Career Marketplace Blog

In this article for Blogging4Jobs, Jessica Miller-Merrell writes, Job Searching on Social Networks – Yay or Nay?

Read an excerpt from Miller-Merrell’s article below. Read Full Article

With the explosion of social media it seems that individuals and companies alike are using social networks to make personal and business connections. From tweeting customer complaints to maintaining photo albums on Facebook, it has become the norm to take everyday tasks to a social medium.

 But what about job searching? Countless employers and recruiters are present on Twitter, Facebook and now maybe even Google+. With the job market still floundering, social media is a natural fit for many job seekers, especially recent college graduates who tend to be tech-savvy and accustomed to social networking already. To determine how to successfully navigate the job search process in today’s digital landscape, let’s examine the benefits and potential pitfalls of using social media for professional purposes.

Why Social May Not Be the Solution.

Read On

Wall Street Journal article No Market for Lazy Job Seekers, Ruth Mantell warns job seekers of common mistakes that can derail their job search.

Read an excerpt of Mantell’s article below. Read Full Article

Summer is a season to relax, unless you’re a job seeker.

Given the steep competition for jobs, people who are energized and organized — and those who avoid lazy mistakes — are the likeliest to land a spot.

“It’s not all down to the economy — it’s often about how productive people are during their job search,” says Richard Jordan, a staffing management panel member at the Society for Human Resource Management. “The Internet has made it really easy for people to get a sense of false security about how productive they are.”

That means avoiding the “post-and-pray” technique in which job seekers apply to positions online, and then wait for the offers to roll in.

“Just applying through an online job search doesn’t do anything other than throw your résumé into a pile with [those of] hundreds, if not thousands, of other job seekers,” says Dan Ryan, an executive search consultant based in Nashville.

Another red flag: submitting résumés and cover letters with errors, says Holly Paul, U.S. recruiting leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a New York-based accounting and consulting firm.

“I see spelling mistakes, I see punctuation mistakes, I hit delete in two seconds. I don’t even bother to continue reading,” Ms. Paul says.

Here are five more mistakes to avoid:

Read On

Forbes.com article, Get a Job Using the Hidden Job Market, Susan Adams explains how to connect with employers in your chosen industry.

Read an excerpt of Adams’ article.

The technology executive had been out of work for more than a year, but he didn’t tell any of his friends he was unemployed. Instead, he made up a story about how he was consulting on some confidential projects, the details of which he would reveal when it was time to go public. Meantime, he applied for dozens of posted job openings he saw online, with zero success. He also spent time golfing at the country club, where his locker was next to a CEO in his field. Still, he guarded his secret carefully, staying mum with his golf buddies about his job hunt. Finally, his distraught wife set up some sessions with Donald Asher, an executive career coach and author of 11 books, including Cracking the Hidden Job Market: How to Find Opportunity in any Economy. Asher, who splits his time between San Francisco and northern Nevada, convinced his new client to open up about his job hunt, and start talking to everyone he knew about how he was on the market. Sure enough, one of his golfing friends gave him a tip that led to a job at a startup. “He never ever would have gotten that job the way he was looking for work before,” writes Asher.

As I’ve written in earlier articles, despite the explosion of employment listings online, job seekers should spend no more than 20% of their time answering ads (some coaches recommend only 10%). Instead, says Asher, and a number of other coaches I’ve interviewed, the best way to find a job is through a combination of networking and direct contact. That way you tap into the so-called hidden job market. That is, you get to the head of the line of job candidates before a job is listed anywhere, and sometimes, before the hiring manager has even decided she is going to hire for a particular position.

Read On

In this video from the WSJ.coml, Joe Light reports, Recruiters Troll Facebook for Candidates They Like.

In her article for About.com, Alison Doyle defines the Social Job Search.

Read an excerpt of Doyle’s article.

In this article for U.S. News & World Report, Heather Huhman explains How to Find a Hiring Manager’s Contact Information.

Below is an excerpt of Huhman’s article. Read Full Article 

You’ve applied for a job opening through a job board, corporate careers site, or to anonymous email address in hopes of getting a call back and maybe even landing an interview. But a week or so passes by, and you’re still waiting to hear about your application.

How do you follow up when the initial job advertisement didn’t list any contact information? It’s time to start researching. Here’s how:

Scour the company website for a name. Look through the “About us” section of the organization’s website to determine the name of the hiring manager. You might even be lucky enough to find a company directory of employees with names and email addresses.

Call the receptionist. Even if the job ad says, “No calls,” you can still call the front desk in hopes of getting a name of the right person. Depending upon the company’s policies, this person may or may not be able to give you the individual’s contact information, but being polite and friendly to the secretary can go a long way.

Read On

In this article forLiveCareer News, Joanna Boyd gives examples of Inteview Faux Pas.

Tips from this article include:

• Flip-flops with a suit
• “Ummm, I’m not sure why I put that on my resume”
• Bringing up $$

WSJ article Seeking Information, Not Employment, Elizabeth Garone answer’s a readers question about how to set up an informational interview.

Below is an excerpt of Garone’s article. Read Full Article

Q: I’m thinking about a career change and would love to go on a few informational interviews to learn more about the fields I am considering. But I rarely hear anyone talk about informational interviews anymore. Are people still giving them or are they too worried about their own jobs to take the time? How would I go about setting one up? Who should I target? Are certain questions off limits?

Los Angeles, CA

A: Informational interviews are still a big part of the job market landscape, but nobody likes to talk about them. That’s because the people giving the interviews fear being inundated with requests and the people looking to land said interviews probably want to keep anyone they find to themselves.

Still, you should do all you can to snag one … or 10. In this tight job market, an informational interview can give you the edge you need to get hired by establishing a good connection at a prospective firm.

Read On

In her article for the Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger reports, Making LinkedIn Work for You.

Read an excerpt from Shellenbarger’s article. Read Full Article

Some Juggle commenters have asked for a post on the professional networking website LinkedIn. The site passed 100 million users in March and continues to grow by about one million members a week. Its public offering this week is drawing even more attention.

Non-users of LinkedIn may wonder, why bother? Posting a profile, keeping it updated, building and maintaining your network of connections, and responding to messages takes time.

Of course, LinkedIn can help you find a job and research prospective employers by contacting current and former employees. Recruiters use it heavily to find what they call “passive candidates” who are open to new opportunities but not actively looking.

But even if you aren’t looking for a job, LinkedIn is a tool for displaying your work and credentials to colleagues and potential clients, gathering intelligence about trends and competitors from others in your industry or profession, and keeping in touch with alumni and other groups that matter to you. Also, if you lose your job unexpectedly, having your LinkedIn network up-and-running is a big asset.

Read On

In this article for the Wall Street Journal, Sarah E. Needleman explains, Why You Need an Elevator Pitch.

Read an excerpt from Needleman’s article. Read Full Article

A few weeks ago, I found myself in an elevator with a senior executive at my company. Since I work for a large organization, I didn’t expect such a big cheese to know who I am, so I introduced myself as the Journal’s small-business assistant editor. I could feel my nerves kick in but I made it through the ride without embarrassing myself (I think) and I perhaps benefited by gaining some high-level recognition.

The other day, though, I once again found myself in the elevator with Mr. Big Cheese – this time, with less impressive results.  I was at a loss for anything clever or interesting to say. He tried to initiate conversation with a benign statement about the elevator. I tried to make a witty reply, but it didn’t come across very well.

Read On