The Best Job Search Techniques
Hundreds of thousands of positions were obtained by job seekers last month, so employers are definitely hiring. If you are frustrated in your job search, then perhaps you should rethink your job search plan. Here is a recap of job search techniques and how to get the most out of them.
JOB BOARDS
The first thing a job seeker does is head for the job boards. After all, isn’t it exciting to find positions that fit you like a glove? The chief problem is that the job boards are the most competitive way to way to find a position and have the least probability of success – generally less than 5% of jobs are filled this way according to industry statistics. That is not to say that you shouldn’t use them – it just means that they should not be the heart of your job search.
Start by using Indeed.com or SimplyHired.com as these are job board aggregators, meaning they pull jobs from all the other job boards as well as company web sites to give you a single place to find openings. Also look at Craig’s List which is becoming a great place to find local job postings. And do NOT apply over the Internet. Yes that’s right, pull yourself out of the big pile of resumes in HR and use this simple technique.
First, find out who the hiring manager or key influencers are. You can usually do this by going to LinkedIn.com and doing a company search. Once you have their name and phone number give them a call and say something like: “A friend told me you might be interested in someone with my background. I have (insert your 2-sentence pitch), and I have just a few questions for you.”
Then ask them some questions that show you’ve done some homework on their company. Be very friendly, down to earth and personable and build some rapport, At some point they will ask you for your resume at which point you have now put yourself at the top of the decision maker’s pile and skipped the HR screeners. Using this trick can be the difference between being screened out and getting noticed.
RECRUITERS
Recruiters have about a 5-12% effectiveness rate in securing a new position for you so you should consider whether they should be a part of your plan. Here we are only talking about those who are paid a fee by the employer, and I would caution you to steer clear of those who want you to pay the fee for their services.
Start by considering whether the type of position is typically filled by recruiters. For example, recruiters will not generally work with entry level people or career changers as employers are paying them a hefty 20-30% of your first year’s compensation as a fee for their finding you. Entry level people are easy to find and a recruiter will generally not offer a career changer up as a candidate if they have no track record in the desired field.
If you decide to work with recruiters, then use a service (hint: like ours) that will present your resume to the largest number. These are inexpensive and very effective, especially in saving you time. Remember that recruiters in California can be searching for candidates on Texas, so do not limit your search locally.
NETWORKING
Networking is the king of effectiveness in job searching as it has always had over a 50% effectiveness rate. Especially in this market, networking should be the heart of your search plan as employers are much more inclined to hire someone who is referred to them as compared to a stranger. Networking is not as much fun as applying through job boards and requires a good deal more discipline, but the difference is not only in its effectiveness rate, but also in the quality of the job you obtain.
Most people think networking is sharing your resume with friends and neighbors but this is the worst thing you can do as you just lost control of the process as you wait for the phone to ring. Networking as a subject is a long article unto itself, but here are the key techniques.
Develop an “elevator pitch”, the 3 to 5 sentences that describe who you are and why an employer should want to speak to you. Develop support materials that include a networking business card too. Also make sure you are posted into LinkedIn.com which is becoming the top networking site for professionals.
Now identify the 5-10 companies you are most interested in joining. You can use LinkedIn which sports a fairly robust company search tool to do this. Then research the company online using a variety of excellent tools like Zoominfo, Spoke, Highbeam and many others you can easily find. Try to learn as much about the company as possible so you can impress an insider.
The next step is to identify people inside the company which you can also do through LinkedIn. Now your job is to network yourself into a meeting where you can impress them with your knowledge of their challenges, and how you can help them. Start by thinking about people you know who knows someone who is inside the firm. It’s great if you can get to the decision maker and it’s equally good if you can get an insider to walk your resume into their office. This is your Step 1 in networking.
Step 2 is to expand your search to other firms. Remember that good networking is asking people for advice as people are much more likely to give you advice than help you get a job. Here you want to know about industries, companies or people you should talk to who can help you focus your efforts. An easy, painless way to get going with this is to go to the regularly held networking meetings that are advertised in your local paper.
Now, if you are unemployed, plan on calling 25 people and having 3-5 face-to-face meetings per week. This is where discipline comes in, but after you have done this a couple of times, it becomes easier. Ask each person who else you should talk to and add them to your database.
In short, your job search plan should include the 3 major ways to contact an employer: job boards, recruiters and networking. Recognizing the different effectiveness rates of each in securing a new position, make sure you put a heavy emphasis on your networking efforts. Remember that although there are far fewer jobs open then last year, you only need one. Follow these steps and you will slash your job search time considerably.
Don Goodman, President of About Jobs (http://www.GotTheJob.com) is a nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Certified Career Coach and one of less than 15 people certified as a Job Search Specialist. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business and Stanford University’s Executive Program, Don has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Read his blog at http://www.GotTheJob.com/blog/ or contact him at 800-909-0109 or by e-mail at dgoodman@GotTheJob.com.
Author: Don Goodman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Posted in Job Search Techniques.
– Dec 20, 2010
How Job Sharing Can Improve Your Business
Employing people is a very expensive business. In order to reduce costs and maintain flexibility it is essential that your staff possess all of the skills that you need, and are fully occupied at all times. Many businesses choose to employ workers for key functions whilst outsourcing other areas. If you are uncomfortable with the dependence upon a third party – and the associated costs, you could consider an alternative business model: job sharing.
A successful job share will synchronize the demands of the organisation, the demands of the job itself and the individual characteristics of the employees involved. The workplace is an increasingly demanding environment, but a job share allows the worker a less stressful position and a far greater level of control over their work/life balance.
Here are our Top Five Tips to assist you integrate a well-balanced Job Share into your business.
1. Establish The Ground Rules.
Before commencing a job share arrangement it is very important to establish some ground rules, and ensure that both partners are completely happy with the terms of the agreement. Outline exactly which hours each partner will cover, how the salary and benefits will be divided, and what will happen if one person feels unable to maintain this commitment over time.
Action Task: Develop a well thought out job share plan before you start.
Develop a comprehensive job description, communication plan and contingency plan. Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate the position at regular intervals.
2. Select Two Well-Matched Individuals.
When initiating a job share you should select two individuals known for their closely-matched skill-sets – workers who will have shared values, similar personality traits and comparative experience. By dividing the work-load evenly, their complimentary skills will gel them into a dynamic work team that is comfortable sharing successes and failures alike.
Action Task: Try to interview both applicants together. This will help you to assess the interaction between the two candidates, and help you to evaluate the strengths of your new ‘team’.
3. Take One Step Back and Two Steps Forwards.
If you are keen to hire a part-time worker, but want to avoid a recruitment head-ache, consider approaching one of your ex-employees. Why not get in touch with favoured former employees who have retired or departed the company due to family reasons? Employees will be grateful for the extra flexibility, and repay you by going the extra mile at work. They will already know the company inside out, and won’t even require training, thus minimising costs.
Action Task: Compile a list of previous employees who have left the company due to a top-heavy work/life balance, and establish whether or not they would be a suitable candidate for your new job share set-up. If you are unfamiliar with their work, consult people who have worked closely with them in the past.
4. Share Everything!
A successful job share arrangement should be fluid, dynamic and cohesive. The link between the two colleagues in question should be so strong that others should find it impossible to tell who is doing what, and when they are doing it! By sharing simple workplace tools such as Email and Voicemail, there will never be any kind of disruptive over-lap.
Action Task: If you are worried about blurring job boundaries, and would prefer to give each employee a more clear-cut role, you can divide up the medium-to-long-term objectives, rather than the smaller day-to-day responsibilities. By viewing the job share as two parallel roles, you will overcome any awkwardness.
5. Agree on a Means of Communication.
By its very definition, a job share is an unusual way of working, and even the most resourceful employees are likely to have a few teething problems as the system ‘beds in’. Furthermore, employees participating in a job share should always endeavor to make themselves available for questions when they are off-duty.
Action Task: Suggest that both employees work three day weeks – with an overlap in the middle. This should minimize communication breakdown, and ensure that the working week flows rather than juddering to a halt in the middle.
You have been reading our Top Five Tips for integrating a Job Share into your business. Although this kind of arrangement won’t be suitable for everyone, and as a good boss you will understand exactly which employees will benefit and thrive from this type of arrangement. Tip: Planning is the key. Develop a detailed action plan, and ensure that everyone understands the logistics and demands of the job share.
We hope that you have enjoyed reading our ‘Job Share’ Business Tips. For more business advice, please visit http://tofind.co.uk/blog/
Author: Tom Leins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin Guest Blogger
Posted in Business jobs.
– Dec 18, 2010
Top Career Advice – More Choices and A Better Way of Life
Why Career Advice Is So Important
Choosing a career presents a nerve-racking decision, as it can have a life-long impact on you. Do not fret, as you can gain a clearer outlook into your future by thorough career planning.
Having a clear vision of the future can guide you by helping you set career goals and helping you on your way towards attaining them. Whether you are starting out on a new career or looking to change your current career, you will benefit enormously from taking sound advice.
Don’t Spend Most of Your Life Doing …
Chances are that you will be spending a great deal of time at your job, about 40 hours a week. Career advice and career profiling can guide you to a job that is enjoyable for you and matches your interests.
There are many reasons people change their careers and career advice can help them along the way. Some frequently cited reasons are:
· Stuck in a dead end job.
· Lost interest in current line of work.
· Gained a new interest in a different career option.
A Job For Life … Not Anymore
In today’s world, there is increased job rotation … also with the down turns in the economy, many people can be laid-off.
Good career advice for unemployed persons would be to consider a career change. Some of the fastest growing occupations are Medical Assistant, Network Systems Analyst, Physician Assistant, etc. Occupations that are struggling to gain workers can be a suitable option for currently unemployed individuals.
People often back off from changing careers if they are unsure of the effort it might take to start a new career and learn a new trade. If you are one of these people, career advice from professionals can help you make a knowledgeable decision.
How To Identify Your Career Choices
When choosing a new career field, career advice and career planning can help you figure out your career choices. When embarking on a new career, you need to take into account your previous education and work experience.
You should start thinking about the skills you currently possess and how they can be beneficial in each of the new career options available to you.
Have You Considered a Career Test?
Valuable career advice can come from career tests as they can help in identifying suitable job options. Career tests include tests such as personality profiling, leadership skills, motivation, management style, etc.
The results of such tests can give you the career advice that can direct you to a suitable career, by matching your interests with career options.
Many career tests are offered online. They may be free or available for a small fee. Many experts provide the career advice to employment seekers to take some time to plan their career and set their goals. Knowing your career goals can provide you with valuable guidance.
Remember that career planning and goal setting is an on-going process, changing as you continue on your career.
The web can be a great source to find valuable career advice. It can provide you with many resources to research new career choices and find out information on a particular career field such as average salary, work environment, job responsibilities, etc.
Use Resumes That Give You an Advantage
Whether you are starting a career, changing careers or looking for a different job in your present career, the best career advice is to have a great, eye-catching resume.
You may be thinking about using your old resume, maybe the one you made after graduating from college. However, you will have to make changes to that resume to make it relevant to your present situation.
Upgrade your resume with the additional skills and experiences you have acquired. People going through a career change, need to present the skills they have acquired through the years in a way that makes it relevant to the new career jobs for which they are applying.
You may not have all the standard education for that career, so you need to convince potential employers that your previous education and work experience have given you the skills that make you a suitable candidate to transition into that job.
Career planning involves gaining information that can ease your transition to a new career. This information can help get you out of your current dreary jobs and into a dynamic and interesting career.
Act Now… and Take Control of Your Career
It’s never too late to think of making a career change… seek professional career advice and give yourself the best chance of achieving your career goals.
Roger Clark has an excellent selection of articles providing details on writing resume letters posted on his blog and if you want to find out where to get free resume writing software [http://www.studentsforasecurefuture.org/write-your-own-resume-and-save-money], then this is an article you should not miss.
Author: Roger Clark
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger
Posted in Career Advice.
– Dec 16, 2010
Factors to Consider in Looking for a Job
Looking for a job can be very tedious at times especially that there is an increasing scarcity of available jobs today. Prior to job searching, one must consider some factors so that when offered a job, he or she can easily assess whether or not to accept the same. A job offer or application is a serious matter that one must treat it with certainty and a comprehensive understanding on the job description, compensation, and skills required. Job search techniques propose some factors one should consider.
Among the factors job search techniques propose are one’s skills and ability for the job, nature of the job, compensation, lifestyle, and your career plan. One must consider his or her skills and capabilities to ensure that one can perform satisfactorily the tasks required for the job. This is very important to ensure that you remain employed and continue to receive salary. If you are paid by piece or on commission basis, such ability is highly crucial to be entitled for a higher salary during paydays. The nature of the job is equally important to determine whether your skills and capabilities match or suits the requirements of the job. An understanding of this factor allows one to effectively assess how one will perform the at work. Knowing the nature of work entails knowledge of the responsibilities and obligations one has to his or her employer. Compensation is probably the most inviting and interesting factor in doing a job search. Normally, compensation is dependent upon the nature of job and your capabilities and skills. Having an idea of how much one expects to receive as a salary is very important to maintain the desire and willingness to work with enthusiasm and zeal. The lifestyle and overall financial need is very important since part of the reason why one works is to provide for the his or her needs. Comparing your monthly basic salary with your monthly expenses will either give you a gratifying feeling that you have a job or some sort of dilemma on how to meet both ends to provide for your needs. Finally, you must relate the job you are looking for to that of your career plan, if you have one. The job you are searching for must either directly or indirectly contribute to your career plan. This helps you make a career rather than just a mere job. A job related to your career plan makes you more interested and eager to perform the tasks given since there is a higher level of benefit you derive out of it. These factors as commonly proposed in job search techniques to be taken into consideration helps the person find the right job for him or her where one can excel and enjoys the benefits of the said job.
Therefore, based on various job search techniques, a person must seriously consider his or her ability to perform the nature of the job, feel satisfied with the compensation received in lieu of his or her lifestyle, and contributes to the realization of a career plan. Once a person feels that a job provides for a satisfactory result from all of these factors, then there is a high chance that such job will not be a job for him or her but a hobby which he or she will always wholeheartedly perform.
Norah C. Bear enjoys writing for Resumelines.com which sells resume services and executive resumes as well as a host of additional products.
Author: Norah Bear
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Posted in Job Search Techniques.
– Dec 16, 2010
