career search steps - land your next job quickly with these practical actions
Post on 19-Oct-2014
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Career transition can be an arduous, frustrating experience. Follow these practical steps to land your next position quickly. This slideshow includes step-by-step instructions to formatting your resume, promoting yourself on social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, making the most of networking opportunities, and how to score interviews after you have applied for jobs online.TRANSCRIPT
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Career Search Steps
Land quickly by taking control
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Style: keep it simple and clean
Step 1: Update Your Resume
Content: keep it accurate and concise
Length: two pages generally, up to 4-5 pages for technical positions
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Header: Name, city, state, email address, phone number, and personalized LinkedIn URL
Update Your Resume
Unnecessary: street or mailing address, additional phone numbers, frilly fonts
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Professional Headline: Use key words to categorize your skills
Note: you can tweak the key words in your headline for each job description
Update Your Resume
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Work History: be accurate, but highlight the skills that are relevant to your targeted job
Ten years of work history is the norm, go further if necessary to show additional relevant experience
Update Your Resume
Adapt your resume by restating your accomplishments using the terminology in the targeted job description
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Education: be accurate, highlight qualifications that make you a strong candidate
Note: add in-school accomplishments such as GPA, summa cum laude, honor society, etc., only if you graduated recently.
Update Your Resume
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Technical Skills SummaryList computer applications, platforms, operating systems, programming languages, etc.
Update Your Resume
Optional Resume Sections:
Useful when applying for technical positions, but be sure you spell out how you used these tools in your work history section.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Education - Special ProjectsFor recent graduates, listing and describing your contribution to research projects highlights experience that could substitute for work history.
Update Your Resume
Optional Resume Sections:
Several research projects or teaching assistant positions relevant to a targeted position could substitute for one year of work experience.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Associations or Volunteer ActivityThese activities show an ongoing interest in the field, and show that you aren’t just looking for a day job.
Update Your Resume
Optional Resume Sections:
Choose carefully which associations and which volunteer activities you list, because you want this section to increase your likelihood of getting invited to interview, not shut the door to being hired.
Religious and political affiliations should be kept off the resume unless they are extremely relevant to the job in question; most hiring managers will avoid candidates who seem likely to foment arguments.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
96% of recruiters use LinkedIn to search for candidates, 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to contact candidates, and 92% use LinkedIn to vet candidates.*
Step 2: Promote Yourself on the Web
65% of recruiters use Facebook to find candidates* 55% of recruiters use Twitter to find candidates* Using social media websites opens doors to new jobs
Not using social media, or appearing to use it poorly, decreases your chances of landing new positions
*source: JobVite Social Recruiting Survey 2013, http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting2013.pdf
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Go to www.linkedin.com and create a new account
Promote Yourself on LinkedIn
LinkedIn walks you through a step-by-step process so that you can complete your profile
Use your resume as a starting point for entering all of your past positions and education
Send connection requests to anyone you’ve ever met, with a personalized message:
“Cynthia, it was great to meet you at the Project Management Institute networking event on Tuesday. Let’s connect on LinkedIn and keep in touch. Regards, Joe Applicant”
Personalize your LinkedIn URL and put it everywhere: your business cards, resume, etc.
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Take it offline: watch for networking events being promoted by your contacts or in your groups, and go meet people in person
Promote Yourself on LinkedIn
Join LinkedIn Groups that are relevant to your professional objectives
Contribute to discussions in groups and in your newsfeed
Share interesting news articles or your own content in groups and on your own profile
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Promote Yourself on Facebook
Go to www.facebook.com and sign up for an account if you haven’t already
Ensure your photographs and profile present an image consistent with your career aspirations
Share an article on career transition once or twice a week to remind your contacts that you’re still searching
Facebook is meant for personal connections, but recruiters and hiring managers still may be able to see what you share, so play it safe
Only say things that add to, rather than detract from, your professional image
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Promote Yourself on Twitter
Go to www.twitter.com and sign up for an account if you haven’t already
Choose a profile picture that looks like you and describe yourself briefly but professionally
Choose a “handle” (Twitter username) that people can find easily and that is consistent with your professional image
Include your LinkedIn profile URL on your Twitter profile
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Promote Yourself on Twitter
Search for people you find interesting, including celebrities, academics, authors, activists, and people you know, and “follow” them
Multitask with Twitter – login on your phone while you’re watching TV, in a waiting room, etc.
Look through the list of people that your influencers follow, and follow anyone new who looks interesting
“Retweet” what others say if it is of interest to your growing audience, and “tweet” fresh content that you find elsewhere or make yourself, e.g., pictures and news articles
“Hashtags” are searchable terms; use them to find job postings or topic-centered discussions, e.g., #jobs, #java, #stl, #scifi
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Promote Yourself on the Web
Going furtherBe interesting: pinterest.comBe an expert: blogspot.com or wordpress.comBe useful: github.comBe present: foursquare.com or yelp.comBe flashy: instagram.com or flickr.comBe helpful: yelp.com, answers.com, ask.com, or answers.yahoo.comBe resourceful: wikipedia.orgBe entrepreneurial: etsy.com, cafepress.com
© Jason Fry September, 2013
In 2012, 5% of newly hired people landed by applying online only
Step 3: Network, network, network!
The other 95% of people who found jobs in 2012 had to know somebody
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Knowing people has always been the best way to find a new job, but now you’re in the race against 50-100 other applicants for each position
Network, network, network!
Getting an employee referral is often what gets you from the stack of resumes to the interview
Employee referrals could be from a good friend or former coworker, but could also be from your neighbor’s cousin – it doesn’t matter how closely they know you, they just have to say you’re worth interviewing
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Find Networking Opportunities
Network, network, network!
Search eventbrite.com and meetup.com for events, seminars, workshops, and programs that are up your alley
Industry and alumni associations publish newsletters and websites with calendars of upcoming functions
Nonprofit organizations have volunteer opportunities as well as fundraising and awareness events
Ask the local career center for a list of events
© Jason Fry September, 2013
A Balanced Schedule
Network, network, network!
“Finding a job is a full-time job” – you will spend at least 40 hours a week on career transition activities
Set measurable goals, e.g., in one week, attend five networking events, submit seven job applications, initiate at least two one-on-one follow-up meetings, and share at least three articles on LinkedIn and Twitter
Balance your schedule between job searching and your other responsibilities, like family and existing relationships
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Choose Events Carefully
Network, network, network!
ROI: you won’t know until you land which contacts helped you the most, but make an educated guess as to which events will have contacts who can open more doors for you – it’s not about the number of new contacts, it’s about the quality of contacts when evaluated according to your career objectives
Cost-effective: the people who can open the most doors for you may be at a $1000 per person fundraiser, but can you afford it on your current budget? Choose the events with the highest ROI in your price range.
Choose networking events based on cost-effectiveness and forecasted Return On Investment
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Networking Events
Network, network, network!
Bring business cards with your name, professional headline, contact information, and personalized LinkedIn URL – you can print them at home or go to vistaprint.com
Bring a pen and jot notes on the back of other people’s business cards – something you want to send them, a topic you want to discuss with them, a common connection
Show up early and be among the last to leave
Most importantly, come ready to help others: make connections for the people you meet, point them towards helpful resources, and ask them good questions about their interests – not only will you feel energized and positive about helping others, you will reap what you sow when grateful people help you in return
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Networking Events
Network, network, network!
Ask other people what they do, then ask follow-up questions
Have your “elevator pitch” ready – 30 seconds of what makes you unique and what you’re looking for in your next position
Walk up to people standing alone, offer a handshake, say hi, tell them your name, and ask their name
If you’re in a conversation and you notice someone standing alone, wave them into the conversation and introduce the person you were talking to first, so that he/she can then ask the newcomer their name and what they do
Give business cards to people after you’ve conversed with them, so that when they look at the card later they will remember who you are
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Follow-up with New Contacts
Network, network, network!
Follow-through – if you told someone you would make an introduction for them or you would send an interesting resource to them, then do so within a day or two of the event
If someone said they would like to meet with you one-on-one, then invite them to have coffee to discuss their idea
Send a personalized LinkedIn connection request to everyone you met within one day of the event
If someone seemed to be a good connection for you in your career search, then invite them to have coffee to discuss how they got to where they are in their career and to get their advice
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Assume that any given job posting will have 50-100 candidates respond except for extremely niche skill sets
Step 4: Apply and Follow-up
Recruiters are under pressure – they must find viable candidates for 10-20 job openings per week
To increase your chance of getting to the interview stage, you have to set yourself apart
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Going Through the Front Door
Apply and Follow-up
Plan to spend an average of 30 minutes per day searching for job listings and 1-2 hours on each job application
Before you click “apply,” record the company name, job title, and job number; if possible, copy/paste the entire job description into a document and save it
Find job listings: the #1 job listing website currently is indeed.com, other useful sites are monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and linkedin.com/jobs
Before you apply, adapt your resume to the job description by rephrasing work history using the job descriptions terminology; highlight skills and experience that are mentioned in the job description
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Going Through the Front Door
Apply and Follow-up
Before you apply, write a cover letter that describes your fit for the job, mentioning the key qualifications
After you begin filling out the online application, save your work often! You can usually take a break and come back to the application later if necessary
If required to provide your target salary, assume this is the beginning negotiation number and shoot slightly high; research salaries for your target position on indeed.com and glassdoor.com
Remember that you are willing to relocate and travel – if the company makes it worth your while
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Contact Your Connections
Apply and Follow-up
After you apply, you should contact:
Current and former employees of the target company whom you are already know well
LinkedIn first-level connections who are current or former employees of the company
Mutual connections of your LinkedIn second-level connections who are former or current employees of the company
Tell your friends, neighbors, and other personal connections about your recent job applications whenever you talk to them – you never know which of your contacts might know a decision-maker at your target company!
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Contact Your Connections
Apply and Follow-up
If you know the person well, say something like:
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Contact Your Connections
Apply and Follow-up
If you don’t know the person well, say something like:
© Jason Fry September, 2013
Follow the Career Search Steps
1. Update Your Resume
2. Promote Yourself on the Web
3. Network, Network, Network!
4. Apply and Follow Up
…and land your next job quickly.
For more information, contact Jason Fry, LinkedIn.com/in/fryjason
© Jason Fry September, 2013