The 12 Days of Job Hunting

The 12 Days of Job HuntingThe 12 Days of Job HuntingThe 12 Days of Job HuntingIncrease your chances of landing your dream job in just 12 days with these daily job-search tips.Tis the season for career reflection. Are you happy in your current job or is it time to consider your next move?Change makes most people uncomfortable, but the 21st-century job market isnt built on the same stability enjoyed by our grandparents. While re-entering the job market may feel more intimidating than staring down the Grinch, try some of these tips designed to fill your career stocking with interview requests instead of coal.On the 1st day of job hunting, my career coach said to meUpdate your resume with your most current details. Tailor the content of your resume to jobs youre seeking and eliminate irrelevant information. Theres no need to include references or a line that says References available upon request. When youre called for that interview, take a copy, or two, of your resume along with you.Ti p Always have a resume ready to send, even if youre elend currently seeking a new job. Keep it updated just in case a dream-job opportunity finds its way into your email or a conversation with a friend.Bonus Tip Keep your references list updated with names and contact information and remember to ask kompetenz references for permission to use them as references.On the 2nd day of job hunting, my career coach said to meBe prepared Create a designated email to use specifically for your job search. Update your voicemail message to include your name, so that hiring managers and HR personnel know theyve contacted the correct person.Tip Create a professional email address using your name is always good. Keep the crazydanceremail.com address for personal use.On the 3rd day of job hunting, my career coach said to meThe big job sites such asMonster are good resources to use but dont neglect smaller, niche sites that more closely match your industry or skill set. Look for job boards specific to your industry or even geographic location.Tip You can tailor job searches to include daily or weekly digests that send a compilation of job openings via email, which cuts down on broader searching. Now there are apps and websites that specialize in sending job announcements.On the 4th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meCheck out companies for whom youd like to work and make a list. Visit their employment pages weekly or every two weeks to look for new job postings.Tip If you can connect with individuals within the organization and cultivate a relationship, they may provide an inside track to alert you to upcoming job openings and vouch for you to hiring managers, when the time comes to choose interviewees from all the resumes.On the 5th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meNetwork, network, network Reach out to people in your field, former coworkers, friends, family, and acquaintances, when youre looking for a new job. You never know who might provide a good tip or suggestion, know of an opening, or offer to give your resume to someone in their company and vouch for you as a potential job candidate.Leverage social media to network in other creative ways Utilize Facebook and Twitter to broaden your job search resources. You can also monitor hashtags such as TweetMyJobs to discover new opportunities shared by employers and recruiters. To learn more, check out this list of must-follow hashtags for job seekers.Tip Clean up your Facebook profile, since more and more employers look at potential employees pages to learn more about their candidates. Dont include anything you wouldnt want your grandmother to seeOn the 6th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meOver 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn as a primary search tool, so if you dont have an account, make one Spend some time on the site to familiarize yourself with everything it offers, and take advantage of the free services. Reach out and connect with others in your field, join a few organizations that may post articles relevant to your career path, and dont neglect to visit the job boards Click on the following link for more information on setting up your LinkedIn profile.Tip Treat your LinkedIn profile as a living, breathing entitt and update it frequently. Its not meant to be a static work of art. Get something published? Announce it on your profile Guest speaker for a group? Announce itOn the 7th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meDont neglect the cover letter, which provides the sneak preview of coming attractions. Start with a template that includes the basics, but then customize it for each lage. Show what you can do for the company by incorporating words and phrases from the job description. Showcase your strengths in areas of paramount importance to the role. Include a few key achievements from your resume. Above all, make yourself irresistible.Tip Personalize the letter and salutation whenever possible. Look online for a contacts name, and if that proves fruitless, call the companys HR and ask for the name of whoevers in charge of hiring.Bonus Tip Focus on quality, not quantity. If youre sending out 50 job applications a week but getting no results, refocus on finding and applying for jobs that more closely match your experiences and background. Youll save yourself a lot of frustration.On the 8th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meCreate a blog. If youre seeking jobs that require excellent communication skills and top-notch expertise in a particular industry and you have those in spades blog about it Include the link on your resume, and direct hiring managers to that site when you meet.Tip Research other blogs about similar topics and then seek a different angle to provide an innovative way that shares your expertise. Make a list of topics you think are important but no ones mentioned and write about themOn the 9th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meLearn how to talk about yourself. Prepare a n elevator pitch in which you can clearly and concisely communicate your skills. Talk about how these skills relate to the industries and roles that interest you.Tip You never know when you might have an opportunity to pitch yourself in line at the grocery store, while waiting for your kids to finish a dance lesson, or while chatting with a friend-of-a-friend at a party. Dont be afraid to advocate for yourself whenever and wherever an opportunity arises.On the 10th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meCreate a contact database and update it regularly. Include employers youve contacted, the date you sent your resume and cover letter, whether you made contact with a person (and the persons name), people you talked to, and notes about the contacts. Update this list regularly.Tip Carry a notebook (or use your smartphone) to jot down any opportunities you hear about or impressions you dont want to forget right after youve left an interview.On the 11th day of job hunting, my c areer coach said to meCongratulations You got the interview. Research the company so that you have a good idea about what it does and how it works and how you can contribute to its success. Dont, however, come across as an obsessed fan. Its also a good idea to stay current on issues and developments in your industry by reading trade journals, professional publications, company websites, etc., which will help you to talk knowledgeably at an interview about whats happening in your field.Tip Create a list of questions to ask the interviewer that show your interest in the company. Dont include questions about salary but do ask questions about the companys short-term goals for the position, i.e., what do you see this position achieving in a month? Six months? A year?On the 12th day of job hunting, my career coach said to meWrite and send thank-you notes within a day after your interview. Address the interviewer directly, and reiterate if you think youre a good fit for the position th e key skills and talents you can bring that you know make you a perfect match.Tip You can use a thank-you template to start, but make sure to personalize each note so that theyre original to the position(s) for which you interviewed.