This is a big mistake. Before you apply for any position, keep the following items in mind so youâ€ll be sure to provide employers with the information they need to decide if youâ€re a good fit.

Are You Qualified for the Job?

The easiest way to answer this question is to study the job description and to directly address the employerâ€s needs. Do not create a resume and other marketing documents without first identifying the most important connections between you and the job. Donâ€t assume hiring managers will give you credit for skills you donâ€t list. Include details and specifics about accomplishments and results. Donâ€t just say you have leadership skills. Include something that resulted from your leadership. For example: “Used leadership and management skills to reorganize team, resulting in 15% increase in productivity.”

Do You Demonstrate Good Judgment?

No matter what job you land, you will represent the organization where you work. Employers want to select candidates who are least likely to do anything embarrassing. When one ill-conceived tweet or Facebook post can make the national news, itâ€s not surprising that employers want to know that you have good common sense. One way to illustrate youâ€re a good fit is to maintain professional streams of information in your social media profiles. If an employer can review your Twitter feed without any concerns, youâ€re a step ahead of competition.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

How Well Do You Get Along with Others?

Whether youâ€ll be working with a team, or connecting with clients and customers, most jobs require working with people. Hiring managers want to know you have strong communication skills and arenâ€t prone to too much drama. Donâ€t cause an employer to think otherwise during the application stage by sharing unnecessary personal information or by volunteering details about past bosses or colleagues you didnâ€t like.

Are You Interested in the Job?

If youâ€re applying for your dream job, make sure the employer understands why you are well qualified and grasps your passion for the position. While itâ€s great to hire someone who is a good fit, itâ€s even better (from the employerâ€s perspective) to find someone with the skills and a strong interest in the organization and its work. This is especially true for non-profit organizations, where you may have a personal interest in the mission. However, you can also demonstrate a passion about a for-profit company. For example, if youâ€ve always loved shopping in a particular store because of the customer service you receive there, and thereâ€s a job opportunity that is a good fit for your skills, donâ€t hesitate to include a few details about your connection to the company when you apply.

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Is it time to think about your next career move? Perhaps you’ll want to add to your 

 of skills before you seek your next job. Lucky for you, resolving to add some professional development to your schedule doesnâ€t mean you need to factor in extra commuting time to take a class, adjust your schedule or add a new line item in your budget. There are many free educational content providers out there, from Duolingo to Coursera to Codecademy. If youâ€re motivated, you can download content to your phone, and learn for 20 minutes during your commute, on the treadmill or 

Choose one of these four career-driven goals:

1. Learn a new language. In 2010, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said only 18 percent of Americans claim to speak a language other than English. When you can add a new language to your résumé, you demonstrate initiative and cultural competence, and you distinguish yourself from other candidates.

• Duolingo (Duolingo.com): Choose one of nine European languages, and learn for free from this crowdsourced platform.

•  Chinese for Beginners (Coursera.org): Want to learn a non-European language? Try this on-demand course from Peking University. The instructor teaches the language phonetically, so users can easily master daily expressions and basic conversations.

2. Brush up on your business and marketing skills. In a 2014 joint study by Duke University and RTI International, 73 percent of employers said they would appreciate job candidates who completed an applicable Massive Open Online Course, otherwise known as MOOC. Impress your future employer by taking initiative to learn the basics of business finance, content marketing or even entrepreneurship.

•  Introduction to Finance (Coursera.org): This course from University of Michigan will teach the frameworks and tools to measure value. It will help you be a better decision maker in both your personal life and in your business.

•  Content Strategy for Professionals (Coursera.org): Want to learn to develop better content to engage audiences? Or do you want to brush up on your current skill set and virtually meet other content professionals? This free course from Northwestern University will help you improve the written, graphic and video content you produce.

3. Learn to code. Hereâ€s a New Yearâ€s resolution for the aspiring techies out there. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 200,000 job openings for software developers between 2012 and 2022. The median salary for these professionals? $96,660. If you were ever considering becoming a developer, now is the time to act.

•  Codecademy (Codecademy.com): This free site teaches coding classes in six programming languages, including Python, PHP, jQuery, Javascript and Ruby. Learn the basics of coding, or brush up on your skills before an interview.

•  Programming for Everybody (Coursera.org): If you prefer to take courses from official universities, try this offering from the University of Michigan. It has no prerequisites and “avoids all but the simplest mathematics,” meaning it should be easy for anyone with basic computer skills.

4. Become a Data Scientist. Data science is quickly becoming a high-demand field. A 2011 McKinsey Global Institute report estimates that by 2018, “the United States alone could face a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills as well as 1.5 million managers and analysts with the know-how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions.” This is the perfect time to start building data science skills.

•  Data Science (Coursera.org): This “specialization,” or group of courses from Johns Hopkins University, offers users the chance to learn the basics of data science, including R Programming, data analysis, research, regression models and even machine learning. Take all these courses to get a solid foundation, or try out just one to learn a specific skill. The courses are offered for free, or you can get a certificate verifying your identity starting at $29 per course.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

•  Intro to Data Science (Udacity.com): This series of lectures and instructional material, taught by a data scientist at Airbnb, also teaches the basics of the field. You can watch instructor videos for free or enroll in the course for $199 per month to get coaching and project experience.

Appeared on U.S. News & World Report.

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You’ve heard that networking is the key to landing a new job, but you don’t have any time to attend events or hob nob with people who may be able to influence your job opportunities. Is there hope for you?

There is, if you’re willing to take a few key steps to manage your career. If you continue on your current path, you may eventually luck into a new opportunity. However, finding a new job that fits your best-case scenario isn’t likely if you don’t make a concerted effort.

How can you find a new job when you’re so busy keeping up with the odd hours or inconvenient oddities of the job you have?

Make a plan

You’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t know where you are going. Having a general idea that you’d like “better hours” or a “different” job is a first step, but it’s not specific enough to help you make a change. Write down exactly what type of job you want. Include target companies, hours you’d like to work and what you want to do. Don’t be afraid to be very specific. Once you specify your goals, it is much easier to reach them.

Research people

Even if you work odd hours, you can turn to Google or LinkedIn at any time of the day or night to research people who work in places where you want a job. If you’re already using LinkedIn, see if the company has a page there and determine if you have any contacts that connect you to people who work there. Look in LinkedIn’s advanced search to find possible contacts, and investigate the “Education” section to see if you should connect with fellow alumni. Don’t forget to check out Groups. This is a great place to meet new people, and your odd schedule doesn’t prevent you from connecting with new people who may be able to refer you to job opportunities.

Expand your network on your own time frame

One thing a lot of people don’t realize: even if you can’t meet people in person, when you connect online and share information and resources, you can win friends who may open their networks to you and help connect you with opportunities. No matter what type of work you do, there is likely to be a community online of people who can help you along the way.

For some professions, it’s most obvious to turn to LinkedIn’s groups to connect, but what if your profession doesn’t have an obvious professional arena? Look for interest groups unrelated to work. Do you have a hobby or interests that could help you connect with people you don’t know online? Search Facebook or Google+ for an interest group. Maybe you like to cook or are passionate about ultimate Frisbee. Even if you can’t participate with in-person groups, you can still extend your network. Look on Twitter to see if there is a chat about something you like to do. Even if you can’t attend a Twitter chat “live,” you can still connect with the people who participate and get to know them online.

Network everywhere

The best networkers look for opportunities to meet new people wherever they go. In the grocery store at 2 a.m? You probably have something in common with the person in the line behind you. At the gym in the wee hours of the morning? Say hello to people working out beside you. You never know how a smile and a hello can influence your future.

Don’t ask for a job

Even if your primary purpose for using social media may be to increase your network for job opportunities, avoid telling people you’re looking for a job when you first meet them. Even though you’ve heard you should let everyone you meet know you are looking for work, it’s better to get to know people first and share your professional goals later. If you play your cards right, you could be quitting that job before you know it.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com.

 

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For job seekers, this can be a great opportunity to incorporate a video cover letter as a bonus to their application. If your target employer prompts you to include a video aspect to your application, consider the following tips from Vitale to create a job-winning video cover letter.

1. Do your research. As a job seeker, itâ€s up to you to assess your audience and target all of your materials to appeal to the employer. “Job seekers must find out what the employer wants and how they think,” Vitale says, adding that she believes the best way to do this is to research the company and identify what makes it tick. Items to consider: the companyâ€s value proposition (what it offers) and its mission statement. Donâ€t forget to review the company’s press kits if they’re shared online; they can provide a lot of insightful information. Read everything you can about the organization and the people in the department where youâ€d like to work. Tap LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to access information other candidates may not bother to find.

2. Expand your channels. If you really want to be creative and targeted, include on-screen text and other types of visual imagery that add more depth and meaning to your video. “Using information uncovered via research, job seekers can tap into a particular need the employer may have and apply this knowledge to create the right style video for the job,” Vitale says. “Understanding the companyâ€s tone in its communication materials will help job seekers speak in a similar voice when recording video cover letter.”

3. Learn from others. You donâ€t need to reinvent the wheel. Get ideas from what other people have done and make them your own. According to Vitale, YouTube can be a great reference tool. “The site has tons of video cover letters to source ideas, from the super high-tech to low-tech as well as from straight-laced professional to very casual and creative.” Keep in mind thereâ€s no right or wrong way to create your video, but you do want to be sure to create it in the style and content most applicable to the organization where you are applying.

4. Practice makes perfect. Donâ€t plan to create your video in one sitting. You want to be sure to appear confident, natural and relaxed, and that takes practice. “The goal of video technology is to allow the job seeker to clearly and concisely state their value proposition to the employer as it relates to the specific job for which they are applying,” Vitale says. “While writing the script, reference the specific items in the job description and knowledge of the company.”

5. Be concise. There is a reason why television advertisements are generally short: most people have limited attention spans and hiring executives who are in active need of new hires are extremely busy. “Obviously, job seekers should follow any time requirements indicated by the employer who requests a video, if applicable,” Vitale says. “However, if the company doesnâ€t provide any time guidelines, it is best to keep video cover letters under two minutes. This will provide a sufficient amount of time to tell a story in a concise manner without the risk of losing the audienceâ€s attention.”

If your target employer requests you provide a video as part of your application, take these steps and use all the technology available to you (including your smartphone, desktop mounted webcam or tablet) to help you create a positive first impression. Youâ€ll stand out from the other applicants.

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report.

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Millennial Branding, a Gen-Y research and consulting firm, and InternMatch, an online platform for companies to find and hire top students, surveyed 4,150 college students and recent graduates from a diverse range of U.S. colleges and universities for their “College Career Center Study.” They found that 64 percent of students rely more on free or paid online career resources instead of their career centers to help them identify internships and jobs.

How can applicants boost their odds of landing internships? Nathan Parcells, founder and chief marketing officer of InternMatch, suggested these steps:

1. Network, network, network. Before you hit the “submit” button, build or extend a relationship with an insider at every company where you apply, especially large Fortune 500s. Experience indicates that candidates who are referred for opportunities are more likely to win the opportunity to interview for jobs.

Connect with friends, professors or family networks to see who knows someone at your company of choice. “Youâ€ll be surprised at how connected you are,” Parcells says. Another good idea is to use LinkedInâ€s “Education” tool, which allows you to view contacts who attended or graduated from your college or university.

Itâ€s a mistake to assume that someone who has something in common with you or who referred you will automatically want to make time to see you. Hopefully, sharing an alumni affiliation or mutual friend will inspire people to want to go out of their way to help you, but never assume that is the case.

A better approach? Use social media to learn more about new potential contacts. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ all provide terrific ways to connect with and get to know people you donâ€t already know. The trick is to avoid cold contacting anyone. How can you use social media to job search? Warm up your leads by getting to know people online. For example, join groups where your potential contacts participate and add to the conversation. Ask and answer questions so people will notice you and remember your name. Then, reach out with a specific inquiry.

A good reason to use social media is the pool of contacts who actively use these tools tend to be more open to networking. When people tweet up a storm or engage regularly in groups, you can assume they appreciate opportunities to network and may be more likely to agree to speak with you than someone else who does not use social media.

2. Build an easy-to-find online presence. “The materials you submit to an employer online are just a portion of what most employers use to evaluate you,” Parcells says. The vast majority of employers will use Google to evaluate applicants before requesting interview. Taking the time to build a strong online presence that illustrates your expertise will help increase your chances of landing interviews and opportunities. “A strong online profile should show some personality,” Parcells says. “It should have links to projects and work you have done to give employers more substance about you to explore.” He also suggests you use the same avatar on all of your online profiles to help maintain a consistent brand.

3. Follow up. If you really want the job, donâ€t forget to follow up after you apply. “With many employers getting thousands of applications for positions that have just a few openings, the competition is stiff,” Parcells says. “Many candidates donâ€t get selected simply because they get lost in the noise.” He suggests you follow up with a short, targeted note about 10 days after applying, unless a role has a specific application deadline, in which case you might want to wait until after that date before checking-in with employers. Express your strong interest in the position and reiterate why you are a good match based on the job description.

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report.

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Need some incentive to try out LinkedIn’s new publishing platform?

If you publish on LinkedIn, you may gain visibility with a new audience. I wrote about the reasons to try writing on LinkedIn’s platform already, but today, I’ll share my experience, and I hope you’ll let me know how the platform works out for you, too.

I published my first post on March 4th. I did it on a whim, and I believe it went live around midnight ET. I immediately started seeing page views, likes and comments on the post — mostly from European contacts! Keeping in mind the 6- or 7-hour time difference, it made sense that a lot of those people were checking their LinkedIn feeds early in the morning. I would never have calculated that result, but it certainly got my post off to a good start.

Another important point — I added a fun, colorful image — the same one I’m using in this blog. This may have had something to do with its success. I found the image on MorgueFile.com.

My title (in keeping with Employee Appreciation Day that week): Do you deserve to be appreciated at work?

Whether it was the topic that resonated with people, or the timing was exceptionally good, the post did get picked up in the careers news section, and I saw 75+ new subscribers to my newsletter in less than 24 hours! (I included a link to my list embedded in the post.)

You can see how many Tweets (64), Facebook Likes (140), G+ shares (19) and LinkedIn shares (1618) the post has had since publication. 14,116 views, 576 likes and 96 comments — not bad for a first try!

I wanted to see if lightning would strike twice, so I published again two days later. This post: How to improve your mood, did achieve 855 views, but it was not picked up on LinkedIn’s content network, Pulse, and the shares, comments and other stats are much less impressive than my first post. I published this post in the evening hours, which was a mistake, as many of my new LinkedIn “followers” were likely sleeping at that time! Was it the content, the timing, the photo, a combination? Probably a bit of each.

Considerations

It is really fun to watch the post’s stats update before your eyes. Not that I was obsessed or anything, but it seemed like every time I clicked back to my first post, it had another few hundred views and comments kept coming! I made a point to respond to most of the comments and to add my own “likes” and mentions in the comment stream. My profile views skyrocketed during the first day after the post was published, although I did not see a lot of new requests to connect, which was surprising. If I wanted to be strategic about increasing contacts, I could have asked each person who commented to connect.

Duplicate Content

A big topic of conversation is the issue of duplicating content online. If you already have a successful blog up and running, you may have heard Google does not like duplicate content. Some people even say Google will penalize you for duplicate content. This may be true, so consider it if you do plan to duplicate your content on LinkedIn. The platform does allow you to duplicate your content, so it’s up to you if you want to share it on LinkedIn. If nothing else, be sure to give the post on LinkedIn a different title from your original post.

I have noticed that some very prominent bloggers who know a lot about social media marketing ARE directly duplicating their content from their blogs to LinkedIn. Take this all under advisement, and keep an eye on Google’s recommendations.

I can tell you that my LinkedIn post ranks on Google for the topic, and the image I used even comes up in a visual search for the topic.

What’s Next?

I publish three times a week already — for U.S. News & World Report and AOLJobs, so I haven’t written for  LinkedIn’s network since that second post didn’t take off as much as I had hoped. I’ll probably spend some time researching other successful posts and consider headlines that are timely and topical before I do. The great thing is that you can easily see stats for every post on LinkedIn; it’s easy to see what resonates with the audience.

I’m sure I will publish on LinkedIn again, and I hope you do, too. Let me know how it goes!

Don’t miss my first post about LinkedIn’s publishing platform: Reasons to try writing on LinkedIn’s platform.

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Structure your project into steps

Make sure you understand exactly what you need to do and what steps you need to take to finish. Review your assignments and goals. Create a list of everything you need to do. Make sure you have a complete picture of the tasks and create a time frame for each step. Break down the project into natural segments. Prioritize the segments and think about how much time each piece will take to complete.

When you think of your goal as being comprised of many steps instead of one, huge feat, it may be much easier to motivate yourself to get started. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and you won’t accomplish a huge goal in a day, either.

Create a Deadline

Most of us will never finish a project without setting a deadline. However, make sure your deadline is realistic, or you’re only setting yourself up to be disappointed. If you know you’re planning your sister’s baby shower and have a huge project at work coming up in the same month, don’t add another deadline to your “to do” list.

On the other hand, keep in mind another time worn adage, “There’s no time like the present.” Most people have busy lives and there may never be a “perfect” time to get started on a huge task. The difference between accomplishing your goal and not is sometimes that very first step. Don’t fool yourself into believing you can never move ahead, or you will stay in one spot forever.

Tap into Your Natural Habits

If you like to check a lot of things off a list, front load your project with a lot of small steps first. Perhaps it will motivate you to include some fun or simple tasks right away. If you know you’ll feel more accomplished and motivated if you overcome a difficult hurdle early on, go for it and bask in your success once that step is finished. Recognize and allow yourself to go with your own flow and do what’s right for you.

Seek An Accountability Partner

For some, it makes sense to hire a coach to keep focused. (This is why so many people rely on fitness trainers — to keep them motivated and on track.) For others, a good friend or colleague can fill the role of accountability coach. Make sure the partner understands exactly what you are trying to do and is willing to touch base and keep you on track.

Leverage your Network

You don’t have to do this huge task alone. Look around you and see who might be able to provide some support, advice or other assistance. Whether you need information, an introduction, someone to read and critique your writing or just a new set of eyes on your project, you’re bound to have someone in your network who could help. Offer your help in return, and a partnership may be born.

Don’t Give Up

It sounds obvious, but you’ll never accomplish a goal if you give up. Stick with it and you won’t be sorry.

More advice
Easy ways to expand your network
Best employee qualities
How to make more money

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Stephen Ebbett, president of Protect Your Bubble, a lifestyle insurance brand, explains, “By federal regulations, state driver licensing organizations no longer use Social Security numbers as driver license numbers, and many companies – realizing that they’ll be liable in case of a data breach – are now less likely to ask for and store your number.” However, there’s a good chance some employers will ask you to list your Social Security number when you apply for jobs. Here are Ebbett’s tips to help you keep your number safe:

1. Don’t provide your information until it is necessary. Once an employer is ready to offer you a job, they have legitimate reasons for wanting your Social Security number, including for background screening purposes. If you’re hired, you’ll have to provide your number for tax purposes, of course. However, you can choose to keep your numbers private until you know you’re being considered for a job.

2. Make sure your connection is secure. “Only you can decide whether or not you’re comfortable sharing your number as a candidate on an online application, but if you do, make sure you’re using a secure connection (look for a padlock symbol) and that your encryption and antivirus software is up to date,” Ebbett reminds job seekers.

 Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How to Avoid Them.

3. Ask why your number is needed and how it will be stored. It’s appropriate to ask to how the company plans to use your Social Security number and to inquire about how the company stores it. “Background screening companies or medical offices you visit for a pre-employment checkup may have systems in place to protect your data, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If nothing else, it shows you’re aware of the dangers and puts the service provider on notice that you value your privacy and security,” Ebbett says.

4. Memorize your number so you don’t have to carry your card. “One of the top ways thieves gain access to Social Security numbers is by stealing wallets or purses that contain Social Security cards,” Ebbett notes. If you’re starting a new job or applying for one in person at a new company, you may have to show your card as evidence that it’s a valid number issued in your name. If so, make sure you remove your card and store it in a secure place as soon as you are done with the verification process.

5. Avoid writing your Social Security number on a form with other identifying data. An identity thief who accesses your Social Security number can find out all kinds of information about you, including where you live, your spouse’s name, what kind of car you own and much more. If you fill out a form that has a lot of identifying information PLUS your Social Security number, you’ll make it that much easier for an identity thief to capitalize on your data. “If your number is truly required, ask if you can write it on a separate piece of paper that will be destroyed later,” Ebbett suggests.

6. Address data breaches quickly. During a job hunt or any other time when you use your Social Security number, it’s a good idea to stay on the lookout for unusual credit activity. If you suspect your number has fallen into the wrong hands, consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports by calling one of the three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian). Ebbett suggests: “Prior to a job search, you may want to consider getting identity theft protection so that you’ll have a recovery plan and expert help in place before an identity theft.”

This post originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report

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How to impress hiring managers

Apply for jobs you’re qualified to do. In the 2013 CareerXRoads Source of Hire report, respondents estimated that half of all applications were unqualified. The report also cites the February 2013 Talent Board white paper, which questioned 90 firms about their job applicant pool. That paper reported an estimated 60 percent of applicants were unqualified.

Show why you’re a match for the position. Describe exactly how and why you’re a good match for the position via your resume, online profiles and other application materials. Don’t rely on your cover letter to make the case for you—weave the details directly into your resume. Job descriptions are the best sources of information about what employers want.

Be the candidate you are on paper. You can create the most amazing resume, detailing exactly why you’re the best candidate for the job, but if you cannot fluidly and succinctly talk about those experiences in the interview, you may lose the opportunity to compete for the job.

Suggest a way to solve a problem. When you win an interview, it’s because the employer believes you have the basic qualifications necessary to do the job. If you want to be irresistible, do your research in advance and identify a problem or concern the employer faces and suggest how you may be able to help solve it.

Be likable. You may be surprised to learn that some people would choose to hire a likable person over a competent person. Obviously, the best-case scenario is a candidate who is both likable and qualified, but it’s not that shocking that hiring managers often will seek a good fit—someone who will work well and mesh with the other employees on the team—as a key factor when hiring.

When you extend yourself and think of the employer’s needs, you will be much more successful landing a job.

Read the whole post on U.S. News & World Report

photo by tricky (rick harrison)

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Your first order of business is to network effectively and efficiently. Consider the following tips to make sure your networking is working:

Solidify your pitch. If you can’t tell someone what you’re good at in 15 seconds or less, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Before you do another thing, write down three skills you want people to know about you and list some matching accomplishments. Write down the answer to the question, “What do you do?” in 35 words or less. Memorize it so you will be ready to introduce yourself professionally and succinctly next time you have the chance.

Make a concerted effort to grow your network. Get out of the house and find places to practice your pitch and introduce yourself. Attend in-person events to meet new people, both at professional and social gatherings. Consider attending events without friends or family members so you’ll be more likely to meet new contacts.

Don’t ask for a job. Everyone says that you need to tell everyone you are looking for a job, but that’s not your best bet. You’ve been there: a job seeker approaches and asks for opportunities. Even if you did know of a position, you’d probably wait to pass along the information until you were sure your new contact was worthy of risking your professional reputation.

Instead of telling everyone you’re a job seeker, make a point to get to know people you meet personally and be generous with your expertise. Do not ask for a job or an opportunity; have conversations that lead to follow-up meetings so you’ll have more chances to make good impressions that do lead to referrals.

Be a good listener. You’ll be surprised by how many new contacts you will impress when you listen well. Most people tend to talk a lot when they meet someone, so when you ask a lot of questions and appear very interested (whether or not you are interested), you’ll make an impression and possibly win a new friend who may be willing to make an introduction for you.

Be helpful. It’s one thing to meet a lot of people, it’s another to focus on what you can do for the new people you meet. Especially if you’re a frustrated job seeker, it’s easy to forget that you have a lot of skills and ideas to share. You may have suggestions or ideas to help your new contacts. Think first about what you can do for other people, and you’ll be more likely to attract generous networking contacts to you.

One way to be helpful is to investigate local professional organizations and learn about opportunities to get involved with their leaders. These groups are always looking for skilled volunteers, and they’ll welcome you with open arms. Be generous with your time and it will be a win-win: they’ll get help with work they need done and you’ll use your professional skills to impress more people who will be willing to help you in return.

Follow up. How many times have you met potential contacts who may help you, but you avoided requesting a meeting because it was awkward to ask? Every time you let a new networking contact vanish into the ether, you lose opportunities you’ll never know about.

How can you avoid this? Have in-depth conversations when you meet new people. For example, ask about their summer vacation or holiday plans, find out about their hobbies and talk about their favorite sports teams. Then, you’ll have good reasons to keep in touch by sending an article that may interest them or congratulating them on their team’s big win. When you create reasons to keep in touch, it’s less awkward to ask for an in-person meeting.

Get referred. All of this networking has a great potential payoff. CareerXroads, a consulting practice, conducts annual studies about how organizations source and hire employees. Their most recent study showed that nearly half of all companies make at least 1 hire for every 5 referrals they get. If you’re not putting yourself in positions to be referred, you could miss out on this key job search strategy.

There are more ways to overcome a rut and get back into the swing of a successful job search. Stay tuned for more tips.

photo by jimmywayne

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