Are you looking for a job?
You've come to the right place! Need info about resumes, social networking,
interviewing and career planning?
Let's get started!
Open your toolbox now!
Job searching tips from the trenches – how to get the job you want
Today, I am happy to share a guest post by Teresa Basich, who has just joined Radian6 as the company’s Content Marketing Manager. Teresa writes a terrific blog, Writing On Purpose and is on Twitter @transitionaltee.
Job searching. It’s daunting these days, isn’t it? With talk of mile-high unemployment rates and the scarcity of jobs lurking around every media corner, it can be easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of having to look for your next big break. When I began my job search in January of 2009, I was up against more than just a bad economy and scary news stories; I was hoping to make a slight career change and find my new gig 2,000 miles away from my current city of residence.
Despite the odds, I was offered an incredible role that will allow me to finally do what I love and move across the country, too. If you need proof the old ways of finding a job don’t work anymore, my story is that proof. And if you need some ideas for how to get started on the road to a job you truly love, start here.
3 Dos and 1 Big Don’t to Help You Get the Role You Want
Strategically network. Don’t just throw yourself into every networking event you can fit into your calendar; seek out industry- and organization-specific events that you know people you’re interested in connecting with will attend. Because I’m a bit of an introvert, I joined online social networks and made a point to connect with professionals I respected who worked for companies doing great things. And when I felt comfortable, I took those relationships offline. Bottom line: spend your networking energy making connections that count.
Invest in your résumé. Remember, your résumé is your first impression and one shot. And not only will a well-crafted résumé make a fantastic impression on potential employers, if it’s at its best, it’ll remind you how great a professional catch you really are. I “met” Miriam of Keppie Careers via Twitter and decided to enlist her services after finding the resources and advice she tweeted incredibly helpful. Miriam and I worked together to revamp my résumé, so I was able to take ownership of the document while she taught me how to reflect on my experience in ways that highlighted what I’d accomplished in my career.
Show what you know. Your path to success lies in the knowledge you hold, but that knowledge will get you nowhere if you don’t demonstrate it. There are plenty of opportunities outside of formal interviews in which you can show your smarts, including informational interviews, online forums, professional meet-ups and volunteering. Not only did I engage in conversations about marketing and social media on Twitter, I created a blog and maintained it regularly to demonstrate my writing skills and inspire engaging conversation.
Don’t wait. One of the biggest mistakes people make in their professional career is waiting until they need a network to build it. It is so easy to get comfortable with your job and put off attending professional events and joining business organizations, but if you do the work now, you’ll make incredible connections while continuing to learn about your field outside the bubble of your organization. And, if the time comes for you to tap into your network for help, it’ll be ready and waiting. I made the unfortunate mistake of waiting until I lost my job to build my network, but now that I’ve experienced the power of my connections firsthand, I don’t plan on letting that network dissipate.
There is no one standard way to successfully navigate a job search, but having a few tips in your pocket from someone whose “been there” can help. Although these sound like basic action steps, it’s surprising how many job seekers stubbornly avoid them. Connect with people, put time and effort into your résumé so it reflects what you’ve done and take those opportunities that give you a chance to show off your smarts. Good luck out there!
—
If your job hunt is stalled, I can help! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching? If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.
Did you miss these?
- In-person networking tips and free ebook offer! If you've been spending a lot of time networking online,...
- Holiday networking tips and advice Some additional thoughts about job seeking for the holidays and...
- Job search planning – steps, tips and tricks I'm declaring this "Plan Your Job Hunt" week on Keppie...
- Four tips for effective networking follow-up for the holidays and the rest of the year Networking is great. Meeting a lot of new people is...
- Heat Up Your Job Search: At a Crossroads? 10 Tips to Get Your Job Hunt on the Right Track Photo by Alan by the Sea Used by permission....
Receive Keppie Careers' blog updates by email.
Great point about networking. Networking is so important but when people hear you need to network, network, network they then just throw themselves into any and all network opportunities which doesn’t make much sense. This can be overwhelming and burn you out. Make sure to be selective so that you can get the most out of the network or event. Good article I bookmarked it for others to find.
Tom – Thanks very much! Targeted networking is great, but I believe that it is important to expand and seek networking options in new environments (online and in person) as well. Within reason, of course!
Miriam –
I think Tom echoes my sentiment that it’s important to target if all you’re doing is throwing yourself into every event you find. That kind of activity can lead to burn-out, especially for those of us who are introverted. Your point about expanding your networking options is very important, though — the key is remembering not to overwhelm yourself.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share some of my own tips and tricks for job searching! As I stated in the post, no one job search is like another, but hearing success stories can be helpful in figuring out which tactics work best for you.
Teresa Basich´s last blog ..No Excuses
Thanks for the tips! I think in times like these so many are looking for work, it is important to be as knowledgeable as prepared as one can be. Thanks.:)
Chris´s last blog ..Bridgestone Motorcycle Tires
[...] interested in other takes on landing a job, I’d encourage you to check out the posts from Teresa Basich and Lisa Hoffmann, both of whom have recently started new jobs in social [...]