Is Your Job Search Firing on All Cylinders?

By Martin Buckland - Executive Career Management Professional

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The process used to capture attention in your career expertise and unique talent has changed significantly in the last few years. A job lead doesn’t fall into your lap! You have to be proactive in declaring you are sought after talent. Here’s my 5 tips to snag maximum attention and boost your job search.

1. Have a LinkedIn profile

Failure to embrace this platform is tantamount to eliminating yourself from contention as a viable candidate. LinkedIn provides you a forum to showcase your career history and connect with career influencers who could be your future boss or bosses boss. This platform also allows you to express your expertise to a huge audience at minimal cost sharing web-based materials, uploading documents and presentations, adding a link to your blog, or commenting on the blogs of others in your industry. Join groups pertinent to your career ambitions and introduce yourself when joining. Make a list of target companies you would like to work for and follow those companies on LinkedIn.

2. Have a defined career search plan

Maps have been around in some shape or form since the middle ages. They are to provide guidance and direction. Do you have a job search map to plot your path while avoiding all the minefields? You should. Clients who plan their job search campaign, pinpoint target employers where they would like to work and go after them land their next appointment faster than the job seeker who just applies to everything in the hope they land a “job”, not necessarily a “career”.

3. Network, network and network!

Yes for some in-person networking can be painful, filled with nerves and trepidation. However, with the slip in the number of advertised jobs, your willingness to accept and embrace networking is crucial to your job search success. There are networking groups everywhere - in every industry and function. Meetup.com is a great platform to hunt down networking meetings in some most unique and obscure professions. If you don’t find a group on Meetup aligned to your needs, be bold and start one yourself. Abide by networking etiquette remembering that first impressions count. Don’t botch a potential relationship by leaving a negative impression.

4. Update your resume to match current recruitment practices

Is your resume in a current format able to meet the scrutiny of both the human eye and the scanning application known as ATS? For more on that topic, click to read my last Social Hire blog https://www.social-hire.com/career--interview-advice/5232/tips-to-earn-a-like-from-the-robot-reading-your-resume. Are you selling yourself correctly, highlighting your accomplishments in a succinct and enticing story format? If not, perhaps you may need to reconsider your approach as decision makers take a mere few seconds (sometimes as quick as 5 seconds) to assess and screen your candidacy and an outdated resume won’t make the cut. I have critiqued the resumes of many individuals only to find during our discussion that they would have been the perfect candidate except their resume didn’t meet today’s criteria. How disappointing is that?

5. Check your attitude. Does it exude positivity or desperation?

Yes, a job search has many peaks and valleys, however attitude is a big factor in determining your candidacy. Would you hire a person with a negative attitude? I can tell simply by the inflection of a person’s voice over the telephone and in-person for the first time (by observing their demeanor, lack of smile and a weak handshake) their outlook on life. Even little things and gestures contribute to the first impression. Do you invoke excitement in making a potential employer want to engage you?

Ignite a fire in your job search strategy. Believe in yourself and know there is a job and new challenge awaiting you in the hidden job market. It just takes effort to uncover! Be a detective, use social media and your contacts extensively. Get busy, have a plan, treat a job search as a full time gig, have a positive attitude and smile. Most importantly, have fun…after all, first impressions count!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Martin Buckland, President of Elite Resumes, is a leading resume writer, career coach and job search strategist with a global clientele. Martin currently holds the following certifications: Certified Professional Branding Strategist, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Employment Interview Professional, Job and Career Transition Coach, Certified Job Search Trainer and Co-Pilot Executive Coach. Visit my website at http://aneliteresume.com/ .

 

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