Job Hunting 101

Job Hunting 101

Quite possibly the single worst job in the world is, in fact, job hunting. It’s monotonous, time consuming, redundant, and often unfruitful. Today I’d like to share the different methods and recommendations I have.

Understanding varying forms of terminology –

Most of us work in an environment full of acronyms and can often find ourselves, when speaking with friends or family that are not familiar with our working environments, having to break down those acronyms to explain them. Why does this apply to job hunting? Because one can’t be sure who is conducting the search or posting the job add. While you may think its common knowledge to put an acronym in the job positing, the author may have elected to spell it out in full term. Another thing to bear in mind is how often two jobs can have the same title and be nothing alike, while the reverse can be true as well with two completely different titles but identical responsibilities. When building your searches, you can use Boolean logic principles (basic AND, OR, and NOT statements) to cover acronyms spelled out and abbreviated as well as different titles that you are targeting. 

I advocate the idea that you should forget titles altogether when job hunting and instead focus on the tools, duties, and industry key-words. All to often positions with the exact same title can be compared and have nothing to do with one another; or flip it, and two jobs with different titles at different companies might be extremely similar in their actual day to day duties and responsibilities. By forgetting titles, you can make a more precise search. Unfortunately in LinkedIn, they have job searching only by title. My suggestion here is simple, keep a ‘tick-sheet’ of different titles you come across from a skills search from other sites.

Step One

Set up and check your voicemail and email often. It is amazing how many people have incorrect contact information on their resumes and how many people have not set up nor cleared out their voicemail inbox. I'm also surprised how many people use inappropriate voicemail messages and email address. There is nothing wrong with being your own person but if your email address is 'partyanimal666@..." it sends a message; likewise when your voicemail message is unprofessional you need to understand that it is our first impression of you. Just bear in mind, we need to be able to get a hold of you and if at all possible, form an impression of professionalism.

Job boards

Perhaps the most common and popular way of job hunting is utilizing websites such as CareerBuilder, Monster, Dice, Indeed, etc. Most of the websites offer several functions, and while I’m not going to pick one in particular for you, I will offer a few universal practices for making the most of your time on each. 

1. Create a profile – profiles can often help one with auto-filling information, tracking jobs one has saved and applied to, and offering 1-click-apply options.
2. Create saved searches – experiment and play with your wording and verbiage to find what works best and produces the best results.
3. Make search alerts – search alerts are key and important. I’ve often found that timing is one of the most crucial aspects. If a manager has 50 people applying for a job, and in the first 20 resumes he has 10 candidates he wants to meet, it’s unlikely he’ll even look at the last few resumes. If at all possible, try to be among the first. 
4. Update your resume often – beyond the Boolean (AND OR and NOT statements) search strings that recruiters use to find resumes, the job boards themselves will rank candidates by match and recent activity. Small tweaks and even just daily log-ins helps to keep your profile showing up near the top of resume results.

Recruiting Agencies

Now some people may know this, while others may be in for a serious awakening. Staffing agencies are out there to help you! We have better batting averages at applying for and getting to interviews. Those who use our services are more likely in getting the desired positions. The misconception comes from how people utilize our services. I believe some individuals talk to one recruiter at one agency and believe that every time a job opens up, the agency will reach out. Now most good recruiters will keep folders and do their best to pipeline in ways that make that possible. But, bear in mind if you’re speaking with only one recruiter at an agency, and he has a busy week of jobs coming in – it’s highly likely he won’t know all the positions and details of each. My recommendation is to use the agency’s website and create a search alert to review the postings. Being proactive with recruiters makes the recruiter’s job a little easier. Trust me, it’s better to be proactive than being ‘that’ candidate who requires hand holding. 

Relocating

Are you searching specifically to relocate? This is a big challenge as competing against non-local candidates. There are some options you have to at least get your resume turning up in searches. If you happen to know where you'd live upon moving you can use that address on your resume/candidate profile on the job board; as most recruiters use zip code radius searches, this will make your resume show up in your target city searches. If you do not know where you will live, you do need to be prepared to tell any interviewer your game plan of what you would do temporarily such as staying at an extended-stay hotel; pick that address and use it. The cautionary note I'd give, do not try to hide that you would need to relocate after accepting an offer as this will be an immediate turn-off to many employers. You can always write within your resume that you are specifically looking to relocate to a certain location as well. This won't necessarily help a recruiter or company find your resume but it will at least show the audience your intention.

Networking

Networking is arguably the most effective job hunting method, and it’s where the adage of, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” comes from. Networking is highly effective, but may also be somewhat tricky. A few tips to help –

1. If you don’t already have one, then be sure to create a LinkedIn account. While it’s far from perfect, it is one of the best professional networking sites.
2. Continually update, tweak, and improve the profile. Honestly, even just making minor changes in your profile is important. When you update your profile, it automatically prompts alerts in the news feeds. Updating the profile also draws attention to your profile, and will get others looking at it. The best way to continually update is to utilize the “pulse” tool and read and share interesting articles and don’t just blanket share but actually give input and say something about it, this can initiate discussions on your page which of course is a very good thing.
3. Join groups on LinkedIn and contribute to the group. While there are specific job hunting groups, what I believe is more effective is user and interest groups. Target the groups that are your professional target. You’ll find people of all different levels and experiences in these groups. Most groups have discussion boards and will post regularly. Give thoughtful input, this will draw attention to you in a positive way. Also, anyone in the same groups as you will have easy access to view your profile.
4. Ask people, friends, anyone who interviews you, and anyone you’ve worked with or for if you can add them to your contacts. The larger your network the more exposure you’ll have.
5. Join user groups. Now while most of this has been about LinkedIn, I’m going to ask that you try something new – get out of the house and meet people! Most cities offer free user groups based on your interests and profession. The website meetup.com is one of the easiest to navigate to professional user groups but a good Google search can often find you results as well. This can get you in a room with work professionals in similar career paths at all varying levels.

Social Networking

Believe it or not, if used correctly Social Networking can be effective. Now I could have thrown LinkedIn in this category, but honestly I want to focus on Facebook and Twitter for a few minutes. As soon as you become a job hunting candidate, you must be aware that whether ethical or not, you’re turning your life into a fish bowl. If you want to post unprofessional content, be certain you have your filter settings for “who can see what” set up correctly. I, for instance, have relatively private settings to keep anyone but my friends seeing what I don’t want to be public. 

1. The best way to utilize social sites such as Facebook for job hunting is to thoroughly create your professional content in the” about you” sections. 
2. Do your best to be professional in general, and utilize audience filters.
3. Don’t go overboard on asking or positing – “I’m looking for a job” type of posts. Instead, use the “Short Bio” section located on your main page. Keep it brief and to the point about what you’re targeting and looking for. 

Closing thoughts 

Job hunting may be a stressful event that most of us go through. While there are no guarantees to finding a job, there are best practices and ways to make tools work for you. A few final thoughts –

1. Don’t be desperate – be interesting. It can really be a turn off even if you are desperate. If you say you’ll take any job and do anything, it will sound as if you have no direction or drive to further your career. Instead, explain what you are looking for and why you are qualified for the position you are targeting.
2. Follow instructions – many postings tell you how to apply. Read closely, as sometimes the simple ‘click to apply’ is built-in by the site, while the authors may have given other specific instructions they’d prefer you follow.
3. Make boards, agencies, and networking work for you – utilize best principles and practices and remain proactive. When working with agencies and networking, don’t ask people to find you a job. Instead, ask what information they need from you to help them help you. Let them know you’ll be proactive and put in the work.  

My final thought and suggestion, and one most important to take away – job hunting can be stressful and even humiliating at times. Don’t get down on yourself. Treat each opportunity with new vigor and energy. Don’t let yesterday’s disappointment overshadow tomorrow’s dreams!

Check out my other articles on resumes, interviewing, and job fairs below;

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/resumes-101-john-perkins

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/interviewing-101-john-perkins

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/maximizing-job-fairs-john-perkins/