Daily Archives: September 16, 2010

Finding a job has never been as tough as it has been in the last 24 months. Many job seekers have read and heard about as many job search tips and advice as you can imagine. So what should you do to effectively compete for the limited number of jobs that are available? The reality is that just because there are jobs posted doesn’t assure you that you will be selected for the position. We work with thousands of candidates and the 5 tips we will provide have proven to be the most effective.

Below are the 5 tips we feel are the best to help in your job search efforts:

1. Job search is a full time job. It sounds cliché but the reality is that a job search is now a full time job. Anything less and you are short changing the importance that a job search demands. Develop a job search strategy and follow it every day. You should have a plan to submit at least five resumes daily, make networking calls and personal phone calls to companies. Searching for a job is a personal sales job. You have to invest the required time in marketing yourself. If you don’t invest the time in yourself who will?

2. Resume. Your resume is the most important document that tells prospective employers about your qualifications and experience. Make sure your resume is keyword rich. There are online tools that can help you make your resume impactful. You can find different templates to choose from that best fits the style that is most appealing to you. All companies utilize scanning software so understand which words should be included in your resume. If your resume can’t pass the keyword test most likely you will not receive a call from the prospective employer.

3. Target. It is extremely important to know the job you are interested in. With so many candidates to choose from companies know exactly what they are looking for. Unless they state so in the job description companies are not looking for a “jack of all trades”. It is also helpful to let your recruiter know this as well. It is hard to place a candidate who has not zeroed in on a specific job. Which job should we be looking for on your behalf?

4. Don’t apply for jobs you are not qualified for. You will only heighten your level of frustration in your search efforts. If the job description is for a Medical Device Sales Manager and you have no Medical Device experience please do not apply. We all know of exceptions to this tip since there are people who will tell you that this is how they got their job.

5. Social Networks. You must embrace social networking as a way to improve your job search efforts. HR Executives and Recruiters utilize Linkedin™, Monster™, Twitter™ and all of these resources to identify talent. If you are not networking in this manner you are already behind the other job seekers. There was a recent report that suggests that 70% of all job placements have come through the use of social networks. Networking is vital in your job search efforts and you should not minimize this resource.

Let’s face it trying to pull together an effective job search on your own can be challenging. Feel comfortable in partnering with other job seekers to share best practices. You can also find articles on line that can provide tips and advice.