Still looking for that job? Are you making these time wasting job-seeker mistakes?

Social media is great for crowd sourcing information. Hannah Morgan (@CareerSherpa) and I are lucky to have an amazing network of friends and colleagues from the career coaching, recruiting and careers industries. We hope you will check out their other advice we are showcasing in honor of our upcoming eBook, You Need a Job: 5 Steps to Get One.

This is part two of two posts I published this weekend with great information from our colleagues — and Hannah has two unique posts filled with more information planned this weekend as well. I told you our colleagues had plenty to share about the subject!  Be sure to check out Hannah’s post today.

We hope you will learn something new from these responses to the question: What mistakes do job seekers make?

Passive job seekers

No job seeker can afford to sit back and hope for the best. If you are not driving your own career bus, who is driving it?

Job seekers engage in passive searches that put way too much emphasis on resumes, cover letters and job boards. ~ Walter Akana, Threshold Consulting

Online Info

Both Hannah and I are big proponents of using social media and online tools.  Are you giving enough thought to your online presence when it comes to job search?

Some job seekers are still failing to clean up their online presence — most recruiters and hiring managers will do an online search on each job candidate. ~ Heather Huhman, Come Recommended

Create a personal alias and a professional profile online. Use separate emails for both. You’ll be glad you did when it’s time for a background check. ~ Jim Stroud

Learn new things

One thing that is a guarantee for job seekers – the job market, types of positions and the skills you need will continue to change and evolve. Are you keeping up?

The job seeker doesn’t take the time to learn new skills (e.g., social media) that could add to marketability while expanding their resources. ~ Walter Akana, Threshold Consulting

Applying, resumes and interviewing

It is amazing how much there is to do and think about before you are ready to think about your resume, job search materials and interview skills! Some tips from our colleagues:

Job seekers are in a hurry and rush through writing their resume or having their resume written, which ultimately costs them more time (and money) because they chose speed over quality. ~ Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Career Trend

Chris Havrilla, Havrilla, LLC, points out these job seeker errors:

• Not taking control of your resume (don’t be generic, treat like a business proposal – one size does not fit all) or interview process (making sure Recruiter/Interviewer walks away from the interview with the information they need – not just the answers to the questions they ask).
• Applying for a job for which you are not qualified or for which you cannot add value.
• Not interviewing the company – just letting them interview you.

Too often, job seekers stay within what feels like a safe zone for their cover letter and other application materials. Remember that doing something unique and outside the box will help you stand out! ~ Alexis Grant

Follow up

You applied, so now itâ€s time to wait and see? Not if you actually want the job! Follow up is important!

Applying online only, not following up with company, recruiter or hiring manager directly. ~ Chris Havrilla, Havrilla, LLC

The process of applying online and waiting for a call does not work well in this job market. You have to proactively contact people in the organization. A personal connection goes a lot farther than a piece of data coming over the internet. ~ Harry Urschel, e-Executives

Other Tips

Thereâ€s so much more advice! (There is a lot to say — our eBook has 29 chapters packed full of it!) Here are some additional, useful tips from our colleagues we didnâ€t want you to miss:

Job seekers spend far too much time listening the media and the ‘doom and gloom’ brigade. In fact, job seekers don’t screw up enough. Resumes, networking and interviewing all improve by making MORE mistakes, not less. ~ Sital Ruparelia

Job seekers frequently focus on the “one” thing they canâ€t do (some new technology) or donâ€t have (degree) or canâ€t control (age), using that one factor as a roadblock to a search. They forget the 1027 things they can do and what value they do bring. ~ Dawn Bugni, The Write Solution

Do any of these answers make you squirm? Maybe you are the job seeker who isnâ€t quite as prepared as you should be? Maybe your resume isnâ€t quite right, or you arenâ€t following up? Our ebook, You Need a Job: 5 Steps to Get One, which we are so excited about launching TOMORROW, Monday, June 11^th, will give you specific advice and information about how to address most of these and many other concerns that prevent job seekers from landing opportunities.

Itâ€s 29 chapters of “how to doâ€s” for job seekers who want to stop looking and start working in their new opportunities. Stay tuned – for those who buy the eBook first, we are offering some free bonuses. Keep your eye here tomorrow for details.

If you want to read more ideas, don’t miss yesterday’s post about what not to do when you are looking for a job.

Update: the ebook is available. If you want to learn how to find a job, learn more here.

photo by Alan Cleaver

The post What mistakes do job seekers make? Part 2 appeared first on Keppie Careers.

One of the best things about being involved and engaged via social media is the opportunity to meet and get to know so many colleagues online. When we were planning out how to launch our eBook, You Need a Job, 5 Steps to Get One, Hannah Morgan (@careersherpa) and I brainstormed about ways to share useful information for readers, and we both knew we wanted to tap into the brain trust in our extended social networks.

Many of these people, we have met in person, or have spoken to on the phone. Others we know only online, but weâ€re both thrilled and proud all of them agreed to share a tip (or two!) in response to the question: What mistakes do job seekers make?

(This is part one of two posts I have on tap this weekend with great information from our colleagues — and Hannah has two unique posts filled with more information planned for the weekend as well. – I told you our colleagues had plenty to share about the subject!) Be sure to check out Hannah’s post today.

 Getting started: strategy and planning (for everything)

Itâ€s so important to start off on the right foot. Many of our colleagues agree that strategy and being organized is key to job-search success:

Job seekers execute their job search without a strategy; they shoot, then aim, and unfortunately, this almost always results in a miss. ~ Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Career Trend.

Job seekers miss 30% of the opportunities because they’re simply disorganized and fail to track and follow up every single lead and application ~ Sital Ruparelia

Many jobseekers do not take time to record a personalized voice mail greeting or create one that is appropriate to a job search. They frequently fail to coach their references on their job search goals or what points to make if theyâ€re called. They do not provide their references with a current resume, and worst of all, some do not even notify the individual they are being used as a reference.  ~ Dawn Bugni, The Write Solution

Clarity about search, identifying a unique value proposition and researching

Once you have a strategy, itâ€s crucial to have clarity and to understand your unique value proposition. Donâ€t forget that researching your target organizations will help you stand out from a crowd.

Job seekers often lack a clear statement of value and the stories that can illustrate (and back up) what they can do. ~ Walter Akana, Threshold Consulting

Many job seekers fail to market themselves — they must know their own strengths, weaknesses, skills, and unique selling points. No one is going to land a job for you! ~ Heather Huhman, Come Recommended 

Job seekers should consider conducting a people search, rather than a job search. By identifying target companies, and influencers within those companies, and then aiming to get meetings with them before a job opens, they will position themselves as the “known candidate” and will be tapped for an opportunity FIRST when a position does open up. ~ Laura Labovich, Aspire! Empower!

Not knowing what the market rate is for the position you’re applying for. Do your salary guide research or you simply won’t be able to negotiate benefits to your benefit. ~ Jacob Share, JobMob

Job seekers try to be all things to all employers instead of identifying their niche strengths, finding a matching position, and targeting their materials for it. ~ Laura DeCarlo, Career Directors International

Get out and network:

We canâ€t overstate how important it is to network in order to find a job. Research shows referrals are the top source of hires; your network may be the difference between having a job or looking for one. Consider how you are growing and maintaining your network of colleagues, friends and supporters – and who you consider part of your network.

Job Seeker does not network inside of their professional communities.  ~ Walter Akana, Threshold Consulting

Jobs seekers fail to engage their friends, family and contacts quickly enough in their search. ~ Sital Ruparelia

Many job seekers forget that developing a network needs to begin a long time before they actually need it. ~ Dawn Rasmussen, Pathfinder Writing and Career Services

One of the most fun parts of compiling these suggestions from our colleagues was that we address so many of these topics in our eBook, You Need a Job, 5 Steps to Get One. It provides you with information that you need to know to get your job search going in the right direction. Our goal is to help you save time, effort, energy and money…Letâ€s face it, the best job hunt is one that is well executed and is as short as possible.

Update: the ebook is available. If you want to learn how to find a job, learn more here. Don’s miss special bonuses for people who are the first to buy our eBook.

Be sure to visit Hannah’s post for more tips from our friends and colleagues.

photo by Gnu2000

The post What mistakes do job seekers make? Part 1 appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Roses are red, violets are blue
Here’s a Valentines poem, I wrote just for you

Maybe you’re searching for “the one” job you’ll truly love
A job so special, it fits like a glove

Maybe you’ve set your sights on becoming a career changer
To start a new business and become an entrepreneur

Or maybe you’re just looking for one last romance
To grab some “me time” and precious work-life balance

Alas, the secrets of career success are no different to finding personal joy
Where the winners get nowhere by being shy and coy

To find that job, promotion or brand new lifestyle
You need to step up a gear and go the extra mile

Step out of your comfort zone and step out onto the wire
Take some risks and the occasional flyer

Stop hiding behind your inexperience and personal history
And build a competitive advantage around your unique story

Stop procrastinating and waiting for your ducks to line up in a row
The time will never be “right” – so go on, just have a go!

Stop putting off the dream until “someday”
When the best time to get started is, in fact, today

The world is waiting for you to do the work you love
And maybe this poem is “the sign” you’ve been waiting for, from “up above”

For today is Valentine’s Day, a time for celebrating great romances
So start scaring yourself by taking a few more chances

Happy Valentines day folks,

Sital Ruparelia

If that doesn’t inspire you to start thinking about creating your own future, I don’t know what will!

If you’re interested in a social resume (YourName.com) to start you off on the right path, be sure to visit my new site: YouNeedASocialResume.com.

photo by jikido-san

The post How to find the work you love appeared first on Keppie Careers.