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3 Ways to Improve Your Job Search

By Movin On' Up on Friday, May 10, 2013

If you’ve been looking for a job for a while but haven’t found one yet, you might feel frustrated and defeated. But don’t give up hope. Even if you feel like jobs are harder to find and employers are pickier than ever, you can put yourself ahead of the competition by focusing on your job search. You have the power to take control of your job search, so start by using these three tips.

Develop a Strategy
Before you apply for another job, sit down and think about the outcome you want from your job search by determining what type of position you want, what your qualifications are, and what industry you want to work in. This will help you focus your search on the jobs you really want and are qualified for. When you discover a position that you want to apply for, give it your all. If you can’t give 100% to all the jobs you’re curious about, evaluate the job descriptions and see which ones match your goals best. If it doesn’t match your goals, move on to another opportunity. Don’t waste your time applying for a job you don’t want. Instead, put your efforts toward the job you really want. Affirm to yourself that you truly want the job, and give your résumé, cover letter, and interview preparation the time and attention each new job opportunity deserves.

Think Beyond Your Usual Job
If you’re out of work and need to find employment quickly or are having a hard time entering your field of choice, consider part-time positions, internships, or tempor-ary employment through your local staffing agency. These positions can help you get your foot in the door and provide valuable experience that you can use elsewhere. These situations also have the potential to turn into full-time jobs, which can be just the break you’ve been looking for.

Visit a Career Coach
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a career coach who can provide you with an honest, unbiased opinion and give you guidance to improve your job search. They can help pinpoint what’s been holding you back and give you the boost of confidence you need. If you don’t seek outside help, you might not realize you’re leaving off an important qualification from your résumé or saying the wrong things in an interview. Coaches can identify what employers are looking for and help you update your résumé and cover letter, as well as help you practice your interview techniques.

Making a few changes to your job search can give you hope, new leads, and potentially a job offer. So, if you’re still struggling to find the right opportunity, improve your job search by using these techniques. You might just find a better job opportunity than you imagined.

Social Media The Job Search

I Know What You Tweeted Last Summer, Can Social Media Harm Your Job Search?

By Jared Cole on Friday, January 20, 2012

Social media has become an amazing tool millions of people use every day to meet, connect, and stay in touch with each other all over the world. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ help their users express themselves and meet like-minded individuals to share their thoughts and passions to build communities like never before.

They are also tools for potential employers to get a better picture of who you are outside of the interview or résumé. According to a recent survey conducted by the recruiting and applicant tracking software company Jobvite, 90% of employers will refer to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin before making a hire. Many employers feel that whatever you do in your normal social life will reflect in your work life. With the newest Facebook Timeline feature, it will be even easier for companies to see posts from your crazy college days, outbursts from teenage angst, or outrageous decisions as a young adult from two or three years ago. Here are some ways social media may keep you from getting hired and how to avoid it.

Trash Talkin’

Any vicious or ill-tempered comments you make on your social media sites can make you look bad. These are reflections on you as a person outside of the job interview where you are actively trying to put your best foot forward and impress.

One of the most famous examples of this is the “Cisco Fatty” incident in 2009. Job seeker, Connor Riley was offered a position with consumer electronics company Cisco. Later that day, Riley posted the on her Twitter account:

“Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

Soon, a manager at Cisco found the tweet in a search and responded:

“Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.”

Needless to say, her job offer was soon withdrawn. Be careful when posting your thoughts and opinions online no matter what frame of mind you’re in at the time. You never know who is reading it. A safe bet is if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.

Picture Postin’

Pictures are great ways to highlight the best memories from your past. They can also be proof of some of the most unprofessional and embarrassing moments in your life. What you do in your free time reflects the kind of person you are. Potential employers will not see you as a reliable, serious candidate if your profiles are littered with party and prank photos. You might also want to avoid showcasing your record number of tattoos or piercings if looking for a job with a lot of face-to-face and direct business meetings.

Go Googlin’

Have you ever typed your name into Google and searched yourself? What do you think you’ll find? You should search your name regularly during your job hunt to see what pops up. If you want to use your profiles for silly pictures and rants, set your profiles to private. It won’t keep everything from those looking for you, it will help. If you want your name to appear more professional, sign up for several other professional social networking sites like Ziggs, Ecademy, or Networking for Professionals, The more your name is out there producing positive content, the more good things will show up on Google.

Some employers really do use online profiles to help make hiring decisions. Online image company Reppler reports almost 65% of employers say they have passed on prospective hires after taking a look at their social profiles. What have you done to help boost your professional image online?

At Work Job Interviews New Job Tips Resumes and Cover Letters The Daily Grind The Job Search

Have You Googled Your Name Lately?

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Do you ever wonder how much information about you is floating around in cyber space? If you haven’t ever searched your name online, you should try it just for fun. It’s important to be aware of what information others can access about you because when you apply for a job, an employer is likely to go online to research more about you. Gone are the days when an employer would only look at your résumé.

The web has become a medium for personal branding. It helps others connect to information that tells who you are and what you do. It’s important that positive results show up in a search about you. If no search results show up about you, it’s time for you to generate some results yourself. When it comes to online branding, you have to take some matters into your own hands. Here are a few tips to help you create your own positive online brand for yourself.

Choose your name. If you have a common name, it’s important to decide how you want to format it. For instance, Tom Z. White will show up better in a web search than just Tom White, simply because adding an initial or your middle name will differentiate you. As you begin to brand yourself, see how your name stacks up by trying an online identity calculator. Also, when you decide on what name you are going to use, be sure to stay consistent and use it with all your online branding and even on hard copies of items like your résumé, cover letter, and business cards. The name an employer sees on your résumé is the name they will search online. So it’s important that your information is consistent and matches up.

Create professional social media profiles for yourself. For example, LinkedIn is one of the popular social media sites for listing information about your work experiences, interests, and education. You can upload your résumé, include details about your work history, and showcase recommendations others have made about you. It also allows you to make networking connections with others. Just be sure you’re aware of what your personal social media sites reveal about you because they may show up in a web search about you, too. A few other great sites like Brazen Careerist, Plaxo, and Friendfeed can also help you build your network and visibility.

Create a professional blog. A professional interest blog allows you to write about and share information on topics that interest you and pertain to your career. To maximize your results with this tool, be sure to focus on professional subjects and always include your name on it, so when you post information search engines like Google can recognize that it was created by you. As you post more content, the ranking of your blog will rank higher in search results. Find out more about creating a blog.

Write for other blogs. With an abundance of blogs available to choose from today, many blogs and news sites are looking for additional content writers. If you don’t want to create your own blog, you can still write for someone else and include your name in it. This is also a great way to help your name get recognized in search results. So, start finding blogs that interest you and begin building relationships with those blog writers.

Comment on blogs. Using your full name when you leave comments on others’ blogs will also allow you to show up in search results. You can leave thoughtful, professional comments on subject-matter blogs in your field of interest. This is a simple way to build your online presence, especially if you use a unique name when you post comments.

Create an online résumé. This is like your traditional résumé, except it’s kicked up a notch. An online version allows you to incorporate multimedia elements such as podcasts, videos, photos, and social media sites. It can also let you showcase a portfolio of your best work. Having an online résumé shows an employer that you go above and beyond. And because it’s housed online, you never know who could find it and offer you the next big job. Get more information on creating an online résumé.

These are some basic tips to help you create an online identity for yourself and get noticed more in search results. As businesses continue to evolve and our society becomes more technologically savvy, having a résumé isn’t always enough. You have to evolve with the times too, and following these tips can help you do just that.

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