Looking for a new job is not as easy as looking in the Sunday paper. You don’t see too many now hiring signs in front of stores. Today’s job seeker needs to be prepared to use online tools to find, network and apply for jobs in every industry from construction to customer service.
Before you begin you need to know what type of opportunity you are looking for. What position or job title do you envision yourself getting into? This will help you define keywords to use when searching or using job boards and looking for opportunities online.
Using a job board like Creerbuilder or Monster is very similar to using Google or Yahoo. Your results are determined by these keywords and phrases. Thus typing in insurance in Atlanta, GA will return related positions in and around that area. This is usually the first step any job seeker uses to begin the process of finding employment.
Jobs are being populated through social media and it gives you more avenues to find something. Recruiters and companies are posting jobs on various social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. They are doing this to get in front of the mass influx of people using these sites and the power of people’s networks to receive great recommendations for their open positions.
Building your network is the first step in using these social sites to increase your job availability. Find friends, family, co-workers and people you have met at networking events. You need to build a core network and keep building upon it.
Use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as the cornerstone to your oline network. With LinkedIn you can answer questions, see your network’s connections and their lifestyle design patterns.
Twitter’s hidden power lies within their real time search functionality. If you defined your keywords like earlier noted it will be easy to cut through the clutter and see messages that are important to your career search. You can easily set up searches for music marketing jobs, or sales opportunities in your local neighborhood.
The only rule is to not use only one source, use everything. From friends to job boards to classifieds and social sites, the key is to look any and everywhere. The next best thing is to paint yourself as an influential person by creating content about your area of expertise. If you are a Gen-Y Entrepreneur, start talking about being a young entrepreneur.
By using this advice you should be able to locate more opportunities. Even in this down economy, people are hiring if you know where to turn. To land that interview you will still need a great resume and the basic job requirements. If you approach looking for a job proactively you will find yourself with a new career faster than your peers.