The MBA Job Search Triple Play

This is a guest post by Chris Perry, of Career Rocketeer.

There are countless approaches you can take to successfully pursue employment opportunities in your MBA job search, many of which entail some use of web tools, job search engines and professional networks.

Despite all of the various options available online, you essentially need three things online to effectively pursue job opportunities: (1) an attractive online resume, (2) a professional network and (3) a way to keep track of all of your professional contacts and search activities.  Based on my research and personal experience from the MBA job search trenches, I recommend VisualCV, LinkedIn and JibberJobber as what I like to call the MBA Job Search Triple Play.

VisualCV offers you a new and free way to display your resume and begin establishing your presence and personal brand online.  I like to consider VisualCV the pioneer of resume 2.0. While your VisualCV looks more like a traditional resume than a typical online profile, it is so much more, allowing you not only to incorporate your professional experience, education, etc., but also a portfolio of your previous work and/or publications, references and recommendations, links to your social networks, professional media sources, such as video clips and images, and other achievements and awards. VisualCV brings you and your resume to life and really enhances your career search efforts. You can even buy your own domain name and forward it to your VisualCV so to quickly refer employers and recruiters to your information.

LinkedIn is the leading professional network on the web, so if you don’t have your free account already, get one today! Complete your profile with all of your information, add your photo and link to your website, blog and your VisualCV.  Build your network by connecting with coworkers, supervisors, professors, classmates, friends, family members and anyone else you know or meet throughout your career and your job search.  Get recommendations from respected contacts to increase your credibility, join and participate in groups to network with others to get more involved and answer questions to help others and gain expertise and insight in your field.  You can also identify target companies and connect with their contacts in your job search, as well as use LinkedIn’s own comprehensive job board to apply for opportunities.

JibberJobber is the ultimate career management system.  VisualCV offers you the resume and LinkedIn provides you the network, but it’s JibberJobber that helps you keep your head above water in your job search and manage all of your search efforts and activities for free.  Based on CRM software, the system allows you to add and categorize your contacts, track who referred them to you, keep contact-specific notes, rate the evolving strength of your professional relationship with them and create reminders for future networking.  With JibberJobber, you can also keep track of your target companies, your contacts within these companies, each individual job for which you apply and its status throughout the application process.  However, its features and offerings don’t stop there!  There are multiple career search resources and tools available to help career seekers with interview preparation, job search expenses, salaries and more.

These three tools are godsends for anyone seeking employment opportunities, but especially for full-time MBA students, collectively saving them time, energy and sanity in their pursuit.  So, don’t let the opportunity to leverage them in your job search pass you by!

Chris Perry is a Gen Y Brand and Marketing Generator, a Career Search and Personal Branding Expert and the Founder of Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.