You’ve just been laid off. What should you do next? What first steps should you take towards finding new employment? Here is some professional advice:
Put your profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a valuable job search tool because thousands of recruiters regularly search this social networking site for candidates who meet their criteria. Put yourself in a position to be found by a recruiter by placing your profile on this site. An added benefit of LinkedIn is that you can search for jobs on that site and immediately see who you are connected to who works for the company that has the vacancy. This allows you to network your way into a company instead of simply applying for a job online and hoping to hear from them.
Distribute your resume to people in your network and tell them what you are looking for. Particularly for people who you may have a worked with a few years ago, you need to give them a resume so that they can see what you have done most recently. This is also critical for references so that they can speak knowledgeably on your behalf.
Join/become involved in a professional association. A professional association is the best place to find people who are already in your field who have connections to organizations that hire people in your field of expertise. You can raise your visibility in an association by taking on a leadership role. Virtually all associations are looking for people to volunteer to serve on committees. Taking on such a task gives you deeper connections with others in the association that go beyond merely passing out a business card at a monthly meeting. People have an opportunity to see your work ethic and will be more inclined to recommend you for openings that they know of.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Do's and Don'ts of a Job Search Using Social Media
Do’s
Have a complete profile for all of the social media sites that you participate in. It is a good idea to have a blog or other URL that you can refer people to. If you don’t have a blog, you might create a web resume and use that URL on Twitter and LinkedIn where hiring managers and recruiters can learn more about your background.
Learn about the etiquette that is expected on each different social media site. LinkedIn is a professional site, so you should conduct yourself accordingly. Facebook is often a mixture of personal and professional, and because of the brevity of your posts (or tweets) on Twitter, you can use a lot of abbreviations.
Give as well as get. Be willing to share your expertise so that social networking is a two-way street. For example, if someone posts a question that you know the answer to, respond to the question so that you can be generous with your knowledge.
Be open to connecting with a lot of different people to extend your reach on social networking sites. The more people who know about you and what you have to offer is the more that you open yourself up to potential opportunities.
Don’ts
Don’t expect to find a job immediately just because you are using social media. You have to build relationships with people, and that takes time.
Don’t simply fill out your profile and expect to be found by a hiring manager. Get involved with each site that you are a member of so that you can get the most out of it.
Don’t wait for people to connect with you. Connect with them. Actively seek out people in your field that you can connect with. Most people will connect with you because they are on social media sites to network.
Find groups of likeminded people that you can join. Groups are a good way to find out what people are talking about and join the discussion. Participating in groups can raise your visibility.
Have a complete profile for all of the social media sites that you participate in. It is a good idea to have a blog or other URL that you can refer people to. If you don’t have a blog, you might create a web resume and use that URL on Twitter and LinkedIn where hiring managers and recruiters can learn more about your background.
Learn about the etiquette that is expected on each different social media site. LinkedIn is a professional site, so you should conduct yourself accordingly. Facebook is often a mixture of personal and professional, and because of the brevity of your posts (or tweets) on Twitter, you can use a lot of abbreviations.
Give as well as get. Be willing to share your expertise so that social networking is a two-way street. For example, if someone posts a question that you know the answer to, respond to the question so that you can be generous with your knowledge.
Be open to connecting with a lot of different people to extend your reach on social networking sites. The more people who know about you and what you have to offer is the more that you open yourself up to potential opportunities.
Don’ts
Don’t expect to find a job immediately just because you are using social media. You have to build relationships with people, and that takes time.
Don’t simply fill out your profile and expect to be found by a hiring manager. Get involved with each site that you are a member of so that you can get the most out of it.
Don’t wait for people to connect with you. Connect with them. Actively seek out people in your field that you can connect with. Most people will connect with you because they are on social media sites to network.
Find groups of likeminded people that you can join. Groups are a good way to find out what people are talking about and join the discussion. Participating in groups can raise your visibility.
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