the millions of users checking their account every day to see what’s going on in the life of friends, loved ones, family, and celebrities.

What’s great about Facebook is you can use this vast market of people and organizations to help in your job search. Best part of all, you’re probably already using Facebook in your normal daily routine. With a few simple steps, you can use this common digital past time to help find a job.

Clean it up
It’s becoming more routine for employers to search candidates’ social media profiles to influence their hiring decisions. Consider cleaning up your profile to make sure it reflects a professional image of you by removing photos or status updates that could reflect poorly, and untag yourself from images you wouldn’t want potential employers to see. If you really must have those photos and memories on your profile, make sure you set them to private so only trusted friends can see the content.

Make sure your future updates are in a professional manner when looking for a job. Be especially mindful when updating after an interview. An employer may be taking special interest in what you say after talking with you.

Implement Interaction
One of the most important tactics in a job search is networking. Facebook can help you stay connected with people from all over the world. It’s time to take advantage of that. For example, post an update to your friends to ask if they’ve heard of any job openings you’re qualified for, or at least asking if they know anyone who does. Provide them links to your online résumé, LinkedIn profile, professional blog, or website.

You can also use Facebook to interact with companies and organizations you want to work for. They are always looking for more interaction from their customers on social media, and if you can get on their social media radar, the better the chance they’ll notice your résumé. Commenting on status updates and sharing their links are great ways of interacting with potential employers. It also opens doors for you to ask about employment opportunities.

Facebook’s App Attack
Apps on Facebook are more than just Farmville and Socialcam. They can be used specifically to help you build a professional network and find a job. One example is BranchOut, which allows you to build a professional profile on Facebook, network with more than 400 million professional profiles, and search more than three million job and 20,000 internship postings. You can also connect with Monster.com’s BeKnown mobile app on Facebook. Marketplace also has a jobs section that allows you to connect directly with recruiters.

Another option to consider is placing a Facebook ad. Some job seekers have found success using them, but they do cost money, and Facebook ads have been losing effectiveness since they launched. Do your research and see if it could be a viable option for you.

If you’re already on Facebook, go ahead and use it as a powerful tool to grow your network and connect with potential employers. What success stories do you have using Facebook to find a job?

Networking The Job Search

How to Stretch Your Deflated Network

By Jared Cole on Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Many job seekers have or are facing long-term unemployment. One of the side effects of going long bouts without work is called “shrinking world syndrome,” in which job seekers fall into repeated patterns of inefficiency. It becomes harder and harder to break out of a rut as the world feels like it shrinks.

If you feel like your professional world is shrinking, you may feel increasingly helpless when trying to connect and grow your network. You could be struggling with ideas on how to utilize the small network that you still have. Here are some ways you can take advantage of your smaller network to regrow a shrinking professional world.

Sometimes, Weak Ties are the Best Ties
Nearly 30 years ago, a study by Johns Hopkins University showed that the best leads for job opportunities are more likely to come from more distant colleagues and friends as opposed to the closest ones. This isn’t because your close friends don’t give good recommendations, but because they are more likely to know about the same job openings, while the job openings known to more distant colleagues- those with whom you don’t interact very often- are not as likely to be known to your own friends.

The Hopkins University conclusion of opportunities coming from distant connections remains true today. A recent academic study shows venture capital firms concentrated in the traditional tech centers do better than other firms primarily because they “cast a wide, public net,” harvesting the results of their weak ties. Consider reconnecting with those old contacts you haven’t talked to in a while. They may have leads for you that your current network doesn’t.

Get Out of the House
Another step to take is to get out of the house. At least once a week, make a commitment to get out of the house and around other human beings, in person and face-to-face. It doesn’t have to be a huge networking meeting, but that can be one of the possibilities. It can also be doing something you enjoy, or meeting one-on-one with an old friend for coffee. Volunteering at local charities works great as well.

The main thing is to start an interaction at some level. Our world starts to expand when we share it with others. There are several websites to help you meet others. Meetup.com is a handy site to find like-minded people, and, depending on where you live, many groups can be related to your industry. Many LinkedIn groups also meet in person. So, check with the group organizer to see if they are organizing anything. Group members often post events on LinkedIn, so look for ones that interest you as well.

Modern job searching is about making quality connections. Embrace getting to know others, and your network will get bigger. Sometimes meeting just one person can change your job search, but that can only happen if you make the effort to get out of the house. What are some ways you’ve made the most out of your network?