Think Twitter is a joke? Some say, "yes." There are great reasons for taking Twitter seriously, however, especially when one considers it a new job search tool that hasn’t been fully tapped. Currently other job search methods (posting your resume with job boards and e-mailing your resume to recruiters), what we might call traditional job search techniques, are continuously eroding in effectiveness. In order to fully understand why Twitter has become a front-running tool, job seekers need only recognize several core changes that have occurred across the hiring landscape: First, recruitment firms were struggling even before the recession hit — especially those less established. Employers are always looking for ways to cut costs, regardless of what the market is doing — and recruiters seem to be experiencing the brunt of it. Some might say employers’ new vision isn’t unfounded. When you factor recruitment firms charge fees between 3% and 15%, hiring costs can get out of hand even for the most financially stable employers. The cost of hiring an executive with a $100,000 salary for example costs the hiring company upwards of $15,000. Recruiters do provide a very valuable service, such as resume sourcing and pre-screening of candidates, but hiring companies seem increasingly fixated on the costs of doing business, and how to go about reducing it. What’s the lesson here? Recruitment firms can be a great resource, but don’t overlook the importance of contacting employers directly, using services such as Twitter to make it happen.Second, an estimated 15 million people are unemployed. Fifteen million is a conservative number when you consider there are millions more out of work, no longer drawing unemployment benefits nor looking for employment. At one time, we were experiencing the longest recession in history since the 1940s, and some experts speculate it will take several years (possibly into 2018 or longer) to regain those jobs lost and before unemployment numbers get back to acceptable levels. When factoring all the doom and gloom, job seekers need great new ways to build relationships and uncover job leads... beyond just those status quo. What’s the lesson here? Twitter isn’t saturated with job seekers just yet, and if utilized correctly, it can serve as another resource to generate a nice return for you.Third, few other tools like Twitter give you near direct access to hiring agents. Ideally, two-way tweeting does require approval from both parties though. You follow HiringJim, HiringJim follows you back. Should HiringJim opt not to follow you, however, communication between the two of you becomes more difficult as Direct Messaging (DM) from you to him is impossible. Note: You can submit an open message but the chance of HiringJim receiving it isn’t a sure thing — it’s worth a shot though, and may get you on his radar. What’s the lesson here? Twitter is another channel for getting in touch with the right people, at the right time.Fourth, Twitter creates a network like no other. You’d be hard pressed to go anywhere online and not learn networking is still the number one way of locating jobs. Proof of this is represented by hiring companies increasing their use of employee referral programs, meaning they are encouraging employees to refer friends, family, and colleagues for open positions. Can you blame them? The price is right. What’s the lesson here? If you’ve been ignoring your network, you can no longer afford to do so.Networking is the pivotal focus of Internet 2.0, and hiring companies are recognizing this as well. Twitter is part of Internet 2.0, and frankly one of the easiest ways to keep continued, day-to-day contact with your network.Lastly, we go with what works... and Twitter is giving us results! Business professionals tend to stick with what works, right? An old CNNMoney.com article entitled, "HR by Twitter," highlights the success of Breaking Point Systems (BPS) with hiring a new Marketing Director. The VP of Marketing, Pam O’Neal, stated the company opted to use Twitter to attract a marketing professional with social media expertise. Photo credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.