To find work in today’s difficult labor market, the candidate must not only present an effective cover letter and resume, but he or she must also learn how to streamline the job search process. With the myriad of media in our world today, the candidate must be able to harness the power of newspapers as well as online careers and prioritize job opportunities for which to apply. Here’s how.
Use Online Job Search Engines
The goal of a streamlined career search is to push job opportunities to the candidate rather than the candidate spending inordinate amounts of time searching on his or her own. Posting a resume on popular online employment boards including Monster, Yahoo! HotJobs, Dice, and CareerBuilder is a good start. But to go a step further, point the web browser to metasearch sites such as Jobster, SimplyHired, and Indeed. These employment websites search newspapers, associations, company web pages, and career boards for available opportunities.
When registering on these career websites, be sure to sign up for RSS, emails, and alerts for new opportunities. This is where the “push” comes in – the information is pushed directly to the candidate. Also be sure to follow individual employment tweets on Twitter where job seekers can post a resume and search for employment in any city throughout the world.
Use Social Networking Websites for Employment
In order to speed up the employment search process, establish a professional online presence via social networking sites such as Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, and, to a lesser extent, MySpace. This is an essential task in order to expand the person’s network and to learn of new opportunities by word of mouth. For example, using Linkedin, click Jobs from the top menu to search for new opportunities not listed anywhere else.
Linkedin is a business networking site that links candidates, recruiters, and companies. Twitter is a micro-blogging website where people can post their status and availability for new career opportunities. Using Facebook, one can create a professional page devoted to the person’s career and add helpful apps that push opportunities to the candidate. MySpace users can likewise add an employment app from various sources such as SimplyHired.
Preparation is Key to Find a Job Fast
Being prepared is key to hastening the employment search. Have several copies of the updated resume on hand and post it on websites such as VisualCV, Linkedin, and Monster. Practice effective interviewing techniques daily. Create a targeted job search campaign using personal branding techniques and perhaps even a video resume. Prioritize openings for which to apply, then write a to-do list and check off tasks as they are completed.
So many eager candidates today are asking, “Where can I find work?” By leveraging online search engines, social networking websites, employing effective preparation techniques, and pushing new job opportunities to the person via emails and alerts, he or she can quickly speed up the employment search.
Daniel Gansle - Daniel J. Gansle is the author of 2012: Day of Reckoning, graduate of Anthropological Studies and expert in ancient Mayan culture.
