Optimize Your Networking Events for Job Search

Excellent tips by Recruiter Peggy McKee on how to make the most from your professional networking events to find a job.

Tracking Your Job Search Stats

Okay, this video was made for military vets, but it applies to all job seekers. It's about keeping track of your job search metrics (how many resumes sent out, how many interviews, how many networking contacts, all that stuff). Recruitment Professional Patricia Frame explains how to do this in a way that's helpful but not stressful.

5 Ways to Have a Fast Job Search

In this video, Peggy McKee tells you how to get a job much faster than other job seekers.

A Powerful Sales Plan for Non-Sales Job Seekers

Do you have a 30/60/90 Day Sales Action Plan you can present at your next job interview? Most people think of a 30/60/90 Day Sales Action Plan as a sales pitch for a product or service. Sales recruiter Peggy McKee recommends you use this powerful sales technique, even if you're not a sales professional.

In this video Peggy explains that having a 30/60/90 Day Sales Action Plan demonstrates that you:
1. Understand the job.
2. Can do the job.
3. Will do the job.
4. Won't be detrimental to the hiring manager's employment.

Oh, Peggy also recommends you put your plan in writing so you can present it at your job interview! Check it out:

The Latest Scoop on Job Search and Resumes: An Interview with Susan Ireland

What job search techniques should you be using to succeed in this job market?
What is the best way to get your foot in the door for a job?
How has the role of resumes changed in the last several years?

See my answers to these questions in my online interview, Susan Ireland Discusses Resumes And Job Seeking In A Dynamic Marketplace

Please Vote for Top Job Search Tools: US Dept. of Labor Challenge

In an effort to provide quality job search tools during this struggling economy, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has created the Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge. It's a public forum to help identify the best online job search and career advancement tools.

After gathering more than 600 online job search websites and tools, The DOL is now asking job seekers and career development professionals to vote for their favorite tools. Those with the most votes will be featured in major government job search / employment sites, including One-Stop Career Centers across the U.S.

DEADLINE FOR VOTING IS FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH AT 9 PM EASTERN TIME.

Please take a moment to cast your vote. Here's how:

Go to Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge, sign up, browse the entries, and click a thumbs up for ones you like. You can vote for as many tools as you like, but you can only vote once per tool.

If browsing through 600 options doesn't appeal to you, use my cheat sheet below. Just:

1. Go to the Challenge homepage and Login/Signup.
2. Return to this blog post and click the links below.
3. Click on the big thumb next to the tool.

If you're really inspired about the tool, write a comment after it to let the DOL know what you like about it. (Comments encourage more votes!)

My Top Job Search Tools for the Challenge

Susan Ireland's Resume Site
Susan Ireland's Job Search Tools
Susan Ireland's YouTube Playlists for Job Search
Fill-in-the-Blank Resume Workbooks by Yana Parker
Job-Hunt.org, The Online Job Search Guide
Veterans' Online Job Search Guide
The Riley Guide
#1 LinkedIn Jobs Group for Jobs, Career Advice and Networking
JibberJobber.com Organize your job search and professional contacts
About.com Job Searching
WorkCoachCafe

Please vote now! Voting closes on January 15th, 9 pm EST.

Want to recommend a tool we should vote for? Leave the web address as a comment to this post.

42 Job Search Quotes for Twitter

You're on Twitter. You want to attract recruiters, employment agencies, fellow job seekers, and other career-minded professionals to join your Twitter network. One way to do that is to use job search related quotes in your tweets.

Tweeting quotes is a great way to add value to your Twitter network because people like reading useful snippets of advice without having to link to an entire article.

Let's make it really easy to tweet job-related quotes by building a list of them here in The Job Lounge. Following is a list of tweetable quotes from me and some of my colleagues. You're welcome to copy and paste them into your Twitter message window and click Send. Please give credit to a quote's author by including the @twittername provided with the quote.

Notice each of these tweets run around 120 characters. That's 20 characters less than the 140 limit for a Twitter message, enabling someone to easily retweet (RT) your tweet and add a comment or hashtag.

Tweetable Job Search Quotes

Quotes about Resumes

Your resume is about your future, it's not about your past! @susanireland

If you don't want a stressful job, don't say "Work well under pressure" on your resume. @susanireland

On your resume, don't write about stuff you hate doing. Write about things you want to do at your next job. @susanireland

Your resume is not a confessional. You don't have to tell all. @susanireland

No more boring resumes! Write about achievements that make the employer sit up straight. @susanireland

Write bullet point statements on your resume about success stories you want to talk about in the interview. @susanireland

On your resume, don't say what you want; say what you offer. @maureencareer

Don’t make any claim on your resume that you cannot back up with an example. @maureencareer

On your resume, don’t just list duties; tell how you made the organization better. @maureencareer

A resume is not just a list of jobs. A resume is a picture of who you are as it relates to the specific job. @workcoachcafe

It's your resume's job to make it easy for the screener to say "yes". @workcoachcafe

Quotes about Careers

Think of yourself as the CEO of a successful company -- your career. @susanireland

Be a teacher to someone who can benefit from your expertise. You'll enrich his life, and build your self-esteem. @susanireland

You CAN do and be anything you want – just remember to make sure you’re prepared before making a jump. @meganpittsley

People often regret the things they didn't do more than the things they did. If in question, go for it! @meganpittsley

If you're not working, spend some time volunteering. If you are working, spend some time volunteering. @maureencareer

Focus on what’s possible rather than getting stuck in what’s wrong. @workcoachcafe

Don’t let obstacles – or misses – stop you. Know they are temporary and try again. @workcoachcafe

Possibility is all around us if we just learn how to look for it. @workcoachcafe

To get ahead in the workplace...you need to learn to become your own best advocate. @workcoachcafe

We all have our moments of fear. It’s how we handle them that matters. @workcoachcafe

You set wheels into motion by being generous with your knowledge, info, & positive energy. @SteviePuckett

Trust yourself, listen to your intuition, and take action to connect to work that makes you feel good. @SteviePuckett

Sometimes people are surprised to realize what an inside game career development is. @SteviePuckett

Quotes about Job Search

Your job security no longer lies in having a job, it lies in knowing how to work the job market. @susanireland

Reach beyond your keyboard for your job search. Set up in-person informational interviews. @susanireland

Dance as if no one was watching. Tweet as if an employer was reading. @susanireland

Can't find a job? Find an organization with a need you can fill. Then offer to fill it. @susanireland

It's important to know, and be able to articulate what you want so others can help you in your job search. @eExecutives

You can't get a job online ~ At some point you have to get out and actually connect with real people. @eExecutives

You've GOT to network with EVERYONE for your job search - Who does your Grandma know? @eExecutives

The job market is supply and demand. You're the product and there are tons of you. Adjust accordingly. @meganpittsley

If you can't communicate and prove your value, no one will see your value. @meganpittsley

Be a layoff GRADUATE, rather than a layoff survivor. @jobhuntorg

You can’t find what you are looking for if you don’t know what it is when you find it. @jobhuntorg

Develop psychological resilience; get used to rejection and use it to impel you forward. @maureencareer

Everyone is potentially a contact either now or in the future, so burn no bridges behind you. @workcoachcafe

Quotes about Job Interviewing

Think of your resume as a prompter from which the interviewer will ask his interview questions. @susanireland

Pay attention to your job interviewer's body language so you can fine-tune your response as you go. @susanireland

Interviewing is like tasting wine: a first impression, the taste while drinking & the feeling left behind. @workcoachcafe

Interview preparation is key ~ write out answers in advance ~ most don't and you will stand out if you do! @eExecutives

Leave with the same positive energy you started the job interview with. @workcoachcafe

Look me in the eyes. When you answer my interview questions, I want to see you connect with me. @workcoachcafe

You want to use real life stories – being real is critical – to paint a picture of the YOU any boss would want to have. @workcoachcafe

Want to add to our list? In the comments section after this post, please share your tweetable job search quote so others can spread your advice.

More posts on using Twitter:

Top 14 Twitter Lists for Job Search
Your Twitter Homepage Is a Dynamic Resume
38 Job Search Hashtags on Twitter
7 Do's and Don'ts for Twitter Job Hunt

Job Search Checklist

It's a full-time job conducting a thorough job search. Here's a checklist of what to do and some of my favorite tools to accomplish each step:

1. Search for job openings.
Online tool: Indeed

2. Network online and in person.
Online tools: LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter
Offline tools: Your local library, career center, and support group

3. Write your resume.
Online tool: Ready-Made Resumes

4. Distribute your resume.
Online tools: Accolo, Craigslist, and websites that specialize in your profession and industry. Also go to the career page of websites for specific companies where you'd like to work.
Offline tools: Newspaper Help Wanted ads, and through your in-person network.

5. Track your job search process.
Online tool: JibberJobber

6. Prepare for job interviews.
Online tool: Interview Questions and Dress for Success (very fun interactive site)

7. Negotiate your pay.
Online tools: Job Search Intelligence and Salary Negotiation Guide

8. Show up for your first day on the job.
I think you can do this one on your own.

And all along the way, write thank you notes!

He Got the Job Through LinkedIn

This is a testimonial video about a guy who moved from his private consulting practise to full-time corporate employment. Especially helpful are the screen shots that show how a recruiter might have viewed his LinkedIn profile and then emailed him about the career opportunity.

Job Search Email Guidelines

Email is essential to the success of your job search. You'll be emailing recruiters, hiring managers, and folks in your network, most of whom are busy multi-taskers trying to keep a gazillion emails straight. Continue reading...

Don't Use Work Email for Your Job Search

If you use your work email address to look for a job, your potential employer is not going to look favorably upon you. It gives the impression that you use your employer's resources and your time at work for personal business (such as your job hunt).

Instead, use your personal email address. If you don't have one, get one! Then you'll have an address that will follow you even after you leave your current job. And it will look totally legitimate for your job search!

Leaving a Phone Number on Voicemail

How many times have you received a voicemail message in which you understand every word except the phone number of the caller? Either the person says their phone number so fast it sounds like one big slur, or the connection is so bad that one or more of the digits is cut out.

The other day Bob Jones (not his real name) left me a voicemail, asking for help with his resume. His message was articulate and complete until it came to his phone number. "Call me at 123-555-1-ey-23," he said really fast before hanging up. I listened to his message six times, trying to figure out what the heck the digit "ey" was. I couldn't get it. Great! I had everything I needed to get back to Bob except one digit in his phone number.

I called nine different telephone numbers, each using a different digit (1-9) for the mysterious "ey." Here were the results:

- Four outgoing messages were from people, each of whom identified him- or herself as someone other than Bob Jones.
- One number had been disconnected.
- One outgoing message was a woman's voice giving only the phone number I had called. This was probably not Bob's number unless his wife or girlfriend had created the outgoing message.
- Two messages used a robotic voice that only indicated the phone number I had dialed without identifying the person by name. Any of these two could have been Bob.
- One didn't have an answering machine or service connected to it so the phone just rang and rang. Because no one answered, I had no idea if that was Bob's number or not.

So three of the nine could have been Bob's phone number but there was no way to tell which one it was. On the two that had answering machines, I left messages like, "This is Susan Ireland at 510-524-5238 returning a call from Bob Jones. If this is Bob, please call me back for help with your resume. Susan Ireland, 510-524-5238."

One day passed without a response from Bob, I then called the career counselor who had referred him to me. She was on vacation so it took a day for her to get back to me with the message that I should call her assistant to get Bob's phone number from her files. When I called her assistant I left a voicemail, and a day later the assistant called to give me Bob's phone number. Finally, three days after his original voicemail to me (and enough cartwheels to make me dizzy), I was able to call Bob back!

Let's imagine that I had been an employer Bob was contacting about a job. Do you think the employer would have turned even one cartwheel to respond to Bob? I doubt it! Most likely the employer would have pushed the Delete button and Bob's message would have gone spinning down the voicemail drain.

Don't let that happen to your voicemail. Follow these guidelines, especially if you use a cell phone, as messages from mobile devices are more apt to break up than those from land line phones.

1. Start your message with your name and phone number.
2. End your message with your name and phone number.
3. When you say your phone number, say it slower than the rest of your message (not faster, as most people do) and use a cadence that breaks the digits into memorable clumps (e.g., 123-555-12-34).

Doing this not only increases the chances of your name and number being heard by the voicemail recipient, it also means the receiver might not have to rewind the message to get your name and number -- something that will be much appreciated by a busy manager.

Keeping Track of Your Job Search Details

Managing the details of a job hunt can be challenging, to say the least. Keeping track of when you sent what to whom is hard enough when you're applying to only one employer. How in the world can you keep track of a job search that involves 10, 20, or more employers?

Liz Hanlin came up with a solution she calls The Job Diary; and her associate, Jason Alba, generated a computer version called The Job Journal. So whether you're a low- or high-tech kind of job seeker, Liz and Jason have a job search manager for you. Check it out!