Hard time in your job search? Time to get tough with these stragety tips.

If you have been making no traction in your job search, it’s time to get serious. As this article says, make looking for a job your job until you succeed.

From http://www.youtern.com–The SavvyIntern:

1 ) Appoint a Job Search ‘Buddy’
2 ) Number of Articles to Be Read Weekly
3 ) Number of Networking Events to Be Attended Weekly
4 ) Number of Educational Events to Go to Monthly
5 ) Number of Volunteer Hours Per Month
6 ) Number of Member Organizations To Belong To
7 ) Number of Informational Interviews Per Week
8 ) Number of Friends To Talk To Per Week
9 ) Follow Up On Sent Applications
10 ) Focus Your Resume on Key Themes

Read the entire article. Good advice, great wisdom!

10 Bullet-Proof Job (and Internship) Search Strategy Tips

TMC Alumni Connect thru LinkedIn.com

TMC Grads! Facebook is not enough–for professional interactions that is. You MUST be on LinkedIn.com. And once there, join The Master’s College Alumni group. Ever since our Online Alumni Community database died, we’ve been unable to follow and help one another, except within the limits of FB. For more information on LinkedIn, email me at CareerServices@masters.edu.

Job Seekers: Check Your Online Presence!!

Last weekend I was conducting a workshop on job search skills for college graduates. The audience was great… they listened, asked good questions and even laughed when I thought I was being funny. One thing became very clear: college students and recent graduates, although (very) frequent users of social media sites, do not realize the impact of what they put online. Recent surveys have reported that over 70% of American hiring managers DO check to see what job candidates put online and job offers are rescinded if they don’t like what they see. Specifically… An email address should be a professional one and your name and cell phone number should be included in the signature line.  Be very careful what you put in an email: the “e” in email stands for evidence and everlasting. Facebook accounts including the profile need to be clean!  Remove anything that a grandmother would not mind seeing. Adding the privacy settings are not enough: you need to make sure that the people you are connected to have your best interests at heart. I was just friended by someone who has over 1,600 “friends”.  I don’t know if anyone has 1,600 people they can truly trust in their lives. On to Twitter. Do not tweet that you were late for work or that you hate your boss… it will be seen.  Do not tweet anything that will make you look less than professional. Be sure that any blogging is done in good taste. The grandmother standard is a good one to use here as well.

Using LinkedIn Connections for Job Searching

If you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be.  Surveys consistently show that using personal connections is by far the most effective way to get–not just a job, but a good career-type job.  In the olden days executives would keep business cards in a Rolodex file. Today, they are kept digitally. With LinkedIn you have not just to your own business cards, but cards of your contacts and their contacts. You can easily have potential access to over 1 million individuals.

Basic membership at www.LinkedIn.com is free.

The video in this link from the NewGradLife blog shows how to get an interview (and, then, a job) using LinkedIn.

Jobs on LinkedIn are easier to find than you think

How’s your handshake?

Apparently running out of really important issues to research, the University of Manchester in northwest England has defined the perfect handshake.

“The rules for men and women are the same: right hand, a complete grip and a firm squeeze (but not too strong) in a mid-point position between yourself and the other person, a cool and dry palm, approximately three shakes, with a medium level of vigor, held for no longer than two to three seconds, with eye contact kept throughout and a good natural smile with a slow offset with, of course, an appropriate accompanying verbal statement, make up the basic constituent parts for the perfect handshake.”

A formula for the perfect handshake

Once again, networking is key to success!

According to one recent study, in 2009 more than half of all job openings were filled by workers already employed in the business. Of outside hires, most came through personal referrals.

“What the findings indicate, says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, is that networking is the most effective strategy for landing employment. “Job seekers should use job board and corporate sites to find information about openings, but they should use their network to apply,” says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads.”

What this means is first, develop and use a network! The Career Guy points TMC students and grads to the Online Alumni Community, LinkedIn, and your local circle of friends and associates. Almost 1100 TMC students and graduates are now in LinkedIn, many of them in key positions or with contacts in key positions.

Also, consider taking a lower-paying job or one with fewer responsibilities than you might desire, as this survey shows that you have a good chance of moving up once you get in. Read the brief article:

Internal Hires, Referrals Were Most Hired in 2009

Career Guy is available for all manner of career direction and helps for TMC students, graduates, families and friends of TMC.

How does the hiring process work?

The Wall Street Journal online today had an interesting article that explains how–for some companies–the hiring process works, what goes on behind the scenes.

It’s interesting reading for job seekers. Pay particular attention to the benefit of the referral. A personal recommendation enables job-seekers to bypass much of the normal screening process.

How the Hiring Process Really Works

What is an Elevator Pitch and Why is it Important?

Many of us have 1-, 5- and 15-minute testimonies, for witnessing to people based on the amount of time we have with them.  Same thing with networking, meeting people and interviews.  Read this article by Richard Mitchell of GottaMentor.com about making the most of your opportunities in the area of careers.

What is an Elevator Pitch and Why is it Important?

Your New Job Just a ‘Tweet’ Away!

More companies are tweeting for hires.

As online job board have grown crowded amid the recession, many big companies, including Microsoft, Verizon, Raytheon and MTV, now list job openings on the Twitter microblogging site.

For employers, Twitter—where users post updates, or “tweets,” of no more than 140 characters—offers one more way to find and attract candidates, and a cheaper alternative to big online job boards. It also helps companies target social-media-savvy job hunters and convey an innovative image. For job seekers, Twitter offers the chance to interact one-on-one with companies’ recruiters and can be more convenient than job boards.

But be careful what you tweet or post in online media!  Recently a follower of Verizon’s jobs feed tweeted to the company something along the lines of, “Hey dude, you got any jobs in California?” says Mr. Zulfiqar.  That didn’t impress anyone at Verizon.

Read the whole article by Sarah Needleman of the Wall Street Journal here: Your New Job Just a ‘Tweet’ Away!

New Rules for Job Applicants

Today, all adults need to see themselves as job applicants, whether they currently have a job or not. Unemployment respects no one in this tough economy. You could be an applicant as soon as tomorrow, so it is important that you realize that the rules have changed. It’s an employers’ market, and hiring managers hold all the keys.

Read the whole article by Mary Hunt in Crosswalk.com.

New Rules for Job Applicants