Find the Key

Networking can open doors, particularly ones to the hidden job market.
If you rely solely on networking to land your next job, you’ll have a 33 percent success rate, said Richard Bolles in “What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers.” And, two-thirds of job seekers find jobs through networking, according to career experts at the AARP.

If you’re a networking novice, start by asking people you know if they’re acquainted with someone who performs your desired job (or a similar one). Or, inquire if they know anyone who works at a company you’re targeting or in the industry in which you’re interested.

You can also join a career or industry networking group. Make connections at Yahoo! HotJobs’ 35 industry-specific online communities. Or join online mailing lists or a Yahoo! Group that relates to your industry or position.

Due Diligence

You’ll need to do some investigating to find hidden jobs.
That means you’ll need to research specific companies. Find out: What companies in your area employ workers in the position you’re seeking? Which are growing in size and might be hiring?

Research employers by browsing companies on Yahoo! HotJobs. You can also do a keyword search on Yahoo!. Or, try an old-fashioned method and consult your local phone book.

Last, don’t forget to visit to your local library. A reference librarian can help you identify companies to target by browsing through business directories, trade publications and more.

Reach Out

The hidden job market isn’t going to come to you. So you have to go after it.
Combine the leads you’ve gotten from networking with your company research. Then create a list of companies and individuals you want to contact. If you don’t have a specific contact name, research until you get one.

Once you’ve compiled your list, call or email the contacts and request an informational interview. An informational interview is a brief meeting between someone researching a career or industry and someone working in that career or industry.

If you’re nervous, prepare a simple script so you don’t get flustered. Explain that you want to learn about an industry, career or company and ask if the person has some time to talk with you.

Informational interviews may not always lead to a job, but they’re generally time well-spent. You can get feedback on your skills and experience as well as make professional contacts. And, in the best cases, they can help you identify hidden jobs that haven’t been advertised.

Made You Look

Just because a job isn’t posted doesn’t mean that an employer isn’t looking for candidates.One way to gain entrance to the hidden job market: Post your resume on Yahoo! HotJobs. By doing so, you’ll help the tens of thousands of employers and staffing firms searching the Yahoo! HotJobs database find you.

Increase your chances of being found by making sure your resume contains important keywords. Also make sure it reflects the type of job that you’re seeking. Visit Yahoo! HotJobs’ Help section to make sure you’re posting your
resume in the most effective way possible.

After all, a hidden job may be “the right one” for you.

Due to the emergence of Social Media, Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, and LinkedIn, recruiters can get a better sense of who you are as a candidate, even pre-interview, or initial job talks. The user bases of these applications are growing by the millions, and it’s a bandwagon you absolutely MUST be on.

The days or recruiters and headhunters, and soon to become extinct. Your resume credentials will become almost as pertinent to your success as your Social Media Footprint. It’s time to embrace this Social Media Explosion, it is safe to assume that it is here to stay. Here’s a few checklist points to consider while trying to embed your footprint in this vast world of Social Networking, for Recruitment.

Are you LinkedIn?

It’s important to have an account on Linked In, with relevant contacts. This nifty little networking tool serves as the reference portion of your resume. Not only can it  help to chronologically organize your work history, but also can speak volumes of you and your work ethic through recommendations that previous employers contribute to your profile.

For a more favorable presence on LinkedIn, ask yourself,

Does Your Profile:

• Have genuine recommendations from peers, managers and colleagues
• Have the more complete profile with a photo
• A member of more groups pertaining to their respective field
• Lists interests, hobbies and other information related to their life outside of work
• Participates and highlights their involvement in non-paid projects related to their field
• Asks and answers questions
• Links to their employer, blog and other projects of interest
• Has a larger network
• Updates their status more often

When Googled, Your Name or E-mail Address:

• Does not lead to something controversial like arrests
• Leads to profession-related discussions and commentary on other social media sites
• Leads to a personal blog, web page or social media profiles
• Does not have incriminating photos on sites such as Myspace and Facebook
• Doesn’t come up blank

On Twitter:

• Tweets often ( at least 2-5 tweets per day ) Genuinely tweets and re-tweets.
• Has a growing follower list
• Keeps a healthy balance tweeting both professionally and personally
• Continually updates, and keeps a healthy dialogue amongst followees and followers.

New to social media?
Just follow a few easy steps and you’ll get right into the
swing of things!

•  Start TODAY!
• Create fully completed LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter profiles.
•  Get rid of preconceived notions of keeping your work and home life separate.
Companies want people, not resumes. Social media platforms allow you the stage present yourself as a well rounded individual. Use it!
• Use social media to its fullest – update often, connect with others and stay active.
• Keep the flow going. Just because you are content with your current gig, doesn’t mean you can’t remain in the loop of your evolving industry, the latest news and technologies, and what your peers are tweeting about.

Q: Has Social Media helped you to land a gig?
Q: Has Social Media helped you in recruiting a top candidate?

Share your stories with us.

RELATED ARTICLES:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/5701410/The-Social-Media-Checklist-
http://mashable.com/2009/04/08/social-media-recruitment/
http://www.clickz.com/3634459
http://www.examiner.com/x-13398-Salt-Lake-City-Social-Media-Examiner~y2009m7d31-How-to-Hire-Social-Media-Help-For-Your-Business

Long gone are the days of a simple resume, and a good faith recommendation.

Employers are stepping up their requirements for the application process for an open job. Send a resume. Fill out an application. Provide references, Phone interview, Second interview, online portfolio * for art professionals. Linked-in account. Skills test. Background check..and the list goes on.

The newest form of self-representation has become the Video Resume.
Video resumes put job seekers at an advantage, while their written resume can showcase their skill-set and experience, the video resume helps to portray them as an individual, and present their mannerisms, and personality.

Whether or not this new technology is due to be a flash in the pan, or a technology here to stay, is yet to be determined. I suppose that all depends on how you feel about the Video Resume, will determine if it will acquire a residence on Main Street U.S.A. or fade into the obscurity of another fad…just passing thru town.

Sad but true, when it comes to great ideas, all too often they get rolled over by the 80 lb Gorilla iinthe room. No not AXA Financial, but the other Monkey See Monkey do-ers in the world would while not so gifted in the foresight area, can make a slightly better knock off and do it well.

I live in New York, where a man can pay a tailor, an artist with cloth, thousands to make a dress for his wife for their anniversary,  then 3 weeks later you can get them   by the rack everywhere in Chinatown.

Here’s why Twitter is shot. Because being creative, gifted and blessed with foresight meant for them that they are leaders, not fundamentally followers. So, they make a better mousetrap – they problem is, the purpose of that mousetrap is to make better mousetraps. Like the Matrix, sooner or later the very existence of Twitter gaurantees a better version of Twitter will be produced.

And sure, Twitter will make adjustments, and repel competition to the extent that they are able. But we come back to the point that all great creative minds create, tinker and move on.

So, while the merchants of the world read the Tweets and figure out how to maximize this and improve this for sped and profit, the thinkers have already left the building.

Unless some company we love (read Apple or other lovable well branding darling) picks up the banner, we all better enjoy watching our little Tweets and enjoy their age of innocence. Sooner Shaq won’t be back, and who knows at what cost our 140 characters may come?

Let’s face it the economy is not good right now and its hard to find a job.   For college students and professionals alike we are all looking for ways to survive. For college students, the idea of spending 4 years earning a degree and finding a great job in your chosen field is a thing of the past.   Or it could be a different scenario  – your unemployment benefits are running low, your savings are dwindling and you still have to make the mortgage or rental payments and put food on the table.

What to do?

After all the student or other bills won’t disappear into thin air.  Like the stimulus package some of us are going to be paying them off for years to come.  Now its all about finding an interesting job that pays the bills or survival jobs.

You have to wonder whether this will put a damper on career aspirations or whether some of these people might take this opportunity and run with it… Maybe get into a rhythm at work, get the job done, pay the bills but unleash all their creative thoughts and aspirations at home on the internet etc.

Or what about another concept –  we might actually get to enjoy the time we spend away from the office?

After all most of us are used to spending nearly all our time at work,
it might be nice to spend time just being and enjoying it!

This is a consumer advice column written by the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana . It appears weekly in Business Monday.

Have you been searching for a job or looking for a change? Are you looking to grab something additional to supplement your income during your down time? Have you been using the Internet? Here is a “reply” that a consumer received, although she has never posted her resume on Careerbuilder.com:

“We’ve found your resume at careerbuilder.com and would like to suggest you a ‘Transfer manager’ vacancy. I’m the Chief Manager of Department of employment. We have thoroughly studied your resume and are happy to inform you that your skills completely meet our requirements for this position. Our company buy, sell, and exchange digital currencies, like E-gold and E-bullion. This is a part-time position. Your schedule will be flexible. You will need to spend on average 1-2 hours per day, Monday-Friday. This is a work-at-home position. All communication will be online. … A position within our company on a trial period for one month starting from the beginning of the work will be offered to the successful applicants. During this trial period you will be receiving training and online support while working and being paid. Employees on a one month trial period are evaluated at least one week prior to the end of their trial period. … During the trial period you will be keeping 8 percent commission from every payment received from our customer. With the current volume of clients on average your overall income will add up to $3,000 USD per month. After the trial period your base salary will go up to $2,250 USD per month, plus 8 percent commission. After the trial period you may ask for additional hours or proceed full-time. If you are interested in this position, and would like to know more, please e-mail me.”

The Better Business Bureau  has received calls from consumers inquiring about the legitimacy of several work-at-home businesses and cryptic replies to their job searches. We stress to every consumer who is looking for a job to proceed with caution. If you question the legitimacy of a company or its offer, call us or go online at www.bbb.org for a complete report. There’s a good chance that if the company is not in our database there’s a problem. Unfortunately, as consumers search in earnest for jobs, there are frauds waiting. Don’t fall for it.

Twitter is a social networking tool that is free for all, and is taking the world by storm! To put it simply, twitter is a tool that connects people, colleagues, family and friends through one common thread being to answer the simple and subjective:

What are you right doing now?

Reading a book. Going to walk my dog. Meeting Cindy for Lunch at the mall.

There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not Twitter is to be used as an integral tool for marketing and communication, or perhaps is just another passing fad. To date, twitter has more than 4 billion users, and 60 percent of these users fall into the 35-45 year olds demographic. These numbers are attributed in the majority by stable career types, and young cosmopolitans with combined household incomes
of $250,000+. –Twitter Power, Anthony Robbins.

Twitter allows you the capabilities to follow people, and recruit followers.
Once people “follow you” on Twitter, your message will appear on their prsofile each and every time you “tweet.”  Which, enables your followers with the information to receive the most up to date (like an RSS Feed) information available about you, your day, your intentions, your blog content, your job availabilities, your new product on sale…etc. etc. etc.

So long as you have the right followers for the right demographic, it is apparent that being connected to such a powerful and ever evolving media marketplace…such as Twitter is becoming.can only benefit both employers and job seekers, if utilized correctly.

Don’t care what highway or parkway, and I’ll tell you why….

As a kid with a parent in the recruitment business, I learned at a young age that there were many non-conventional ways to get a feel for which way a job market, or economy for that matter is heading. Some people look at how full Trucks or Trains are, how many cardboard packing boxes are being sold, etc. We used to walk through Macy’s in New York, (the Flagship store on 6th & 7th avenues ) on the way to see the NY Rangers games. Ground floor at Macy’s – between Thanksgiving and Christmas was about as good an indicator of the economy, as you could get. If I wasn’t getting knocked to the ground by pint-sized New Yorker Grannies ready to commit misdemeanor crimes for the next bargain – then things were bad. This coming from someone who lived to experience New York’s bankruptcy first hand. Let me tell you – you could toss a football across the cosmetics department and not hit a soul in those days.

Anyhow, when things hit the fan a couple of years ago, a buddy of mine employed at a high level for a major automotive manufacturer give me the 1st anecdotal evidence on what was to become the most massive job carnage in our times.

“Hey Matt, have you noticed you little traffic there is on the commute home lately?” I hadn’t then – but started to. As the weeks turned into months, months to years, I actually began to miss my lunatic roadmates. Granted, they ALL drive too fast or too damn slow and at many times,  I HAD wished that they all go away. But when it actually happened…I wondered…was I responsible for their disappearance? Where was Rod Serling and the crazy spinning pyscho-hypnosis wheel?  (original Twilight Zone – look it up).

As luck would have it, maybe it’s the affordable price of gas – or at least in my neck of the woods, we seem to have a glimmer of light on the horizon – cause I can tell you first hand – TRAFFIC STINKS AGAIN.

Every one of my lost friends it seems has returned, back to cut me off,  jam the brakes in front of me, while simultaneously applying make-up at 75 (years or miles per hour….take your pick) and generally remind me that without jobs there’s no traffic, and without traffic there are no jobs.

So don’t be a hater, LOVE your traffic jams – because there are GDP points in every breaklight, every exhaust fume and every gesture casually exchanged between us as we journey to and from.

Dragon Dictation, Nuance Communications; Free. You know those movies where the hip young screenwriter picks up a voice recorder and says “Idea for a screenplay…”? Aside from being hackneyed and self-referential, that scene never depicts the tedious transcription process. “That’s what secretaries are for,” you say? Save that money, and let the app do the work–or more precisely, the cloud behind the app. You talk, it sends to the cloud servers, and back comes the voice-recognition transcription. Great accuracy, because the code is not squeezed down to app size. Just don’t use it to send national secrets to the other guys in NSA. If you’re worried about interception, use iTalk Reporter, and transcribe the old-fashioned way.
Cisco

WebEx Meeting Center, Cisco; Free. You’ll want to trot up to the deck and off the beach itself; loud breakers may distract other attendees. Yes, Cisco WebEx Meeting Center is mobile now, and if your company uses WebEx Meetings, you’re one persuasive pitch away from freedom. What you bring to the table is still up to you; remember, people talk all the time about “phoning it in,” and “iPhoning it in” won’t get you high marks either. Still, if the main problem is that the meeting is in Lansing and you’re in the Caymans, you can now get a full screen view, audio, and any shared documents through your iPhone. If you’re lucky enough to have the iPad, you’ll also get to enjoy all of your docs at nearly normal size.
Jobs,

Careerbuilder.com; Free. So, exactly how do you get that job where you lounge around in the Caymans WebEx-ing into meetings, and (we assume) doing other important business things? You may find it at Careerbuilder.com, and if you can find it by searching CB, the biggest online job-search site, you can find it using your iPad or iPhone anywhere with a wireless signal. Match your skills with what an employer is looking for–from the Caymans. If the guy in the WebEx meeting is doing the hiring, SCORE! If not, in this economy, you may have to settle for gainful employment in your chosen field.

USPS Mobile, UPS Mobile, FedEx Mobile for iPhone, Various; Free. They do exactly what you think they do. Call for a pickup and track the shipment from your iPhone or iPad with WiFi. If you’re on the go, and you want to make sure your package is behaving likewise, one or more of these apps is a must.

Office2 Plus, Byte Squared; Free. Office2 Plus gives you access to docs you take with you, docs residing on mobile-friendly cloud computing services such as Google Docs and MobileMe, and docs e-mailed to you. Through in-app upgrades, which are not free, you can also create and edit Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel files on your iPad or even on your iPhone if you’re in a pinch.
These apps are the best of the best — some trendy, some workmanlike, but all indispensable if you want to start running your business from your iPad or iPhone.

Find reviews on the best new ipad apps at AppCraver.com, a website dedicated to app reviews for the iPhone, iPod and iPad devices.

ANY YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE LIST? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.

This is a question that Digital Personnel put to recruiters involved in the digital media recruitment space recently. Surprisingly most thought this was a ridiculous idea, taking the stance that an agency database is the ultimate USP and to remove it would be similar to cutting your telephone wires. In fairness it was a leading question as it would indeed be rather silly to remove your matured database of contacts and it will always be the primary tool for documenting feedback.

This is a great question that HookLineandThinker put to the recruiters involved in this ever changing, rapidly growing media scape. After conducting an extended poll, we found it surprisingly, most felt that this type of jump-ship mentality is a dangerous and ridiculous idea. The notion that an agency would go to such drastic length, would be like cutting their phone lines and relying solely on the internet to communicate. In fairness it was a leading question as it would indeed be rather silly to remove your matured database of contacts and it will always be the primary tool for documenting feedback. Social Media can begin to step in as the medium, yes, but can it stand alone at it’s own applicant tracking system, and accurate H.R. research and documentation?

That is yet to be determined.

The ability these days to network opportunities across social sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook is both powerful and plentiful. Do understand, that it is extremely effective and important these days to build communities on social sites and target specialized audiences. These captive audiences will then determine your ROI by either directly showing interest in opportunities, or by passing your vacancies to their own network of contacts. ( Think of the pyramid marketing scheme, you may only begin 100 in your network, but each of those 100 contacts has their own 100…and exponentially, the potential to advertise is limitless. In many cases, the ability to network opportunities to groups of career-seekers through virtual “Word of Mouth” within the social networks, and identify fully qualified candidates eager to pursue vacancies….is continually achieved without the first step to search within a private database.

Think of what will happen when that candidate is happily settled in their new position, and grateful to have a pleasant productive work environment, with great benefits and growth potential, who do you think they are going to tell? That’s right, their social network connections. That right there becomes free PR for your company…right from the source.

Candidates from social and business networking sites are geared up and ready for the surge.  Sites like Linked In and Ryze help provide an in depth career history, a record of their affiliations, blogs and real and tangible references to connect with, in search of honest recommendations.

This technology is undoubtedly a dream come true to the recruitment industry! ( and unfortunately a nightmare to the giant newspapers and careerboards.)  The key to success on how to leverage this WOW technology is really how and who to align with as your ‘front-man’ to engage these thriving audiences.  What strategies need to be implemented to grow appropriate and rewarding communities? How much should you spend within your budget, and how easily can you measure your ROI?  Reportedly. many recruitment agencies are already re-inventing themselves as a brand that can communicate successfully through these mediums, as well as in print, mail, t.v. and radio, The real trick lies in finding which one to go with, If your current agency hasn’t been taking the initiative to weather the storm of social networking technology, and continually encourages the careerboards and newspapers, it may be time to jump ship on them.
There are also rewards to be found from clients. By building a stronger online presence, recruitment agencies can further their reach for potential business partners and if credible engagement with audiences is evident, an employer would be wise to make the first move. The canvas calls will not stop of course (utopia for many employers!) but this is potentially another route to increased revenue streams.

Social media is an unstoppable force that will engulf the recruitment industry, and has already become the lead medium in some market sectors. A recruiters’ unique database is no longer a selling point, the ability to tap into the unlimited talent across the web and capitalize on this is how agencies will ultimately be the key to getting the greatest talent.