By popular request, I’ve attached the LinkedIn Training: Improve your profile on the world’s largest business network slides for your viewing pleasure.
I presented a session titled LinkedIn Training: Improve your profile on the world’s largest business network on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at the PCC Employment Outreach Event in Pennington, NJ. During my research, I gathered resources and articles of interest to job seekers. I have parked these miscellaneous links and online resources here for all to enjoy and use.
Social media: LinkedIn, twitter
LinkedIn is a two way conversation, always be personal, always respond. Read the guest author post titled Ten tips to enhance your job search on LinkedIn.
Twitter is microblogging as a social conversation.
Job search sites
Indeed.com is a popular job search aggregator.
CrossRoads from Net-Temps, a weekly electronic magazine with information and tools to help you succeed in your job search and career. Net-Temps is your employment site to post your resume, search for jobs and apply online.
Job skills evaluation
The Discovery channel, in conjunction with a university and .gov, has put together the Discover Your Skills website to help students and people plan their careers or change skill mid-career.
Recommended reading from people that I like
Career Sherpa Hannah Morgan posts an excellent job search guide and blog. I attended Hannah’s “Define your personal brand” seminar at the Rochester, NY’s Society for Technical Communication Spectrum 2011 conference and was converted to an enthusiastic fan and follower.
Our keynote speaker Sandy Schussel’s blog Reaching is enlightening and powerfully inspiring.
Keep in touch with your network
Recommended reading on this subject includes the following two posts:
@TwitJobSearch
A job search engine for Twitter. Helping jobseekers and employers by finding and organizing job tweets. Join the chat on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/bcfu8E and visit http://www.twitjobsearch.com.
Education, it’s not always expensive and it’s sometimes free
M.I.T. Game-Changer: Free Online Education For All http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2011/12/21/m-i-t-game-changer-free-online-education-for-all/
Networking
Although the Internet will probably make up one component of your job search, the most effective way to find a job is through networking. You could answer dozens of ads, but knowing the right people can make all the difference in landing an offer. Plus, only about 15% to 20% of all job openings are ever publicly advertised in any medium, according to Quintcareers.com. Most job leads come through the grape vine, specifically, your grapevine. How’s your vine?
Network
Suggestions and more ways that you can network:
- Use your college alumni association
- Join a professional organization
- Join online discussion groups (consider relevant LinkedIn groups)
All of these participatory activities are good ways to meet people in your field. You can set up an informational interview with experts in your industry, get an internship when you’re first starting out (or willing to work for free!), and keep in touch with college acquaintances.
Send two versions of your résumé by e-mail. Many employers won’t open résumé attachments either out of laziness or fear of contracting a computer virus. Your chance of getting noticed: zilch. Go ahead and attach the document, but copy and paste a text-only version of your résumé into the body of your e-mail message to cover your bases.
Use industry-specific key words in your resume and LinkedIn profile so that search engines can find you.
Many employers dump résumés into a database and search for key words to narrow the field. The magic words are often job titles, skills, or areas of expertise related to the position. The best way to research your job key words is to look at ads for your target job and see the kind of language employers are using.
Resume reading http://portal.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2005/01/resume.html
Links of interest: news for job seekers in 2012
- Miller: 2012 will see growth in job postings, rise of “patchwork professionals”
- Tips for 20-something Job Seekers
- LinkedIn Got Me Two Great Jobs
Barrie…this is amazing. Thank you soooo much. I’m going to really get into the links when I’m gone from the agency and have time to really get into the information.
I cannot thank you enough for your support and your help. You’re not only the sunniest person I know, you’re one of the smartest (and I know a lot of smart people).
May I share your blog with some friends who have recently been laid off?
Thanks
Sheila
Posted by Sheila Pechman | February 1, 2012, 7:48 pm