Online Tools and Your Job Search
I was asked to provide some help around using technology in your job hunt to 250 participants in the June 24, 2009 Passport 2 Success Event held June 24, 2009
in Greensboro, NC.
This event was sponsored by WFMY 2 Television as a community service. The idea was to have coaches from a variety of disciplines providing “curbside consulting” for people seeking jobs. Each person would pass through for about 3 minutes to get some headlines on how to improve their chances in looking for a job.
My one-page handout (in WORD) from the event can be downloaded here:
Tips for Using Technology in Your Job Search Jun2009
Although the handout is short, here’s a summary of the points I make:
- 85% of jobs are the result of networking – so use social media and online networking tools to your advantage.
- Make it easy for people to find you – and make sure that what they find online about you is employee-appropriate (don’t have photos or comments in your profiles that would turn off an employer).
- Make it easy for people to help you – have your resume and information email-ready. And be succinct and specific in your requests for help.
- Use online tools to research the best ways to describe yourself for the jobs you want (keywords) and to find out about employers.
I also think that LinkedIn is a must for job seekers — whether it is a full-time job, a consulting job or a temporary contract job. There are some great blog posts already out there about leveraging LinkedIn, here are some of my favorites:
Guy Kawasaki’s February 2009 Post: Top Ten to Use Linked In to Find a Job
I often find the About.com posts a nice compilation, here’s their take: LinkedIn and Your Job Search
Here’s a quick quote from the Guy Kawasaki post to help you get motivated on filling out your LinkedIn profile:
LinkedIn has over thirty-five million members in over 140 industries. Most of them are adults, employed, and not looking to post something on your Wall or date you. Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn. Most have disclosed what they do, where they work now, and where they’ve worked in the past. Talk about a target-rich environment, and the service is free.
« Twitter 101 | Home | Barbara Sher Announces Upcoming Events »
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.