Is the Resume Enough for Your Job Search?

As recently as 10 years ago, the only think most job seekers needed to prepare for their job search was their resume, and perhaps, a cover letter. Then, they would mail it or hand-deliver to the hiring company. Seems kind of archaic now, doesn't it? Today, the job search is much more complicated and hiring managers are using multiple tools to evaluate candidates and ensure they are finding the best possible people for their organizations. The Internet has completely changed the game and both hiring organizations and candidates are taking advantage of social media and other Web 2.0 tools during the hiring process.

Below is a list of things that the modern job seeker should have in his/her arsenal:

1) Cover letter: This is the most traditional document on this list and has been used as a complement to the resume for years. However, it is still surprising how often job seekers neglect to include a cover letter or don't use it to its full capacity. A cover letter is an incredible tool to make a personal connection with the hiring manager, which a resume must doesn't provide. Job seekers should be sure to create a cover letter and take advantage of the opportunity to stand out from the sea of other applicants.

2) LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the world's largest social network dedicated to professionals. As of July 2012, there are more than 200 million users on LinkedIn and job seekers can be sure that most employers will do a quick search for your profile at some point in the hiring process. The summary of the LinkedIn profile provides a great platform to show employers the value you can bring to an organization. Also, the recommendations from colleagues and clients are an excellent way to build third-party credibility.

3) Personal Blog: If a job seeker has a blog that is relevant to the industry they are trying to break into, this can be an excellent tool to get hiring managers' attention. For example, if a candidate were applying for a position as a financial advisor, having a blog that was centered on personal finance would tell employers that he/she was competent in the field and has a passion for the subject matter.

4) Networking Resume: Job seekers should consider putting together a condensed version of their traditional resume that they can pass off to friends and colleagues. Not everybody needs the full version and a one-page bio/resume combination has proven to be a winning tool for many job seekers as it works well for job seekers in the midst of person-to-person contact who want to avoid the hassle of tracking multiple sheets of paper. As clients rely more heavily on networking and other more personal approaches to their job search, the networking resume may even begin take the place of the traditional resume.

These are just a few suggestions to give job seekers a leg up on the competition. Those who are building a brand around social media will have an advantage over those who don't. As recruiters and hiring managers place a heavier emphasis on "social proof", job seekers who continue to just mail in their resumes will almost certainly struggle to win interviews.

And finally, if you are interested in hiring a professional resume service or looking for guidance on creating these additional career marketing tools, please check out Resume Mastermind at http://www.resumemastermind.com/.

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Get Hired Faster By Job Search Strategy

According to most experts, the average job search takes about five months to complete. Five months is a long time to spend job searching, especially if you are currently out of work! Why does the average job search take this long? One of the primary reasons is because most job seekers are using the exact same job search strategies. Most of them are using what could be called the "wait and hope" strategy.

The wait and hope strategy is comprised of three primary steps.

1- Search for jobs which are being advertised

2- Submit a resume for selected jobs

3- WAIT AND HOPE for an interview

This is the primary strategy used because this is the way we were all taught to look for jobs.

A Better Job Search Strategy

Most people are not aware that only twenty percent of all vacant jobs are actually filled through advertising. This fact is a real eye opener for most people. If only twenty percent of jobs are filled through advertising, that leaves an overwhelming majority of eighty percent which are filled without advertising. If a job is not advertised, how is it ever filled? They are filled through the hidden job market!

What exactly is the hidden job market? These are the jobs that are hidden from public view. For the job seekers who only look for jobs through the classifieds or online advertising, they are completely left out of consideration for these jobs. Considering that eighty percent of jobs are filled this way, they miss out on the majority of jobs that are actually available. This is great news for the job seeker who is willing to learn how to tap into the hidden job market!

Five Easy Steps

You can tap into the hidden job market in five easy steps. Here is a short description of each step.

Step 1 - Develop A Target List Of Employers

The first thing you need to do is to develop a list of employers who have the type of job(s) you are interested in, in the locations you want, and are employers you would like to work for. I call this list of potential employers your job opportunity list. This list of potential employers can be very long, or quite short depending on your interests and needs.

Step 2- Do Some Research

Once you have your job opportunity list together, use the Internet to do a little research on each potential employer. Use the company's web site to read about the company, it's mission, it's products, any current news, and most importantly, find a company directory. Use the directory to find out who is the director or supervisor of the department you want to be hired into.

Step 3- Look For Advertised Jobs

No, I haven't changed my mind. Advertised jobs should not be your primary means of finding your next job, but you should still spend a little time and see what types of jobs are being advertised in your area. Pay special attention to jobs advertised by companies on your job opportunity list.

Step 4- Start Making Contacts

This is where you can start separating yourself from the competition. Most job seekers just won't make direct contact with potential employers. They are not comfortable applying for a job unless the potential employer has put up a big blinking sign (advertisement) that says, "We have a job opening, please send us your resume".

Make direct contact with the employers and let them know about you, your qualifications and experience, and your interest in working for their organization!

Step 5- Be Persistent And Follow Up

Once you are making contacts and sending out resumes, you must be determined to follow up. Just sending out a resume and hoping for an interview won't get you hired faster than your competition. Have a consistent habit of following up with decision makers after a couple of days have passed. You are NOT being pushy by doing this, you are being persistent

Summary

As you can see, this is not rocket science, but it really does work. Tapping into the hidden job market will put you ahead of ninety-five percent of your job search competitors. Don't ever hesitate to make direct contact with employers. Employers like to use the hidden job market because it is much cheaper and faster to fill jobs this way.

Gary Hawkins is a Human Resources Specialist and entrepreneur. Find out more about his job search strategies and insider job information at [http://www.find-jobs-fast.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Hawkins
More Vacancies : career tips, job tips, umum

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Are You A Job Search Addict?

My name is John. and I was once a Job Search Addict.

I would like to go on record right now and say that all things considered, I have a great job . My boss trusts me to do what he hired me to do, I have a great office and above all, I am doing what I set out to do. There was, however, a time when I was not so happy.

Sure, I was still in the same industry, but I felt like I was working at a level that did not challenge me. I also had problems with the way my departments were run. Not to mention my bosses left little to be desired with regards to leadership.

It was during these years – yes YEARS – that I found myself descending deeper and deeper into a world of serious addiction.

I got hooked on job hunting.

In the beginning it seemed harmless. I was dabbling; just a couple times a week. But before I knew it, hunting began to take control of my life. First I was just seeing what else was out there. I would go to job sites and see if anyone was looking for someone with my skill level, and even then, it was only during stressful weeks.

Before long I was looking several times a week. Then everyday. After some time, perpetual job hunting wasn’t strong enough.

I began rethinking all my career choices. I went from someone who was so confident with their career path to a person willing to do anything to make ends meet. I felt too old to go back to school. I had come so far and starting over was not an option. Yes, I was becoming desperate.

It spiraled out of control. I began going to job sites in the morning, and then checking again throughout the day just in case the perfect opportunity was posted while I was away. Looking back on it the behavior was sad and preventable. I had no clarity. I only prolonged my woes by running into another position with the same issues. In the beginning it was great; new faces, new tasks, new environment. But before long I ran myself right back into the same situation. I thought I went dry, but within a year the hunt began to take control of me again and I was back on the wagon. Job Search Addiction (JSA), like all addictions, is terribly hard to shake for good.

This could’ve probably all been avoided if I had just taken a few steps back, thought about what I really wanted, and took a much closer look at what I was leaving and what I was running into.

The problem was that once I started telling myself that the company was bad, the department was run poorly, and that I wanted so much more out of life – my desire for more just seemed to take over. My job hunts ran on autopilot, and it was as if the more I reached for something better to come along the further away I seemed to push any good opportunity.
Now I don’t know why things work out the way they do. I’m not sure if we get what we need when we need it or if we make our own opportunities by playing harder and going further than the next guy. What I do know is that it is unhealthy and irrational to spend a good portion of your workday job hunting, and spending the time you’re not looking, thinking about doing anything else but your current job.

With that in mind, here are a few telltale signs that you might be addicted to job hunt.

1) You do a job search everyday. Same websites, but that doesn’t deter you. You still make time to do this everyday. Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

2) You begin to entertain jobs that you are clearly not qualified for. The end result is a waste of your time – and if you actually get an interview – a waste of the employers’ time too. You also start considering jobs that you are way over qualified for – even if they’re in the same field.

3) You start searching for positions that aren’t even in your area of expertise. Sure, you’re a trained engineer, but you’ve always been good with numbers so maybe, just maybe, they would be willing to give an honest hard worker like you shot. This is highly unlikely and spending an abundance of time on this type of search is a clear indictor that you have a problem.

4) You look for new postings at hours when no business in their right mind would post. The same results you got on those websites sites at 3 pm are the same ones that are going to be there at 10 pm. Companies just don’t have HR do these tasks in the middle of the night. Even the weekend are a long shot.

Sad as it may seem there is hope and with time and a little patience you too can overcome hunting. It may be one of the hardest things you ever do, but in the end you will be much better off.

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FREE FREE. Job Search, CV, Interview Skills Seminar.

Are you sick and tired of sending out CV for jobs you know you’re perfect for, but you get no response from employers?

Have you tried networking for job leads and found that it’s NOT working?

Are you worried you might have to take a lower-paying job if you don’t find work soon?

Then we have a solution and its FREE.

This coming Saturday, from 10Am to 1.Pm come and learn from seasoned HR managers for FREE on what it takes to make a successful job search in Kenya.

What will this seminar teach you?

First of all you learn how to prepare and go for an interview. What type of questions may come your away and the best way to answer those questions. We’ll also teach you how to answer questions if you have been laid off.

We will speak to you about how to write an effective CV and cover letter so that you can stand out from the rest. You will also learn how to get the correct references and from whom.

We shall also train you on how to present your skills to the company you are applying to during the interview stage. Depending on the type of education and work experience you have we shall tell you how to highlight your skills and present yourself as a package to the company.

Who should attend?

The people to benefit from this seminar will be individuals who have never worked before and don’t know anything about how to go about making a CV and basically looking for a job. People who want to change employers after many years and are not aware of current trends can also attend. And finally, People who have been fired from their previous jobs and don’t know how to get it across to employers can also gain a lot of valuable knowledge.

Date: Saturday 12th March 2011.
Time: 10.30AM -1.00PM
Venue. YMCA State House Road. Right up from the St Paul Chapel. University Way Round About Next to Main Campus Hostels
Cost: FREE, FREE….Unless you want to buy a soda or tea and some books for yourself.
Booking. We only have spaces for  50 candidates. Send your CV and contact details to Juliah Karimi Email: Juliah@staff-kenya.com to book  a seat.

Carry your latest CV and writing materials.

Organized by Corporate Staffing Services. www.staff-kenya.com. Recruitment and HR Professionals.

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How A ‘Chama’ Can Help Improve Your Interview Skills.How To Rise From That Small Job To The Big One.The HR Manager We Love To Hate!

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