A baker recently shared her prize-winning cake recipe. Not surprisingly, it contained quite a few ingredients that needed to be accurately measured and combined in a very specific order. When you don’t follow the recipe, unfortunate results will likely ensue.
The same thing goes for job searching. It’s about combining the proper amount of several ingredients, in the correct order, over a period of time to receive that most delicious job offer.
1. Self-assessment. Take time at the beginning, and along your job search journey, to not only focus on your aspirations, but what is reasonable. What have the challenges you’ve met so far in your career prepared you to take on next? Do you want any position, or are you seeking a job that will better position you to do what you really want to do when you begin your next job search? And lastly, think about what role someone would be seeking to fill, see your resume and say, “That’s it. I’ve got to talk with that person.”
2. Resume. Despite all the buzz about LinkedIn, video resumes and other nontraditional ways to showcase your background, a well-composed resume is still a requirement for the vast majority of job searches. Make certain that it is easy for employers to see what challenges you’ve faced in your current and prior roles, what you’ve done to step up to the plate and meet them, and what your actual results have been.
Remember that a resume’s purpose isn’t to tell your life story, but rather to market yourself in such a way as to make an employer want to begin a dialogue with you.
3. LinkedIn profile. Virtually all recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates, and rare are the human resources departments or hiring managers who won’t peruse your LinkedIn profile before inviting you in for an interview at some point in the hiring process. If you are a professional, today it is imperative that you have a LinkedIn profile in addition to your resume.
Remember that LinkedIn is a social medium, so don’t hesitate to use the first person “I” instead of the third person “he” or “she” in your profile. Of course it will have similarities to your resume, but here you should not just do a “cut-and-paste job,” but let your personality, accomplishments and passion for your work shine through. Be engaging.
4. Job boards. The old standbys, such as Monster and CareerBuilder, are still the 500-pound gorillas in this space, but there are scores of smaller job boards that are based on industry, skill set or location. Sites, such as Indeed and SimplyHired, aggregate ads from all over the Internet.
When you examine the ads that companies place, you’ll find exactly what keywords, skills and accomplishments should be featured in your resume. This way, you can make yourself findable by people who are looking for professionals like yourself.
Job boards can reveal the companies that are hiring and the roles they seek to fill. But rather than taking the “easy way” of responding to ads, let this be simply the beginning of your pursuit to a warm entrée. Check out your LinkedIn connections to see whom you might contact on the inside. Then do whatever possible to network your way into your target company.
Resist the temptation of spending hour after hour on job boards, applying through them and calling it a job search. It isn’t.
5. Informational interviewing. Especially if you are changing fields or moving into a new community, reaching out to people to learn about them, their companies and what it is like to work in their industry can provide valuable information and perspective.
Of course, you’ll want to end by asking with whom else you should speak and gaining their introductions. Sooner or later, you’ll likely hear: “I’m looking for someone like you. How about interviewing here?”
6. Networking. Effective networking is not asking people for help. It is all about building relationships and becoming an active part of your peer group. It’s both real and virtual. And within the context of a relationship, you’ll find people will be more than willing to speak on your behalf and introduce you to people who can be of help.
7. Confidence. After you’ve had a couple of rejections, or been outright ignored after sending your resume to many places, it is easy to lose your self-confidence. Treat each job application in its own terms, and don’t focus on whatever went wrong up to this point. Focus on your skills and your achievements, and remember the value you represent to the employer lucky enough to hire you.
Happy hunting!
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