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Finding Jobs in 2009
16 Tips For Finding a Job in 2009
Lots of people lost their jobs in 2008, but now we're into 2009 and many of those same people will be looking for work this month.
As an executive search consultant going into my 15th year of recruiting Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Landscape Architecture,
Construction, and Real Estate professionals, I've learned a few things that might help people seeking employment and recommend the
following:
1) Take advantage of company paid outplacement services.
2) Identify a headhunter specializing in your field and forward him/her an electronic resume
3) Try not to get discouraged.
4) Forget about fax and snail mail for resume submittals.
5) Create hard cover resumes for in-person-meetings only
6) Make sure contact information includes your email address, blog address, and links to key social networking sites.
7) Sign-up for Social Networking sites including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and send articles of interest to the people
you want to build relationships with going forward.
8) Keep online comments and activities professional.
9) Avoid being "that guy" when networking in-person or online
I0) Include key words in your resume and profiles.
11) Use spell check.
12) Identify blogs related to your field and make comments regularly.
13) Set up a blog and write about topics that will interest employers.
14) Upload a resume to your blog
15) Include links in your email signature.
16) Send thank you notes via email after meeting key contacts through networking or through interviewing. This should be
networking and interviewing 101, but many people neglect this step. It's easy to do and differentiates you from your competition.
Include your blog address and links to social networking sites where you belong to grow your networks. People with large networks have an easier time finding employment than people who don't.
Having a resume on your blog makes it easy for employers to access. Blogging communicates a willingness to keep up with technology. That's important for employers. It also helps position you as an expert in the industry where you work and makes you much more attractive to employers. Making comments to blogs covering your specialty communicates interest in your career. It also positions your name on the search engines and this is extremely important. Employers and recruiters interested in interviewing prospective candidates will often turn to Google to learn more about prospective candidates.
Having your name come up frequently as an expert in your field improves your marketability to prospective employers. Our database has over 100,000 design, construction, and real estate professionals and we access them via key word searches. Many employers do the same thing. Social media profiles can also be accessed via key words typed into search engines. Having the right words in your profiles and resume improve your chances that it'll be seen by the right parties.It's amazing how many resumes we get with spelling errors. It's unacceptable and reduces your chances of getting interviews.
Ever get approached by someone at a networking event who consumes all of your time talking about themselves and the product or service they offer? People who do this make others run as fast as they can. These types of events are not places where you should bring your resume. Instead, focus on the interests of the people you meet. Then send a follow-up note to begin the relationship building process. The one downside with the Internet is that communication is often permanent. Understand that having a picture of you throwing up after drinking from a beer bong posted on a public social networking site like Facebook can be accessed by millions including employers.
Get 500 first contacts on LinkedIn and you'll probably get access to an electronic "Rolodex" of more than eight million people. Facebook and LinkedIn also have groups that job seekers can join based on interests that can help them gain access to people in their field.
Networking, however, requires giving before receiving. Send people articles and information that is relevant to them and start to build relationships first and you'll improve your chances of getting a good position. . Hard copy resumes are great to give to managers when you're in the office for an interview. In fact, I would recommend bringing several along to interviews for this purpose, but make sure your resume is also easy to access electronically. Fax or mail a hard copy resume and see it hit the trash. The impression it creates is that the candidate is older than dirt and has "no clue" when it comes to technology. It's also an inconvenient way for prospective employers and recruiters to receive resumes.
Electronic resumes get filed into databases that can be accessed via key words and improve your chances at getting interviews. Hard copy resumes often get lost or discarded.. Notice I said, "A" headhunter. Many people mistakenly believe that sending their resume to 40 recruiters in their field improves their chances at getting hired. This practice, however, discourages headhunters from referring your resume to the right people. Headhunters work for the employer and are paid to find people everyone else doesn't have. If they discover your resume is with every other headhunter in your field, they will focus their attention on other candidates more likely to get them a fee. Send your resume to one headhunter and your information will get in the hands of the right employers. Send your resume to 40 headhunters and your resume will probably go into the garbage can. Job hunting is a numbers game and people in the market are likely to face rejection, but it's not personal. Employers may not have opening. Headhunters work for employers. They don't work for candidates. may not call you back if they don't have search assignments fitting your skill set. Many companies going through downsizing cycles offer outplacement services for laid off employees. Outplacement counselors work for the job seeker and can be quite helpful to those needing new work.
John P. Kreiss
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