Seven Job Searching Tips

These tips are not listed in any ranked order. I’m not saying that the first tip is any better than any of the others. It’s simply a case of something had to be first. With that said let’s dive right into these ideas intended to help you with your job search.

Staffing Agencies

There are a great many reasons to get connected with a staffing agency. I’m going to list four of the most common reasons.

1.    It’s a great place to get experience

2.    It allows you the opportunity to see if you like working at an organization

3.    Employers prefer to hire people who are already working, even if the job is a temporary or part time position.

4.    It helps you expand your network.

Training/Education

There is so much free education available on the internet that there is no reason to not learn the things you’ve always wanted to learn. For those few of you who have nothing you want to learn, there are always the things you need to learn for your career or perhaps there are some gaps in your everyday life skills. Instruction to help with that can also be found online.

Below is the path to follow to find a variety of FREE online training.

Below is just a small taste of what’s out there.

Go to www.onestops.com

On the left side of the home page is a gray box containing links. The first link is Employ Florida Marketplace. Click on that link and log in to Employ Florida.

Under Services for Individuals, click on the third link down. It’s titled Education and Training. Move the mouse across to the menu and down to the link for Online Learning Resources.

 

Scroll through this page and explore the different opportunities available.

When you’re exploring the open courseware of the colleges and universities, keep in mind that even though you aren’t going to get college credit for any of the courses offered, you may be able to use the knowledge you gain to test out of some classes at your local college. Paying for a CLEP test is much less expensive than paying for a class and it will take less time to complete.

If you want to explore what CLEP Exams are available you can go to https://clep.collegeboard.org/exam and start learning what CLEPs are available. Or visit the school you’re thinking of attending and ask them about how you can CLEP out of some classes.

Networking Organizations

Seventy to eighty percent of jobs are found through networking. While networking does include social media, it’s not exclusive to social media. We are still a society where face-to-face, real time, in person networking is important.

There are a great many organizations designed specifically for networking. Do your research and find one that is suited to your needs. Of course, that means that the first thing you need to figure out is what you are looking for in such an organization.

Are you job searching? If so, what type of employment are you seeking? Or are you planning on starting your own business? What kind of business? The answers to those and other questions will determine the organization best suited for you.

Some networking groups can be found by exploring www.meetup.com.

LinkedIn

While LinkedIn is a form of social media, its purpose is to serve as a networking resource for professionals. It can be used for business-to-business networking, business-to-customer networking and many people use it for job searching. While the majority of its users have college degrees this resource has tools to offer almost any job seeker. You can find out what’s going on at that company you’ve always wanted to work for and maybe even connect with someone working there. Those are the kind of connections that lead to jobs.

Community Organizations (volunteer)

Volunteering is a good way to expand your network. You meet people that, if you’re unemployed, you’re not likely to have the chance to meet elsewhere. These are the people with job leads.

Remember, no one wants to hire a stranger. People want to hire people they know, like and trust. As a volunteer you’ll meet other volunteers, some of them will be fairly high up the corporate ladder. These are individuals that not only hear about jobs that other companies have, they are also in a position to recommend candidates for jobs within their own organizations.

Volunteering also helps you keep your workplace skills sharp and who knows you might even learn some new skills that will help with your next position.

Build Your Network

Some people don’t think they need an active network until they’re out of work and start job hunting. That is not the time when you want to have to build your network from the ground up. If you are currently employed, now is the time to grow your network and not let it die. If you are unemployed and you don’t already have a network you’re behind schedule, get busy building your network. Once you find that next job make sure to keep your network active. Networking will help you move into that next position and then it’s your turn to help others in your network. It may be that no one in your network needs to find a job at the moment but we all know how quickly that can change. Stay in touch with the members of your network. It can be something as simple as knowing that one your network members is an avid bird watcher and you come across an article on a rare bird that was recently spotted. Send them a short note and include the link to the article.

Find a Mentor

Personally, I have many mentors, some I see in person; others aren’t even aware of my existence. Here’s a short list of some people who have mentored me without even knowing me. Here is a short list of some of my mentors.

Randy Gage

Ali Brown

Wayne Dyer

Stephen Covey

Marcia Bench

Donald Trump

While a precise definition of Mentor is elusive, in our society it has come to mean an adviser who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with others. It’s not generally a one-time event. With a Mentor you build an ongoing relationship.

Find people whom you admire, people who are successful and read about them. Learn how they think, find out what it is they do that’s different from what most people do and then emulate them.

It’s also helpful to have someone that you can meet with in person to talk over your plans and iron out challenges you’re facing. It may be that instead of a single individual you join a Mastermind Group.

If you can’t find a Mastermind Group to join in your area perhaps you should think about starting one.

As a short review here are the seven elements I’ve gone over here.

1.    Staffing Agencies

2.    Training/Education

3.    Networking Organizations

4.    LinkedIn

5.    Community Organizations (volunteer)

6.    Build Your Network

7.    Find a Mentor

 

 

 

Job Searching Stinks!

Job searching is never fun and when everywhere you turn you hear doom and gloom about your chances for finding a job it becomes even more of a downer. I’m not trying to deny that finding a job is difficult. What I am telling you is that you must keep looking and you must maintain a positive attitude and outlook. If you have limited your job search to looking in the local papers and the online job boards, you’re missing a lot of opportunities.  

Here are some alternative search methods: 

Staffing Services – Yes, I know you want a permanent full time job. Every temporary job I ever had through a staffing service, ended up being offered to me as a permanent full-time position. Some I accepted, others I didn’t accept. Even if the work you get through a staffing service is part-time, it’s better than no time. Click here to read the Five Misleading Myths About Getting A Job Through a Staffing Company. 

Networking – Yuck, that nasty buzz word. Granted, it’s an overused and often abused word. The reality is that whatever you call it, it’s a vital part of any job search. Learn to use today’s social media (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, etc.) to network. As with any tool be cautious how you handle it. Social media can help you or hurt you, depending on how you use it. Don’t limit yourself to social media. Go to networking group meetings and chamber functions. If you belong to a group like the Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, or any other service group, make sure your fellow members know who you are and what you can do. Don’t make a pest of yourself, however let people know. Also, pay attention when someone you meet is in the same boat you’re in, you may come across a job for which they would be a perfect fit. Click here for a site with multiple articles on Social Networking. 

Entrepreneurship – The Great American Dream is to own your own business. Believe me, not everyone is suited for running a business. When you start thinking about having your own business you need to do some honest self assessment. For an article on the top seven reasons small businesses fail go here.  

Employ Florida Virtual Recruiter – There really isn’t room here to explain the ins and outs of setting up the virtual recruiter in Employ Florida. What does a virtual recruiter do? Simple. It looks for jobs for you and then emails or texts you about them. Now, that I have piqued your interest, you’re probably wondering how you learn to set up your own virtual recruiter. You could go to www.employflorida.com and spend quite some time trying to figure it out on your own or you could come to one of the Volusia County One-Stops and attend the Take Control of Your Job Search workshop. 

If you have suggestions that might help some of your fellow job seekers, please let us know. 

"If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right. "

~ Mary Kay Ash

 

 

 

What Job Search Methods Are You Using?

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
                Training Coordinator

There was a time when job searching meant walking into a business that you felt could use your services and asking to speak to the owner or manager. After a brief conversation if the business felt they could use your talents you shook hands and the next day you started a new job.

Those days are gone.

In today’s world there are many elements that go into an effective job search. Here’s a short list of some of those elements.

Résumé – Make sure your résumé is up to date, not only in the work history and education areas but also in its formatting. Does the style résumé you’re using do an effective job of selling you? Is it too long? Is it too short? Have you tailored it to each job for which you’re applying?

Comprehensive Application – Think about all the information that you’ve been asked to supply on an application. Now create a document that contains all that information and make sure you have it with you when you go to fill out an application. Don’t forget to take it with you when you go for an interview because you may be asked to complete an application at that time. Having this information with you in an organized fashion will make completing an application much faster and easier.

Volunteering – There are many reasons to include this in your job search arsenal. One reason is that you can list it on your résumé and thereby show that you’re keeping your social and work skills fresh. Let’s face it if you’re sitting at a computer submitting résumés and job applications, you’re not using your work skills or interacting with people. Volunteering also shows potential employers you’re out there trying to make something happen instead of waiting for something to come to you. It also provides you with opportunities to meet people and expand your network of contacts.

Contacts and Relationships – Your network is a key element in your job search and if you’re not utilizing it you’re missing a lot of opportunities. It’s been said that 80% of the available jobs are only going to be found by networking. Don’t let the word ‘networking’ scare you. You do it every day whether you realize it or not. Basically, it’s all about making contact with people and building relationships with them. Think about it, if you were an employer would you be more interested in hiring someone you knew only through their résumé or someone referred to you through a friend? The obvious answer is that most people would rather hire the one referred to them through a friend. It’s even better if you meet that potential employer in a volunteer setting. People like to hire people they know, like and trust. The first step in that equation is to get known.

Social Media – Like them or not computers are here to stay and so is social media. I read an article in a human resource magazine not too long ago that said 89% of employers found 65% of their new hires through social media. Like any other tool, social media must be used with caution. Learn how to use the different varieties. Almost all the social media out there offers tutorials on how to effectively use it.

The reality is that while the tools for performing an effective job search have changed the basic concept is the same. Get known by those in a position to hire and convince them that you’re someone they need on their team.