The days of having to spend hours driving around town applying for jobs have gone away. Finding a job isn’t necessarily easier but it is definitely more convenient for both the employer and its potential employees. Being able to search for and apply for jobs online has changed the way people job hunt. There are literally hundreds of job search websites that can search for a job is basically any place in the world. This is an amazing tool that we have for finding a job. Just today i had to take my car to get a tire patched and while i was waiting a young man walked in and asked if they were hiring. The employee said no and the guy left. His second mistake was that he didn’t leave a name or resume or fill out any application in case a position does open up and his first mistake was having someone drive him around town all day!!!!! You guys have to take advantage of the internet to job hunt.
However, don't rely solely on job sites. List the major players in your field and companies that you admire. Visit their sites to check for openings. These may not be listed elsewhere.
You'll find postings on other sites, too. For example, listings are appearing on popular blogs. Check blogs that address your industry. They're also a great way to stay current on industry developments.
Industry association websites also include exclusive listings. These listings may not be available to everyone. Or, members may be able to view the listings first. Join the association to gain access. Its functions are also a great way to network.
Also use social networking sites. Post that you’re looking for a job on your social networking sites and let people know what’s up. You never know who is looking and could either be looking for an employee to hire or refer you to someone who is. This is a great way to post a job wanted ad for FREE!!! The bigger the network you have the more effective it will be. You could get a call from a stranger looking to hire you because you are a friend of a friend of a friend. Trust me guys it happens.
Also don’t be scared to start a blog. They are a great way to not only let people learn about you but it also lets you talk about your passion. Blogs give you a chance to market yourself and let people see that you’re good at what you do. If you’re a mechanic and you have a blog with tutorials on fixing a car, that’s going to look great to an employer. So in the end the opportunities are endless but no one is going to do this stuff for you. You have to get up and do it! So what are you waiting for????
CLEAN UP YOUR ACT!
Once you begin marketing yourself and letting the world know about you, clean up your act! Many employers check these sites now to see what kind of person they are hiring. All it takes is a little common sense. If you found a potential employee on Facebook and his lasts post were pictures of him getting stinking drunk and making a fool of himself, would you still hire him? I think not. Remember guys you only get one first impression and no one is going to market you. You have to market yourself. That’s all there is to it. Seems simple huh? I wish it was.
Also remember to clean up your resume. Don’t just post a generic resume to any job you apply for. You want it to be clean cut but also job specific. As you grow and gain experience don’t forget to update your resume. In the end it’s the small things that’s will land you the job.
Here are a couple sites that always have great job posted:
CareerBuilder
Monster
Indeed
Job Compass
Some great social netowrkign sites are:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Ryze
Ecademy
Also any school alumni associations and old school mates are great ways to see how other people got jobs.
There are also many great sites to help you build a good resume. Google has great templates. All you do is put your info into the template. The job sites i listed also provide this service.
Come back for my next post- personal branding: who you are and who they think you are...
