5 (online) steps to landing the job

you want

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Even when we have a job, most of us are in search mode—we’re consistently seeking new ways to expand our skill base, and to land a better role.

Create, ConneCt, share and Customize

W ith this in mind, we all need to find ways to stand out and ‘sell’ what we

have to offer to our employer of choice. This idea is nothing new, but the

ways in which we do this have changed.

Social media is being used at an ever-increasing rate to augment and refine the hiring

process and how you present online is (at least) as important as how you present in

person. For some roles, it is actually more important. So, if you want to stand out from

other job seekers, begin to think of your online presence as another kind of resume.

The five key steps to using both online and offline networking tools to increase your

employability are:

1 Establish your digital presence, or online ‘brand’

2 Create an employment profile

3 Bring job posts to you

4 Customize your resume to fit the opportunity

5 Talk to a recruiter

2

Q. have you or your Company suCCessfully hired a Candidate who was identifed or introduCed

through a soCial network or soCial media? (% yes)

2010 2011 2012

58% 63%73%

15% increase from 2010 to 2012

3 Source: 2012 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey

Are you really leveraging the power of social sites like LinkedIn?

establish yourself online

A t a minimum you probably have a profile page. But does it have a clear,

professional photograph? Are you a static user who never posts or joins

conversations? While having a profile is a good first step, it’s even better if you

work to become an active user within these professional networks by:

• joiningindustryspecificgroupsinyourregion/profession;

• contributingtothediscussionwithmeaningfuldialogue;

• expandingthenetworkofpeopleyouknow,includingconnectingwithrecruitersor

otherprofessionalsinyourindustry;

• followingandstartingconversationswithpeopleyouwanttoworkfor.

Once you’ve done this and you’re ready to invest more time and effort, consider refining

andexpandingyouractivityonlineby:

1 Cleaning up your “digital dirt”: this includes removing or altering any content

or posts that recruiters or employers might be able to access that damages your

employee ‘brand’ or reflects negatively on you.

2 Building a digital portfolio: set up a ‘catch-all’ page that hosts your resume, your

blogs, links to your twitter feed etc. and provides people with a well-rounded

picture of who you are and what skills you have.

3 Becoming more active in industry-specific websites, social media, recruiting

forums, blogs etc. Make sure people know how to find you. Be prepared to give

more than you get in social media!

4 Share content that is interesting and accurately reflects who you are and start

conversations or groups of your own.

5 Start following companies and leaders/specialists in your field that you’re

inspired by. This will help you better understand the organizations you seek to work

for, and will ensure you have a good grounding in the issues affecting your industry

when you attend interviews.

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175muSErS, yEt juSt hALf (50.5%) hAvE A ‘CompLEtE’ profILE

LInkEdIn BoAStS morE thAn

Source: Powerformula.net “portrait of a LinkedIn User” infographic; http://holykaw.alltop.com/portrait-of-a-linkedin-user-infographic 5

It’s a good idea to create a job board profile on one of the key sites in your market.

Create (and regularly update) your job board profile

A nd, it’s equally important to ensure you update and refresh it regularly. Not only

does this ensure it accurately reflects your current skills, it also means that your

resume will stay towards the top of the resume search results.

By ensuring that your resume keywords are searchable, and that you list all of your

technical skills, you’re more likely to be found by people seeking your specific skill-set.

Don’t forget to test that your resume is ‘print friendly’ and does not have margins that

force the viewer to waste time adjusting it!

Wherever you post information about yourself, ensure it’s up-to-date.

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there are many great tools available to make your job search as effective as it can be.

bring job posts to you

Many sites and apps will allow you to input specific criteria that will filter and

only send you roles that fit within that criteria via a mobile notification or

e-mail. Some of the most popular include:

• indeed.com: this is the #1 job site worldwide, with over 70 million unique visitors and

1.5 billion job searches per month it is available in 50+ countries and 26 languages,

covering 94% of global GDP.

• CareerBuilder.com: this site allows you to post your resume, manage your search

criteria and search for jobs in many parts of the world.

• LinkedIn: connect with employers and recruiters to see their job posts. Add

information about your skills and join groups, which will increase the number of job

posts you can see. Seek validation of the skills you list from those within your network

(this is an in-built feature of LinkedIn).

• Internship Seeker: search available internships by location or role type.

• kelly Career network: search for a job and create a profile on a streamlined job

search and profile management site, designed to help you find the job you’ve been

looking for! With minimal effort you can locate numerous job opportunities, sign up

for job alerts, and create and manage your profile. By completing a profile, you will

bemorelikelytobefoundbyoneofKelly’srecruitersforexistingjobopportunities.

kellycareernetwork.com

By following your preferred companies on Facebook and LinkedIn, you’ll also hear about

developments that might lead to job opportunities.

Another good idea is to actively research the ‘hot spots’ for jobs with your skill-set. If

you’repreparedtorelocate,orhaveexperienceworkingremotelyacrossregions,make

that fact a key feature of your resume and any conversations you have with recruiters.

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These are the markets with the highest concentration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics jobs across the US.

researCh the key markets for your skills

AtlAntA

bAltimorewAshington

boston

dAllAs

houston

minneApolis

seAttle

sAn frAncisco

sAn diego

sAn jose

8 Source: STEM Careers: Demand is up for Today’s Innovators, Kelly Services

numerous small research studies suggest that recruiters spend very, very little time reading your resume.

Customize to fit the opportunity

If the “under 10 seconds” rule is true, then your resume has to work pretty hard to

grab attention quickly. It’s also likely that the ability for recruiters to search online

resumes for key words has contributed to this small window of opportunity to make

an impression.

Only a certain percentage of resumes even make it in front of a decision-maker, so

it’s important to:

• behonest

• bedirectandto-the-point

• berelevant.

To capitalize fully on the 10-seconds-or-less that you have, tailor your resume to address

the focus of the role you’re applying for. Be specific about the skills you have that align

with the job description. Don’t just update your objective, make sure you customize the

detailsofyourpreviousexperienceasitrelatestothejobdescriptionyou’reapplying

for, and carry the theme right though the resume.

Yes, all of this effort does take time, but try this little test and see if it works:

Fold your resume in half. Does the top half (or first 10 seconds worth) sell you for the job

you’re applying for? If not, get customizing!

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69%of ALL AnnuAL hIrES ArE thE rESuLt of CAndIdAtES’ nEtworkIng EffortS

Source: Department of Labor10

recruiters can help you get in front of large organizations even when specific roles in your field haven’t been advertised yet.

talk to a reCruiter

Theyknowwhat’sonthehorizonintermsofexpansions,organizationalchange

and significant projects. Look for a recruiter that specializes in the work you

want to do so that they really understand your skill set and know what sets

you apart from other candidates. Be clear about your purpose and what you want to

achieve in your career so that the recruiter can be targeted in which companies they

approach for you.

Remember, networking is still a key way to find a job or internship. Don’t be afraid

to reach out to people you know who might be hiring, and to add recruiters to your

professional networks by approaching them directly with targeted, personalized

messages. Don’t just send the standard “I’d like to add you to my network”

message. Tell them why connecting with you is a good idea: research them,

know what they have to offer and sell the skills you know they’re looking for.

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Did you know that Kelly Services hires 9,100 new STEM (Science, technology, engineering, math) contractors every year? Last year alone, 28,700 science, engineering and technology contractors worked for Kelly at 98 percent of the Fortune 100 companies. Visit our job search site now: www.kellyservices.com

references• http://www.kellyocg.com/Knowledge/KellyOCG_Blog/A_map_of_STEM/• http://recruiting.jobvite.com/resources/why-social-recruiting.php• http://www.bu.edu/today/2011/how-to-use-social-media-to-find-a-job/• http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=362x465• http://www.quintcareers.com/resume_posting_FAQ.html• http://websearch.about.com/od/enginesanddirectories/a/indeed.htm• http://www.careerealism.com/best-apps-job-search/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+careerealism+%28CAREEREALISM%29• 2012JobviteSocialRecruitingSurvey• 2011JobviteSocialRecruitingSurvey• KellyGlobalWorkforceIndex2011• KellyGlobalWorkforceIndex2012• Powerformula.net“portraitofaLinkedInUser”infographic;http://holykaw.alltop.com/portrait-of-a-linkedin-user-infographic• STEMCareers:DemandisupforToday’sInnovators,KellyServices• DepartmentofLabor

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This information may not be published, broadcast, sold, or otherwise distributed without prior written permission from the authorized party. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. An Equal Opportunity Employer. © 2012 Kelly Services, Inc.

ABout kELLy

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly

offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing

on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly

provides employment to more than 550,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2011 was $5.6

billion. Visit www.kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, & Twitter.

Download The Talent Project, a free iPad app by Kelly Services.

ABout thE Author

Erin Kish is the University Talent specialist and Professional recruiter

at Kelly services. Erin’s focus within higher education targets key schools

and universities to gain valuable recruits for our customers. she is

instrumental in the development and support of building relationships

with university contacts to showcase Kelly services’ opportunities and

place their most sought after students. Erin holds a Bachelors of science Degree in human

resource Development and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in

Management information systems from Oakland University.

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