3 Keys to a Successful Job Search

A recruiter told me that it’s common now to exclude job candidates who have been out of work for over a year. In other words, if you’ve been out of work for a while, you’re now also out of luck.

 

Life’s not fair. But that doesn't mean it's impossible to find your next job. Here’s what you can do if you want to make sure that you get and stay employed.

1. Start preparing before you're out of work. I recently went to a meeting where a very talented engineer was bemoaning the fact that he was out of work. He announced that because he was out of a job he was networking again at engineering meetings.

 

Guess what? He’s too late. The time to build a network of contacts is when you’re working.  

Think about it. You’re creating an impression when you meet someone for the first time. Which image do you want to convey? That of a successful employed person or someone who is one of the masses of unemployed? That’s an easy question to answer. 

Here’s a tougher one: Can you easily overcome the impression you create? You can’t.

 

"If you get off on the wrong foot, the relationship may never be completely right again," researcher Robert Lount of Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business said in 2009 after conducting a study on bad first impressions. After a negative first impression, "a lot of times people end up writing people off."   

2. Get out and get involved. Now that you know you’ve got to get out more, where can you go? Check your local newspaper’s business calendar. Often there are meetings that are open to the public or groups which are open to the public. Find a group that interests you, that complements your work, or enhances your job performance. Attend a few meetings of different types and find a group where you feel comfortable.

 

Become a regular and you’ll start to meet people.  More importantly, they’ll start to know you.  

If you haven’t thought about it, especially if you’re not working now, it would be a good idea to volunteer for an organization. After you’ve gone a few times, you probably can see if they have a newsletter, meeting committee, or some other activity where you could help. 

I’ve heard many times where volunteers’ work either became full-time or led to a full-time job. Why? They met someone in an informal setting. That person became impressed with the work the volunteer did and recommended them when a job opened up.

 

Were those jobs posted? Often they aren't. You get noticed for these "hidden jobs" when you’re out and about. 

3. Use technology to your advantage.  I am a fan of Linkedin. I know several people who got their jobs from using Linkedin strategically.

 

First, you’ve got to have a profile on Linkedin. Make sure it’s 100 percent complete. That means getting recommendations is important. Use Linkedin to search for contacts at the companies you are considering for employment. It’s a great way to find those same hidden jobs that volunteers get recommended for.

Many recruiters are also fans of Linkedin. They search for candidates using keywords. Make sure your employment summary includes keywords for the jobs that you’re looking for so you can be found. I was told that you should have at least two pages when you print your summary using the PDF function in your profile. 

Getting a job may be harder than ever for many people. It just might be easier for you now that you know what you can do to find your next job.