Contenu connexe Similaire à Career Search Steps - Land your next job quickly with these practical actions (20) Career Search Steps - Land your next job quickly with these practical actions2. Style: keep it simple and clean
Step 1:
Update Your Resume
Content: keep it accurate and concise
Length: two pages generally, up to 4-5 pages
for technical positions
© Jason Fry September, 2013
3. Header: Name, city, state, email address, phone
number, and personalized LinkedIn URL
Update Your Resume
Unnecessary: street or mailing address, additional
phone numbers, frilly fonts
© Jason Fry September, 2013
4. Professional Headline:
Use key words to categorize your skills
Note: you can tweak the key words in your headline
for each job description
Update Your Resume
© Jason Fry September, 2013
5. Work History: be accurate, but highlight the skills that
are relevant to your targeted job
Ten years of work history is the norm, go further if necessary
to show additional relevant experience
Update Your Resume
Adapt your resume by restating your accomplishments using
the terminology in the targeted job description
© Jason Fry September, 201
6. Education: be accurate, highlight qualifications that
make you a strong candidate
Note: add in-school accomplishments such as GPA,
summa cum laude, honor society, etc., only if you
graduated recently.
Update Your Resume
© Jason Fry September, 2013
7. Technical Skills Summary
List computer applications, platforms, operating
systems, programming languages, etc.
Update Your Resume
Optional Resume Sections:
Useful when applying for technical positions, but be
sure you spell out how you used these tools in your
work history section.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
8. Education - Special Projects
For recent graduates, listing and describing your
contribution to research projects highlights experience
that could substitute for work history.
Update Your Resume
Optional Resume Sections:
Several research projects or teaching assistant
positions relevant to a targeted position could
substitute for one year of work experience.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
9. Associations or Volunteer Activity
These activities show an ongoing interest in the field,
and show that you aren’t just looking for a day job.
Update Your Resume
Optional Resume Sections:
Choose carefully which associations and which volunteer
activities you list, because you want this section to increase
your likelihood of getting invited to interview, not shut the
door to being hired.
Religious and political affiliations should be kept off the
resume unless they are extremely relevant to the job in
question; most hiring managers will avoid candidates who
seem likely to foment arguments.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
10. 96% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates, 94%
of recruiters use LinkedIn to contact candidates, and 92%
use LinkedIn to vet candidates.*
Step 2:
Promote Yourself on the
Web
65% of recruiters use Facebook to find candidates*
55% of recruiters use Twitter to find candidates*
Using social media websites opens doors to new jobs
Not using social media, or appearing to use it poorly,
decreases your chances of landing new positions
*source: JobVite Social Recruiting Survey 2013, http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting2013.pdf
© Jason Fry September, 2013
11. Go to www.linkedin.com and create a new account
Promote Yourself on
LinkedIn
LinkedIn walks you through a step-by-step process so
that you can complete your profile
Use your resume as a starting point for entering all of
your past positions and education
Send connection requests to anyone you’ve ever met, with
a personalized message:
“Cynthia, it was great to meet you at the Project
Management Institute networking event on Tuesday.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn and keep in touch. Regards,
Joe Applicant”
Personalize your LinkedIn URL and put it everywhere:
your business cards, resume, etc.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
12. Take it offline: watch for networking events being promoted
by your contacts or in your groups, and go meet people in
person
Promote Yourself on
LinkedIn
Join LinkedIn Groups that are relevant to your professional
objectives
Contribute to discussions in groups and in your newsfeed
Share interesting news articles or your own content in
groups and on your own profile
© Jason Fry September, 2013
13. Promote Yourself on
Facebook
Go to www.facebook.com and sign up for an account if
you haven’t already
Ensure your photographs and profile present an image
consistent with your career aspirations
Share an article on career transition once or twice a week to
remind your contacts that you’re still searching
Facebook is meant for personal connections, but recruiters
and hiring managers still may be able to see what you
share, so play it safe
Only say things that add to, rather than detract from, your
professional image
© Jason Fry September, 2013
14. Promote Yourself on
Twitter
Go to www.twitter.com and sign up for an account if you
haven’t already
Choose a profile picture that looks like you and describe
yourself briefly but professionally
Choose a “handle” (Twitter username) that people can find
easily and that is consistent with your professional image
Include your LinkedIn profile URL on your Twitter profile
© Jason Fry September, 2013
15. Promote Yourself on
Twitter
Search for people you find interesting, including
celebrities, academics, authors, activists, and people you
know, and “follow” them
Multitask with Twitter – login on your phone while you’re
watching TV, in a waiting room, etc.
Look through the list of people that your influencers follow,
and follow anyone new who looks interesting
“Retweet” what others say if it is of interest to your growing
audience, and “tweet” fresh content that you find
elsewhere or make yourself, e.g., pictures and news
articles
“Hashtags” are searchable terms; use them to find job
postings or topic-centered discussions, e.g., #jobs, #java,
#stl, #scifi
© Jason Fry September, 201
16. Promote Yourself on the
Web
Going further
Be interesting: pinterest.com
Be an expert: blogspot.com or wordpress.com
Be useful: github.com
Be present: foursquare.com or yelp.com
Be flashy: instagram.com or flickr.com
Be helpful: yelp.com, answers.com, ask.com, or
answers.yahoo.com
Be resourceful: wikipedia.org
Be entrepreneurial: etsy.com, cafepress.com
© Jason Fry September, 2013
17. In 2012, 5% of newly hired people landed by applying
online only
Step 3:
Network, network, network
!
The other 95% of people who found jobs in 2012 had to
know somebody
© Jason Fry September, 2013
18. Knowing people has always been the best way to find a
new job, but now you’re in the race against 50-100 other
applicants for each position
Network, network, network!
Getting an employee referral is often what gets you from
the stack of resumes to the interview
Employee referrals could be from a good friend or former
coworker, but could also be from your neighbor’s cousin –
it doesn’t matter how closely they know you, they just have
to say you’re worth interviewing
© Jason Fry September, 2013
19. Find Networking Opportunities
Network, network, network!
Search eventbrite.com and meetup.com for events,
seminars, workshops, and programs that are up your alley
Industry and alumni associations publish newsletters and
websites with calendars of upcoming functions
Nonprofit organizations have volunteer opportunities as
well as fundraising and awareness events
Ask the local career center for a list of events
© Jason Fry September, 2013
20. A Balanced Schedule
Network, network, network!
“Finding a job is a full-time job” – you will spend at least 40
hours a week on career transition activities
Set measurable goals, e.g., in one week, attend five
networking events, submit seven job applications, initiate
at least two one-on-one follow-up meetings, and share at
least three articles on LinkedIn and Twitter
Balance your schedule between job searching and your
other responsibilities, like family and existing relationships
© Jason Fry September, 2013
21. Choose Events Carefully
Network, network, network!
ROI: you won’t know until you land which contacts helped you the
most, but make an educated guess as to which events will have
contacts who can open more doors for you – it’s not about the
number of new contacts, it’s about the quality of contacts when
evaluated according to your career objectives
Cost-effective: the people who can open the most doors for you
may be at a $1000 per person fundraiser, but can you afford it on
your current budget? Choose the events with the highest ROI in
your price range.
Choose networking events based on cost-effectiveness and
forecasted Return On Investment
© Jason Fry September, 2013
22. Networking Events
Network, network, network!
Bring business cards with your name, professional headline,
contact information, and personalized LinkedIn URL – you can print
them at home or go to vistaprint.com
Bring a pen and jot notes on the back of other people’s business
cards – something you want to send them, a topic you want to
discuss with them, a common connection
Show up early and be among the last to leave
Most importantly, come ready to help others: make connections for
the people you meet, point them towards helpful resources, and
ask them good questions about their interests – not only will you
feel energized and positive about helping others, you will reap what
you sow when grateful people help you in return
© Jason Fry September, 2013
23. Networking Events
Network, network, network!
Ask other people what they do, then ask follow-up questions
Have your “elevator pitch” ready – 30 seconds of what makes you
unique and what you’re looking for in your next position
Walk up to people standing alone, offer a handshake, say hi, tell
them your name, and ask their name
If you’re in a conversation and you notice someone standing alone,
wave them into the conversation and introduce the person you
were talking to first, so that he/she can then ask the newcomer
their name and what they do
Give business cards to people after you’ve conversed with them,
so that when they look at the card later they will remember who
you are
© Jason Fry September, 201
24. Follow-up with New Contacts
Network, network, network!
Follow-through – if you told someone you would make an
introduction for them or you would send an interesting resource to
them, then do so within a day or two of the event
If someone said they would like to meet with you one-on-one, then
invite them to have coffee to discuss their idea
Send a personalized LinkedIn connection request to everyone you
met within one day of the event
If someone seemed to be a good connection for you in your career
search, then invite them to have coffee to discuss how they got to
where they are in their career and to get their advice
© Jason Fry September, 2013
25. Assume that any given job posting will have 50-100
candidates respond except for extremely niche skill sets
Step 4:
Apply and Follow-up
Recruiters are under pressure – they must find viable
candidates for 10-20 job openings per week
To increase your chance of getting to the interview stage,
you have to set yourself apart
© Jason Fry September, 2013
26. Going Through the Front Door
Apply and Follow-up
Plan to spend an average of 30 minutes per day searching for job
listings and 1-2 hours on each job application
Before you click “apply,” record the company name, job title, and
job number; if possible, copy/paste the entire job description into a
document and save it
Find job listings: the #1 job listing website currently is indeed.com,
other useful sites are monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and
linkedin.com/jobs
Before you apply, adapt your resume to the job description by
rephrasing work history using the job descriptions terminology;
highlight skills and experience that are mentioned in the job
description
© Jason Fry September, 2013
27. Going Through the Front Door
Apply and Follow-up
Before you apply, write a cover letter that describes your fit for the
job, mentioning the key qualifications
After you begin filling out the online application, save your work
often! You can usually take a break and come back to the
application later if necessary
If required to provide your target salary, assume this is the
beginning negotiation number and shoot slightly high; research
salaries for your target position on indeed.com and glassdoor.com
Remember that you are willing to relocate and travel – if the
company makes it worth your while
© Jason Fry September, 2013
28. Contact Your Connections
Apply and Follow-up
After you apply, you should contact:
Current and former employees of the target company whom you are
already know well
LinkedIn first-level connections who are current or former employees
of the company
Mutual connections of your LinkedIn second-level connections who
are former or current employees of the company
Tell your friends, neighbors, and other personal connections about
your recent job applications whenever you talk to them – you never
know which of your contacts might know a decision-maker at your
target company!
© Jason Fry September, 2013
31. Follow the Career Search Steps
1. Update Your Resume
2. Promote Yourself on the Web
3. Network, Network, Network!
4. Apply and Follow Up
…and land your next job quickly.
For more information, contact Jason Fry,
LinkedIn.com/in/fryjason
© Jason Fry September, 2013