| When you're searching for a job you have to consider | | | | activities or hobbies you're interested in and which you |
| any and all available tools which will help you locate | | | | list on your resume. |
| employers and, more importantly, get them to notice | | | | · Request recommendations from friends, |
| you. The easiest and most effective way to find a job | | | | former employers and co-workers and business |
| has always been through your network of friends and | | | | acquaintances. You can do this by sending out |
| acquaintances. These people can help you find out | | | | messages requesting a recommendation and letting |
| about employment opportunities, and, more importantly, | | | | them know how you plan to use it, posting |
| can refer you to companies and individuals who are | | | | recommendations to their LinkedIn profile or sending |
| hiring. The most effective way to leverage your social | | | | them the text for a recommendation and asking them |
| network is through Social Media tools. These include | | | | to post it to your profile. |
| LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo to name a | | | | Twitter |
| few. | | | | · Create an account for yourself and make |
| This article will help you organize your job search | | | | sure it's updated with your personal profile. This will |
| efforts specific to your social network and then | | | | include summary of your work history and education, |
| effectively use the social media sites to promote | | | | and a summary statement which highlights your unique |
| yourself and locate job opportunities. | | | | talents and skills. |
| The first step in this process is to understand what | | | | · Tweet daily, or multiple times a day. Your |
| you're trying to accomplish. An easy way to organize | | | | tweets should include updates about your work and |
| your thoughts is to use the following steps; | | | | job search activities, but, unlike LinkedIn should also |
| · Define your Mission (it may be something like | | | | include information which your followers will find |
| "To find a job in my target industry which will use my | | | | interesting or helpful. This can include quotes relevant |
| skills, education and experience within the next 90 | | | | to your career or field of work and links to web sites |
| days." Make sure your objective is SMART: Specific, | | | | your constituents may be interested in. |
| Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound | | | | · Use the same search terms you used in |
| · Identify your Customers: Typically, these are | | | | LinkedIn to locate people with similar interests who |
| businesses which can benefit from your contributions | | | | may be able to help you in your job search. Follow as |
| to their goals and objectives. You'll be more effective if | | | | many people as possible by clicking on the "Follow" |
| you are more specific as to what businesses these | | | | button on their profile. When you follow someone they |
| are. You can use things such as a geographical area, | | | | almost automatically will follow you. Set a goal of 25 |
| specific industry, trade group and other criteria which | | | | new follows per day. |
| will help you better craft your message. | | | | · Research how to increase your followers |
| · Who is your Audience: These are typically | | | | using tools and techniques available within the Twitter |
| hiring managers, personnel managers and recruiters. | | | | community (there's lots of these.) |
| However, you may also want to think about other | | | | · Get your friends and acquaintances to create |
| individuals who can influence the first group to consider | | | | a Twitter account and to "Re-Tweet" your Tweets |
| you for employment. This later group includes friends, | | | | (they can do this very simply with a button on the |
| former co-workers, teachers or employers who can | | | | Twitter page.) |
| either refer you to a job opportunity or act as a | | | | Facebook |
| reference for you. | | | | · Create an account for yourself and make |
| · What is your Medium: Your personal website | | | | sure it's updated with your personal profile (this is |
| (if you have one,) Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo | | | | known as your "Wall".) Your profile will include basic |
| Groups, links on other web sites, email, printed | | | | information about you, your contact information, a |
| publications (your resume', cover letters) other | | | | summary of your work history and education, and |
| mediums such as newsletters of organizations you | | | | information about your personal interests, hobbies and |
| belong to. | | | | activities. You can also post pictures and web links to |
| · What is your Message: You have a unique | | | | your profile. Keep in mind that potential employers will |
| combination of skills, education and, life and work | | | | likely search for your page so make sure everything |
| experiences which enable you to contribute to the | | | | you post here is appropriate. You can designate who |
| objectives, goals and success of an organization. You | | | | can see your postings and can create both a public |
| will need to develop a collection of messages which | | | | and private profile. A rule of thumb is only post things |
| help you describe yourself and your job skills. These | | | | you'd want your mother to read. |
| will range from a brief description (140 characters for | | | | · Post to your Facebook page daily using |
| mediums such as Twitter) to an in-depth and | | | | information similar to what you posted on LinkedIn and |
| comprehensive listing of all your experience, education | | | | Twitter |
| and job skills (a complete resume' posted to your | | | | · Actively search Facebook every day for |
| LinkedIn profile.) | | | | people you may know and invite them to your |
| · What is your Job: To disseminate information | | | | network. These can include former classmates from |
| about yourself to your audience in order to obtain a | | | | both high school and college, friends you've lost |
| job. As described in an earlier article "Job Search | | | | contact with and former co-workers. Keep in mind that |
| Techniques - Using a Systematic Approach to Finding | | | | Facebook is focused more on friends and family. |
| a Job in 90 Days", this should be a well organized set | | | | These are the best sources of referrals to job |
| of activities which you execute every day. | | | | opportunities. As with the other sites, the more |
| So, once you figure each one of these items out, what | | | | connections in your network the greater the chance |
| do you do next? Very simply, your Job is to execute | | | | you'll have of someone referring you to a job |
| on the Mission by providing your Message via your | | | | opportunity |
| Medium to your Audience for the benefit of your | | | | · Give to Get: post to other people's walls (their |
| Customers. | | | | profile pages) so they'll be inclined to post to yours. |
| Here are some suggestions as to how you do this, | | | | Comment on their postings which will draw them and |
| using several of the popular Social Networking web | | | | their connections to your wall. The more you post the |
| sites. | | | | greater exposure you'll have to both your network and |
| LinkedIn | | | | the networks of people you know. |
| · Create an account for yourself and make | | | | · Get creative with your profile pictures: |
| sure it's updated with your personal profile. This will | | | | Change them frequently so people will visit your wall. |
| include brief summary of your work history and | | | | Yahoo Groups |
| education, a summary statement which highlights your | | | | · Create an account for yourself and fill out |
| unique talents and skills followed by a detailed | | | | your personal profile (this is much more limited than on |
| description of your work experience and education. | | | | the other sites.) You can post a picture of yourself if |
| The later is essentially your resume'. | | | | you choose to. |
| · In the Contact Settings of your profile, select | | | | · Post to your Yahoo page daily using |
| "Career opportunities" and "Expertise requests." | | | | information similar to what you posted on LinkedIn, |
| · Post to this every day. Your posts should be | | | | Twitter and Facebook |
| updates about what you're doing (related to work) and | | | | · Actively search Yahoo every day for people |
| what's going on relative to your job search. This will let | | | | you may know and invite them to your network. |
| your connections know that you're actively looking for | | | | These can include former classmates from both high |
| a new position | | | | school and college, friends you've lost contact with and |
| · Actively search LinkedIn every day for | | | | former co-workers. |
| people you can link to and invite them to your network. | | | | · Search for Yahoo Groups you'd like to |
| These can include former classmates from both high | | | | belong to. You can use key search terms such as the |
| school and college, friends you've lost contact with, | | | | name of your schools, former employers, the industries |
| former co-workers and members of LinkedIn Groups | | | | you're interested in, companies you'd like to work for |
| you belong to. You can use key search terms such as | | | | and the area you live in. Many of these groups have |
| the name of your schools, the industry you're | | | | job related sub groups which have new job postings |
| interested in, companies you'd like to work for and the | | | | daily. Make sure you join both the main group and the |
| area you live in. You'll find people who you know or | | | | jobs sub group. |
| who may be interested in the same things you are. | | | | · Once you've joined a Yahoo Group, post to |
| The more connections in your network the greater the | | | | the group page. Ask a question or suggest a |
| chance you'll have of someone referring you to a job | | | | discussion topic in your posts. Examples include |
| opportunity. | | | | "Describe what you do in exactly 7 words" and "What |
| · Search for groups using the same terms. Join | | | | was the most helpful technique you used to find your |
| them so they will see your posts. Post to the group | | | | last job?" (This technique works really well with |
| pages. Ask a question or suggest a discussion topic in | | | | LinkedIn groups as well.) You'll get lots of responses |
| your posts. Examples include "Describe what you do in | | | | from this and hence, lots of exposure. |
| exactly 7 words?" and "What was the most helpful | | | | By employing the techniques described in this article, |
| technique you used to find your last job?" (This | | | | you'll expose a large number of people to yourself and |
| technique works really well with Yahoo groups as | | | | your job hunting efforts. This will increase the chance |
| well.) You'll get a lot of responses from this and hence, | | | | of hearing about an employment opportunity through |
| a lot of exposure. | | | | your network or, even better, being referred to a |
| · Add links to your page to sites which will | | | | position by one of your friends or acquaintances. This |
| provide additional background about your skills and | | | | is by far the best way to not only find a job, but to |
| experiences. These can include former employer web | | | | position you ahead of the other applicants. |
| pages, professional organizations you belong to and | | | | |