December.
What a great month to get laid off.
Not only are there thousands of private industry people who are losing their jobs this month, but there are plenty of government jobs lost. From police officers to janitors, nothing says “happy holidays” like a pink slip.
Let me suggestion five things you might call “job search software.” Understand that I’m quite biased, having been active in this industry for almost four years… so to me, not all job search software is the same.
Here are five areas to consider:
- Organize your job search. JibberJobber was arguably the first real job search organizer on the market. I started the company shortly after I got laid off and it has since provided value to thousands of users as they track where they apply, where they are at with each application, who their network contacts are and where the relationship is. Many continue to use JibberJobber after they land a job because it is a long-term career management tool, not a find-me-a-job bandaid.
- Find job postings. Job boards: one of the most misunderstood areas. Think you’ll find current, relevant and open job postings on job boards? GOOD LUCK. Job boards have a purpose but if you misunderstand them, like I did, you’ll waste weeks and weeks and weeks, like I did. Know their purpose, but don’t expect them to help you find the hidden job market. Peter Weddle says (and I agree) that you should get job alerts from six boards: two large boards (think Monster and CareerBuilder), two niche/industry boards (think Dice or NursingJobs.com), and two local boards (think craigslist and whatever-your-county or city has (houstonjobs, for example). If you understand that job boards care about you as much as recruiters do, you’ll be further ahead of where I was when I started my search.
- Network with people. Real networking, not superficial stuff. There is no networking silver bullet, and it can be “not easy,” but networking is career management 101 – you need to do it in your job search and when you are in-between job searches. I think LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook provide good-to-excellent networking opportunities.
- Brand yourself. I don’t care if you think branding is only for cattle or products (you are neither, right?). Personal branding is real, and it is important. If you need to call it something else, that’s fine… I’m not big on semantics. But if I google you, I should come up with something that might impress me. It’s easy to get branded well… some things to consider are buying your own domain name, getting a blog (wordpress.com, typepad.com, etc.), etc. Also, think about your LinkedIn Profile as well as a VisualCV account, or something like that. Oh yeah, emurse.com is one I always recommend.
- _________________.
Oops, that’s only four… well, I’ll let you tell me what #5 is. Go for it in the comments 🙂
Well said, Jason! Echoing yesterday, positive attitude. I know, easier said than done, but someone who goes around blaming, angry, whining, etc. is not going to rise to the top of the group when interviews are scheduled. In this day and age, that includes comments on blogs, twitter posts, Facebook comments, etc. Employers can choose now, it’s their market.
First of all, when you have a positive attitude about things, it rubs off. People are attracted to you, they want to help you. Second, you feel better. Anyone who really knows me, knows that I have plenty of reasons that I could whine, complain, be upset, etc. but if I stay there, I will not help anyone, especially myself.
Find the good, stay busy, volunteer, or just help a neighbor or family member with a project. This is also networking but it two-fold, networking to stay visible and networking to stay positive.
5. Share your job leads with others; if you get that interview, ask the recruiter about other jobs on the docket and actively become a source the recruiter.
6. Create job alerts for Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com
7. If there’s a local chapter for a professional or technical association to which you have some affinity to, go to the Holiday Party and bring a friggin ray of sunshine 😉
8. …
@Steve, your #6 is what I was going to write for #5 before I decided to open it up – google alerts… they are sooooo powerful.
Since all aggregators have some area of non-overlap, it’s a good idea to have them for many sites. Even more, many “municipalities” have business journals (like http://www.LIBM.com here on Long Island) – sign up for their newsletters and alerts; you never know when a key tidbit can pop up.
As far as networking, contact all local outplacement centers – http://www.right.com, http://www.lhh.com, http://www.dbm.com, etc. and find out if they have specific job lead groups in your area. Many LinkedIn groups have gone brick and mortar; Tweetups and Meetups (www.meetup.com) are sure to be in your area too.
What Jason said about visibility is critical; I need to find you – so make it as easy as possible.
TIP: Some arrogant recruiters may not like this but pffft them…if you have friends you are job seeking, bring their resumes along to your interview and give them to the recruiter – you never know.
Great tips! Here’s one I recommend – form a ‘Success Team’ of others (people you like, maybe similar geography, industry, level, etc.) and meet at least once a week. The main purpose other than a great support team is to hold each other accountable – like a workout buddy. Share resumes, do mock interviews when one member has one scheduled and celebrate when one lands her job!
– Identify the areas where you want to grow and buff up, whether through readings, classes, online training, etc. Yes, do this while you are searching. This is a good time to brush up on marketable skills.
– Write or get help writing a *really* good resume. Most of us need help, no matter how good we think our resume is. Shop for a good, reputable resume service (Jason has many posts on the topic).
– Keep informed about job search tactics and compare advice from several credible sources. There’s some bad advice coming from big-name sources too, so evaluate to see how well it fits what you’re observing; but if the same advice comes from several strong sources, consider using it!
– Assemble an interview wardrobe with an eye for quality and taste, but using simple tricks to keep the cost down, such as shopping on sale, at consignment stores, or online; pick clothes that remain safe bets over the years and in different settings: good quality jackets, blazers, cardigans, skirts (if applicable) and slacks in neutral colours you can mix and match, a couple of pairs of good jeans, some shirts/tops and sweaters in colours you can coordinate, and a few nice white shirts. To get more variety, accent with scarves and striking jewelry (for women) or with elegant ties (for men).
(Ooops, clicked too fast.) All of these additional tips can be performed entirely online if you want too (though I prefer to draw from a variety of source).
great additions all, thank you!
#3 Network, network, network!
This means, get away from your computer and meet people face to face. Know what you want and make sure it’s clear to the listener! Give them in writing some of your skills plus a few suggested target companies and then “listen” yourself. Ask the people you meet if they would give you a warm introduction to someone else in their network. And the most important thing of all, SAY THANK YOU! Someone making time to help you is one of the greatest gifts you will receive. Appreciate it and yes, US mail still works in this fast pace world of technology.