Six Ways For Passive Candidates To Stay Active In Their Job Search

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Mark

You have a job so you are set, right? Wrong! Given the uncertainties of today’s economy and job market, does anyone truly have 100% job security?

The goal is to become a passive job seeker. This is someone who is currently working and not necessarily looking for something new—but would consider a great opportunity if one comes along. Top recruiters are always looking for the best candidate to fill open positions, and often the perfect person already has a job.

Becoming a passive candidate also makes it easier to get a new job if you suddenly lose your current one.

Here are somethings to keep in mind for as a passive job seeker.

1. Keep your social media networks up-to-date.

Whether you are an IT person or a teacher, it is important that you stay current with your social media. This is how recruiters and employers are going to find you. That being said, keep your profiles and messages professional. There is nothing worse than a a recruiter or employer checking you out on Facebook and seeing all your pictures are of you partying.

The most important of these networks is LinkedIn. Keep your resume and contact information visible and current.

2. Position yourself as an industry expert.

Create an industry specific blog that is constantly updated, join and participate in industry specific LinkedIn groups and post interesting content on Twitter and Facebook. This make you look like you are an expert, and by doing research you will learn more about your industry. Employers like to hire experts, and recruiters are constantly looking for them as well.

3. Get involved in your industry’s top associations.

Join professional groups and organizations that are specific to your industry. If you are in public relations and you are not in PRSA, you should be. Joining these groups, staying active and becoming a leader looks will make you stand out from the crowd. You are also more likely to hear about “hidden” opportunities. And you will cultivate a great network for mutual referrals and recommendations.

You can find these groups by asking around, or use Meetup.com to search by industry-related keywords.

4. Always network!

Continue to network with your peers. Even if you are happy with the job you have, do not stop networking. Expand you network. Some of

In a world where who you know is sometimes better than what you know, networking remains the most important activity to engage in regularly.the best jobs are not advertised, and an employee referral may be the only way to get an interview.

There you have it! No one wants to face the day when they are suddenly out of a job, but if you follow these simple rules, you shouldn’t have to be without one for long. And who knows, you may even find something better.

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Top 5 Ways To Get Found By Recruiters On LinkedIn

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Heather Arcia

For recruiters today, social media sites like LinkedIn offer a new way to find the ideal candidates for our clients. LinkedIn is a great way to make your resume interactive. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn gives you the chance to highlight your professional experience while growing your network.

Recruiters, hired by your “dream company,” are on LinkedIn all day looking for people to fill positions! Help make it easy for recruiters to find you by enhancing your profile with these top five essential items.

1-Beef Up Your Summary

Your summary will serve as a cover letter to a potential recruiter or employer. This section allows you to brag about yourself. Give your background and what you want to achieve. Recruiters will go here first to get a glimpse of who you are. Use keywords to make it easy to find you. For example, if you are a marketing professional, use industry buzzwords like “SEO,” “SEM,” “AdWords,” “Branding,” etc. If you have certifications, fit them into this category as they may be keywords that a recruiter is searching for specifically. You should also repeat these in the Skills section.

2-Include A Complete Resume

Having a current resume on your profile allows recruiters to look through your experiences and education without needing to contact you. Offering a resume as an optional download makes you stand out as well. Fill your resume with keywords for the position you are looking for, and make sure your job titles and lengths at each position are clearly listed. If there are any gaps, try to fill them with relevant projects (e.g., March-June 2008: Continued Studies).

3-Get Recommendations

Ask for recommendations from a few of your past and current clients, colleagues or direct supervisors. Having these “public” references gives you the opportunity to highlight consistent work talents and ethics and to display your ability to build professional relationships. For example, if organization and timeliness are consistent strengths, an Interviewer will glean this insight from multiple references. It’s a chance to shine! Quick Tip: If you plan to use these recommendations as references when actively applying for a job, it is a good idea to reconnect with these contacts and give them notice that they may be contacted by John Smith with SoAndSoCo so that they are not completely caught off guard.

4-Include Your Contact Information

If you are actively looking for a job, provide a method of contact. Every day that goes by trying to contact you is a day someone else is ahead of you for the job. Provide several ways for recruiters and potential employers to get in touch with you, and actively check and respond to any messages.

5-Use a Professional Picture

Including a profile picture is important. Remember, this is not Facebook. Your profile picture should be professional. It is best to use a head shot you’d be comfortable sharing with your boss. Profile pictures make you stand out and show effort: they are an important part of profile completion.

Link In, Update Your Profile And Stand Out

When looking for a new job, use your LinkedIn profile as a tool to land your dream job. Don’t get overlooked with an incomplete profile. Use these five tips to stand out among the crowd and watch your career opportunities open up!

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Use Social Media To Find Your Next Job

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Suzanne

With the growth in social media, it was only a matter of time until job seekers turned to these sites to find their next careers. If you think that all of your profiles should be private and just for your friends, here is an interesting fact: 1 in 6 job seekers found their last job through an online social network. That includes Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

I am going to give you some tips on how to use the big three sites, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, to find your next job.

Facebook

44% of job search activity happens on Facebook. Facebook is used for networking, which is a great way to get a job. Your friends or their friend (or friends of their friends) may work somewhere that is hiring. Post something on your wall about looking for job, and if you have a good network, chances are you will get comments letting you know who may be hiring.

Also, Facebook creators have developed an app called Work For Us. This app allows companies to post their current job openings on their Facebook fan pages. This is good news for job seekers using Facebook because all you have to do is upload a resume.

Twitter

Follow the right people, because you never know who might read your tweets. With that being said, tweet relevant information about the industry you are trying to get into. Keep up-to-date on industry trends and technology, and add your insights on these topics to attract attention.

Also, follow industry-related hashtags, recruiters in your field and job posting accounts where you live or want to live, i.e. @charlottejob and @jobslosangeles. Keeping up with these will allow you to see job postings.

LinkedIn

First, make sure you have a complete profile. This includes having a professional picture, education, skills, past experience and a brief summary of who you are. Try to get a recommendation (or several) for some of your past experiences. This is like a reference and will help when you apply for a job.

Join LinkedIn user groups in your relevant field. By joining these, you will get access to the contacts in the groups, which will grow your network and give you the ability to contact them for potential jobs.

Companies also post their job openings on their company pages, which makes it easy to find and apply.

To Sum Up

Remember, social media sites are not just for hanging out and communicating with your friends. They are also essential tools for networking during your job search. By following these easy tips, you will be able to find jobs by using social media.

These stats were borrowed from What Social Network Has Most Job Search Activity? Inforgrafic.

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Are You Hiring A Players?

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Kathy Gwozdz

Most companies start small, with a few people wearing multiple hats. But as companies start to grow, they need new talent to fulfill responsibilities that can no longer be handled by only a few people. While growth is exciting, it can blind a hiring manager and completely rob the company of future success. Key hires are essential to continuing an organization’s growth and success. You need A players.

These A players often get lost when companies rush to fill roles. This is likely the mistake of nearly every mid-sized company that fails. In an effort to continue growth, managers make the mistake of thinking that hiring more people—rather than the right people—will lead to effective company growth. Often times, less is more.

An A player is described by Dr. Bradford Smart—in his book Topgrading —as someone in the top 10% of skill in their compensation range. He mentions that A players can be found in any pay range, so don’t assume you cannot afford A players.

In order to hire A players, look for people—whether already inside your organization or candidates applying for a position—who can create focused, collaborative and results-driven teams. These people facilitate creativeness in others, relay a strategically sound vision and work at an extremely high energy level. The best part of an A player is that they hire other A players when placed in a management position.

By hiring these types of employees, you are establishing a positive and sustainable impact on the work environment inside your organization, which will soon reflect outwardly. By not settling for C players or even B players, your current employees will start to take notice. Those who are not quite yet A players, will either step it up or find other opportunities. Smart hiring challenges employers to take a long-term success approach and this starts with the team that makes your company run.

Of course, hiring any people, especially A players, takes time and effort. A small company or even some mid-sized companies may not be able to spend such a concentrated effort on finding these A players to help solidify their companies future success. Many of these companies do take advantage of working with recruiters whose job is to find A players.

Hiring a recruiting agency to focus on this very important task could be an option. If you are concerned with this idea because of cost, just consider the hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted on one mis-hire and the long term effects it will have on your organization. These agencies know where the A players are and can weed out the candidates who will not better your organization in the long run.

When a company is only as successful as the people who are inside it, doesn’t it just make sense to only hire A players?

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How to Write a Good Recommendation on Linkedin

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Tom

Having a Linkedin profile is a must for people these days. Your profile is the best way for potential employers and potential business partners to find you. Recommendations are a great way for decision makers to find out about you without searching too much. Top recruiters use Linkedin daily to find top tier talent.

Knowing how to write a good recommendation is essential in helping out coworkers, friends and employees. If done properly, a recommendation can do wonders. A good recommendation is selling a person.

There are a couple of rules to follow when preparing to write a recommendation.

  1. If you do not know someone well, do not write one for them! You can definitely tell when a profile has a cookie cutter recommendation on it.
  2. Try not to be too broad. Most people will have one or two areas that they know in-and-out. Focus on those areas. This will help them look like a specialist, and those are always in demand.
  3. Use intellectual verbiage. Write like you know the industry and use the jargon. This will make you look like an expert in the area, which raises the credit of your recommendation.
  4. Keep it short! No one wants to read a 750-word recommendation.

Being asked to write a recommendation shows a level of respect. You do not have to write a recommendation for everyone that asks. For those you do, take them seriously and be thoughtful before posting. The recipient will have the chance to review and approve it, but regardless they will appreciate your taking the time to write something positive about them.

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