Hundreds of thousands of positions were obtained by job seekers last month, so employers are definitely hiring. If you are frustrated in your job search, then perhaps you should rethink your job search plan. Here is a recap of job search techniques and how to get the most out of them.
JOB BOARDS
The first thing a job seeker does is head for the job boards. After all, isn’t it exciting to find positions that fit you like a glove? The chief problem is that the job boards are the most competitive way to way to find a position and have the least probability of success – generally less than 5% of jobs are filled this way according to industry statistics. That is not to say that you shouldn’t use them – it just means that they should not be the heart of your job search.
Start by using Indeed.com or SimplyHired.com as these are job board aggregators, meaning they pull jobs from all the other job boards as well as company web sites to give you a single place to find openings. Also look at Craig’s List which is becoming a great place to find local job postings. And do NOT apply over the Internet. Yes that’s right, pull yourself out of the big pile of resumes in HR and use this simple technique.
First, find out who the hiring manager or key influencers are. You can usually do this by going to LinkedIn.com and doing a company search. Once you have their name and phone number give them a call and say something like: “A friend told me you might be interested in someone with my background. I have (insert your 2-sentence pitch), and I have just a few questions for you.”
Then ask them some questions that show you’ve done some homework on their company. Be very friendly, down to earth and personable and build some rapport, At some point they will ask you for your resume at which point you have now put yourself at the top of the decision maker’s pile and skipped the HR screeners. Using this trick can be the difference between being screened out and getting noticed.
Continue reading this entry »