We recently received the following question from one of our CareerHMO.com members and wanted to share it with our readers.
“I am curious if there are any job search tips that take less than one minute to execute. What quick action can I take as a job seeker than can really enhance my job search? I need to feel like I’m being productive!”
We reached out to a community of career experts and asked for their advice. Here are the top 10 responses:
- Google yourself. Job seekers should take a few seconds to type their names into various search engines to ensure that the skeletons have stayed in their closets. [Advice by Jeff Diana | www.successfactors.com]
- Post a detailed “elevator pitch” on your LinkedIn profile. [Advice by Tom Toole | www.mrinetwork.com]
- Phone a friend. We all have life-lines, but often we are hesitant to use them! Pick up the phone and call a friend who may have a connection that can help get your foot in the door. [Advice by Dr. Woody | www.drwoody.com]
- Write down a quote that inspires you, and put it up somewhere you look regularly. Inspiration will keep you focused and positive, which means you’ll be ready for that big interview when it comes. [Advice by Karlin Sloan | www.karlinsloan.com]
- When you get an interview write a “Woowhoo!” on your job search success calendar to remind you that your efforts are paying off. [Advice by Linda Hardenstein | www.lindahardenstein.com]
- Identify what is most important to you - geographic location, industry or company. This will drive all your future decision on job opportunities. [Article by Stuart Mease | www.stuartmease.com]
- Hold yourself accountable. Tell someone (a friend, a coach, a family member) each week what you plan to do to move your job search forward that week. Saying it aloud to someone else and having them follow-up with you often results in increased productivity. [Advice by Scott Rozmann | www.scottrozman.com]
- Scan the business section. A quick read of your local paper or news website’s business section can tell you a lot about what’s going on in your industry. You should know which companies have major projects in the works, which executives are moving up (or out) and how you could help a company with their next big move. [Advice by Denise Felder | www.denisefelder.com]
- Stay positive. No matter what your circumstances, be positive. No one cares about your sob story. It’s about the employer. [Advice by Mark Grimm | www.markgrimm.com]
- Use spell check! Applying for a job is not the same as texting your friends. Use real words and actual sentences. If you don’t, it looks like you are too lazy to spell out words. Definitely not the impression you want to make. [Advice by Maureen Mack | www.hrprincipal.com]
If you have additional quick job search tips, please post them below in the comment section!
Image from Oliver Hoffmann/Shutterstock
About CAREEREALISM
These are some great tips for job seekers who have a tight schedule. I think that another great tip would be to join groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. There are tons of groups that are there to help job seekers, and it’s so easy to network with them. Also, connect with companies on these social media sites as well, they typically put up job postings.
Quick tips/ideas for job seekers:
· Many if not most people searching for employment have worked for previous companies. Follow–up with previous employers and ask if they are presenting hiring. If not ask, if they know of someone you is hiring now or in the near future.
· Make a list of all your high school friends and teachers, college buddies and professors, family and friends (the longer the list the better the percentage). Now call. Ask “the” question: do you or someone you know is hiring now or in the near future. Follow-up with any and all leads. They say that everyone person knows two hundred people.
Do not limit your job search, to location, company/organization, entry level and salary desired. Your main focus and concentration is to get a job, keep it, get your foot in the door and then show case your skills and qualifications
Michael Coritsidis Career Coachacareercoach4u@yahoo.com516 965-9594
Here are a few more ideas:-Put a professional photo on your LinkedIn profile.-Email
your old colleagues and invite them to coffee. It is OK to use a
templated email to save time. Obviously, like your resume, personalize
the email for each person. -Send a thank you note, a written thank you note, to your
favorite former boss or professor telling them how they helped move your
career forward. It will remind you of your own success, make them feel
good and remind them that you are still around. -Help a colleague or friend with their resume, proofread it for
them. Helping a friend with their job search is not only a nice thing to
do, but having a partner in your search, preferably someone searching
for a different job target, can help you move past any difficult
stretches.
Jessica Silverstein, Esq
Principal
Attorney’s Counsel: Does your resume rise to the Bar?
http://attorneyscounselny.com/
Here’s another idea: In just one minute write down list of activities, skills, experiences that make you someone everyone will want to have on their team. If that list isn’t very long, then add to it over time. The point is to really get comfortable with knowing (and communicating) what you do well and how you contribute in a professional setting. Many of my clients complain that they’re not comfortable tooting their own horn. I say, “Get over it!”
Streamline your daily
job search routine by utilizing relevant, and industry-recommended, job search
engines (i.e., http://www.indeed.com, http://www.simplyhired.com, etc.). These
sites allow you to setup personalized job search criterion so each morning you
awake to new job prospects. [Advice by Megan McCann | http://www.mccannpartners.com
I would like to add some tips to the list above:
Set up a job search alert on job boards such as indeed.com and
simplyhired.com. Using job search alerts will
make your job search more efficient.
There is no need to search job boards every day for new openings. Simply set your search criteria and let the
sites send you results that match your criteria.
Update your status. On social media you can keep
your network informed of what you are doing and share value-added information
with them by updating your status on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and
Facebook. This is a way of staying in
touch with your network without pestering them.
Add one new person to your social network. Growing your network is a very
important part of the job search process.
You can take a small step towards building your network by identifying
just one person that you want to connect with.
Sending a LinkedIn invitation or following someone on Twitter takes less
than a minute.
Cheryl Palmer, M.Ed., CECC, CPRW
Executive Career Coach and Resume Writer
http://www.calltocareer.com
As a career management coach with 20 years’ experience and a nationwide practice, I am adding these tips:
- Join a new professional association (meeting usually start up again in September), attend meetings, and talk to colleagues- Visit an excellent business library (in NYC, SIBL is the answer)- Go back to your network after Labor Day, and restate your pitch
Bettina Seidman, SEIDBET Associates
SEIDBET@aol.com