[Jobs] 6 Tips to Turbo Charge Your Job Search

[Peter Altschul]

6 Tips to Turbo Charge Your Job Search

 

By Daryl Hannah. Date Posted: May 01, 2008

 

Let's face it, the job market is tight. And while job loss and slow job
creation have affected everyone, they have disproportionately affected
Blacks and Latinos. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9 percent
of Blacks and nearly 7 percent of Latinos were unemployed last month,
compared with 4.5 percent of whites. And these numbers aren't getting better
any time soon.

 

So what does this mean? Job seekers are going to have to go beyond
traditional job-hunting practices to land that next job, warns Cheryl
Compton, territory vice president for Spherion, a staffing and recruiting
firm.

 

While there is no handbook to surviving a tight job market, DiversityInc has
compiled expert advice on things you can do to gain an edge over the
competition.

 

Use Your Network

 

Far too often, people expect job offers to fall into their laps.
Unfortunately, unless you're about to inherit the family business, that just
isn't going to happen. Instead, it's important to use your network of former
employers, colleagues, friends and college classmates to help you get the
word out that you are looking for work. While your friends and colleagues
may not know of an open job, they may be able to put you in touch with
someone in the field you want to pursue or the company you want to work for.
That contact could be the one that eventually leads to your dream job.

 

It's also important to understand the role the web now plays in networking.
"Networking is still the way you find a great deal of the good jobs, and
networking has changed," says Compton. "Now we network via the web.
Nowadays, it's really about going to sites like LinkedIn and Facebook [to]
start to network to find other people in their industry."

 

Go On Informational Interviews

 

An informational interview is just what it sounds like. It's an opportunity
for you to gain information about a company or a position.

 

"If you have been invited to an informational interview, it is not only an
opportunity for you to practice and perfect your own interview skills, it's
also a time to get a sense of the culture for that company," says Compton.
"Any time you have more information about the company, it benefits you."

 

Landing the informational interview can be tricky; people are busy and
barely have time to interview when they are looking to hire, let alone when
they are not. But keep in mind, most companies want to know where the talent
is, so informational interviews can benefit the company too. Networking can
be a great way to land the informational interview.

 

An informational interview is not like a job interview. If you are lucky
enough to land one, here are some things you need to remember:

 

You set the agenda for the informational interview. That means you need to
do your homework; be prepared with relevant questions about the company and
the type of career you are interested in. Plan to take notes; don't rely
just on memory to remember the details of the meeting.

 

Never ask for a job in an informational interview. This puts the person you
are talking to on the spot and may make your contact feel misled about your
purpose. Also, avoid asking specific questions regarding salary, vacations
and benefits. Remember, you are asking for information, not a job.

 

Just like any other interview or business appointment, it's important to be
prompt, dress professionally, be prepared and follow up with thank-you
letters or e-mails.

 

Attend Career Fairs

 

Each year, thousands of people flood career fairs, and unfortunately, many
leave without a job--or more importantly, without any positive contacts. So
what's the issue? Some hiring professionals suggest it could be arrogance on
the candidate's part or a lack of preparation.

 

"People should be conscious of their overconfidence," says Andre' Lee,
director of recruitment for INROADS, a nonprofit organization that trains
and develops talented students from traditionally underrepresented groups
for professional careers in business and industry. "During career fairs,
there are so many people. You should be prepared to do a 30-second
introduction explaining why you chose that company."

 

So how do you avoid over-confidence? Focus on your skills versus yourself,
warns Lee. Employers are more concerned with what value you will bring to
their organization and less about your personal needs.

 

Lee also says that your introduction should include all pertinent
information about you: your name, what your degree is in, what you are
looking to do, and what you can bring to the particular company. And don't
forget to get a business card from the company's representative and to
follow up as soon as possible, says Lee.

 

Talk to Recruiters

 

People have different opinions on headhunters and recruiters. And while
recruiters and headhunters come in all shapes and sizes, you should remember
that they work for the company, not you.

 

"The candidate should never pay the headhunter," says Compton. "If you are
going to a headhunter and they want to charge you a fee, I would not
encourage you to continue to do business with that recruiter."

 

Nailing down a recruiter can also be tough, warns Kevin Johnson, a New York
City branch manager at Spherion. "It's really tough to just call an agency.
Recruiters don't find people jobs, they fill jobs for companies. One of the
best ways to find a recruiter is to look at job boards and search for
particular positions. Line up your skill sets with what the recruiter is
looking for and follow the contact directions, be that e-mailing your resume
and cover letter or filling out an online application," says Johnson.

 

If you get a job interview through a recruiter, Johnson says it's important
to work with the recruiter throughout the process. Trying to go around the
recruiter once you have a contact inside the company could hurt your chances
with that job or with other opportunities the recruiter might have in the
future.

 

Focus on Specialized Job Boards

 

It's undeniable that the Internet is the place to go for the latest
information on available jobs; however, checking general job boards isn't
the most productive thing you can do. Be sure to devote time to specialized
job boards that match your field, or that target traditionally
underrepresented groups, because companies posting jobs on these boards are
more likely to be looking for people like you.

 

"Corporations post jobs in targeted places to reach a specific audience.
This can be helpful to the job seekers from traditionally underrepresented
groups because it makes jobs more accessible," says Carolynn Johnson, vice
president of business development for DiversityInc. Johnson manages the
DiversityInc Career Center, the leading diversity job board and career
center in the nation.

 

Johnson also advises creating a job profile on specialized job boards
because it "allows you to make technology look for jobs for you, when you
aren't physically able to." If you do create a profile, be sure to update it
regularly with the latest information about yourself.

 

Spruce Up Your Resume and Cover Letter

 

Your resume and cover letter are your marketing tools. Make sure they are
up-to-date and accurate and portray your skills and accomplishments in the
best possible light.

 

Also, be sure both your resume and cover letter are tailored to the specific
job you are seeking. Most importantly, make sure they are free of error.
After you've checked them for spelling and grammatical errors, have several
friends or associates look them over as well. A cover letter and resume are
usually the first representations of you a company sees, and nothing can
hurt your prospects faster than a typo or a misspelled company name.

 

© DiversityInc 2008 ® All rights reserved.


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