Secrets to Job Hunting Online

Monday, June 01 2009

Secrets to Job Hunting Online

A finely crafted resume used to be your best weapon in a job hunt.  But in this overcrowded market, a great resume is not enough.  Most of today’s jobs are being filled through referrals and internal recommendations.   In fact, many openings never publically surface because employers don’t want to be flooded with applications.  That means your stellar resume probably won’t see itself into the right hands without a bit of web savvy. 

So where should you start?  First, use tactical online searches to find out which companies are hiring.   Second, make efficient use of your time by targeting only those positions that perfectly match your abilities and your experience.  Finally, remember the new rule in social strategy: it’s not what you know, or even who you know, but who knows you.  Follow these online secrets to being known, and – more importantly - being hired.

Who is hiring?

When it comes to job openings, the Internet offers plenty of leads.   But instead of surfing the usual classifieds, look for company announcements in online business journals.  If companies are winning contracts and receiving venture capital, they’re probably opening their doors to new hires.

Be on the lookout for rising stock prices.  Investigate which industries are getting stimulus funds from the federal and state governments.  Also, check out freelance sites like Sologig.com.  An organization that is hiring contractors is probably quietly hiring other employees.

Visit the local job boards of associations and meetup.com groups.  Pursue thriving, new industries like renewable energy, and other eco-friendly sectors.  If you’re worried that you don’t know anything about earth science or biochemistry, don’t be.  Green companies need accountants too.  Your traditional skill set has a place – even inside cutting edge organizations.

Major career sites are a bit trickier.  Craigslist.org is still a decent resource, especially for finding jobs at small companies.   And postings on social media sites like LinkedIn.com are almost always real opportunities.  But be alert: the big job boards (Monster.com, for example) are riddled with schemes and ploys.  Some postings ask you for money, promising to help prepare your resume. Others offer to add your name to a secret shopper candidate list.  There have even been instances wherein perpetrators tricked job applicants into supplying credit card information or bank account access.  Don’t waste your time on dubious postings.

Twitter is another smart source for inside employment news.  And you don’t need a Twitter account to access the information.  Just go to http://search.twitter.com/advanced and type in different search strings that pertain to your job hunt.  I tried “job Qwest” and found many tweets about job fairs and people who were happy to land a new job at Qwest.

Who cares about your resume?

The answer is: no one (unless you know how to use it.)  Blindly sending your resume to a corporate HR department is rarely a successful tact.  If you’ve pinpointed where you want to work, establish a personal contact inside the company and gain an introduction.  If you can’t get an introduction, know what you’re up against.  Job criteria are often electronically matched against a digitalized version of your resume.  The more times certain sought after key words show up in your resume (“retail manager,” for example), the higher your score will be.  Unless you’re among the top 5 matches, it’s unlikely that a human being is even going to look at your resume.  So, read each job description carefully, and make an effort to match your text to the employer’s vocabulary.  

If a job appears to be a great match for you, write a customized cover letter/email.  Your main goal, according to the experts, is to create curiosity.   Recruiters see hundreds of cover letters each day.  Essentially they’re looking for a reason not to throw yours away.  Since you can’t read their minds and bill yourself as their perfect candidate, you can at least come across as someone who piques their interest.  Curiosity makes people feel good and draws them toward something.  A stimulating cover letter heightens the chances that your resume will actually be read and evaluated.  At the same time, remember to keep your message clear and brief.  There’s a difference between compelling and convoluted. 

Who knows you?

Above all, it helps to know someone who’s in a position to recommend or hire you.  With that in mind, target 5 companies and 10 powerful people.  They will become your power circle, and you will get to know them.  Sound impossible?  In this connected world, you can network with almost anyone. 

Start at LinkedIn.com, where you can search contacts by company.  Once you’ve uncovered a few key names, use Google to investigate their backgrounds and professional histories.  You can even view their personal profiles on Facebook.com.   Here again, Twitter is a useful tool.   Just by visiting http://search.twitter.com/advanced , you can orient yourself in their conversations (a.k.a. “tweets”), and gain insights on their perspectives.

From here, starting a dialog is easier than you think.  LinkedIn allows you to view and answer other people’s questions.  If you provide a thoughtful reply, there’s a good chance you’ll be acknowledged with a thank you and a follow up email.  Twitter operates in a similar fashion.  If your target doesn’t tweet, or communicate via LinkedIn, seek out his or her blog.  You can respond to blog posts just as readily, and with equally effective results.  All of these routes can lead to an extended conversation, and eventually, to the kind of name recognition that yields opportunities. 

 

Michael Cushman and Elizabeth O'Neill contributed to this article. Michael Cushman is a leadership coach and non-verbal communication expert based out of Denver, CO. His website is www.engagingchange.com.  Elizabeth O'Neill is earning an MFA in Creative Writing. She is a contributing writer at eLearners.com and GradSchools.com.

 

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