7 Tips for Adjusting Your Search to Todays Job Market and Resources to Help

7 Tips for Adjusting Your Search to Todays Job Market and Resources to HelpThis is part twoyou can read part one of this article series here.The face of the job search market has evolved dramatically over the last decade, and job seekers have had to adjust in order to find the perfect location. How do you get started looking for a job? Where do you look for job opportunities that are a good match for you? The answers to these questions, and other common career questions, have changed with the advent of job search websites and social media for professionals. But basic job search skills such as networking are still absolutely crucial as you look for employment opportunities and try to land your dream job.Below is some career adviceseven helpful tips from a career expert to help you achieve success in your job search, along with resources to get there.Find Your PassionThe first thing job seekers need to do to be successful is to determine what they are passionate about by taking a self- inventory, says Chelsea Kerwin, a certified job search professional and client services manager at Great Resumes Fast. Ask yourself what your dream job is and what industry you want to work in. Where do you want your career path to lead? Its easy to just hop onto a job search engine and search for jobs, or sign up for job alerts, but if you dont have a clear idea of what you want from your career you can quickly become overwhelmed and find yourself wasting time on application after application and notlage getting the results you want or getting job offers from places where you just arent a good fit.This is a great jumping-off point for creating a target job list and resume tailored to what they are interested in, Kerwin says. Its also important for people to know they have to prioritize their job search. What is most important to them? Location? Salary? Company culture? If you can figure out what is most important to you, that will help ensure your job search is successful.Work-life balance, whether the company is open to remote work, what kind of clients you want to work with, etc., are other things you can ask yourself about. Even if job listings dont specifically discuss this schriftart of thing, youll have questions ready about these topics that are important to you ready for your einstellungsgesprch.Get SocialOne of the biggest things you can do to advance your job search is to get your social media profiles up to par. Its important to have an online presence beyond posting your resume on job sites. Kerwin says that although many in older generations havent yet embraced the import of social media, it is imperative you have visibility online including a completed LinkedIn profile. Job seekers should also ensure other social media platforms such as Facebook are cleaned up. Dont ruin your professional reputation by having a sloppy Facebook page where you post inappropriate memes.If an employer cant find you online and theres no trace of you, that might cause some suspicion, advises Kerwin. If you are all over social media doing inappropriate things, thats not good, either.Kerwin says online profiles, particularly on LinkedIn, should highlight what you can bring to an organization. Qualifications, achievements, work experience, goalsall of this should be included on your profile in such a way that it conveys your personal brand. Dont just upload your resume and leave it at thatthey already have your resume, or will when you apply. Use your professional social media profiles to showcase your overall value as an employee.Researching applicants online is now a part of the hiring process for almost every company. Use each platform as a way to market yourself as a job candidate.Companies want to see you online and research you before moving forward with an interview or job offer, Kerwin says. Your profile is not just for the job search, but for career management. Even if you are not actively searching for a job, its great for your passive jo b search. Though you may love your current job, LinkedIn can open up opportunities while you sleep.With a strong LinkedIn profile, you just might find you get contacted by a recruiter before you even have a chance to draft a cover letter and get your resume edited.Tap the Hidden Job MarketThe hidden job market refers to all job openings that get filled without being advertised or before they have been advertised. Instead of being listed on job search sites, these positions are filled by word of mouth, referrals, internal promotions, and recruiters. Kerwin says networking (referrals, internal promotions, and word of mouth) accounts for 75% of hires in the hidden job market. That means networking is very important to any job search. If you dont know about an opportunity, you cant submit a job application for it.That has always been true, says Kerwin, but I dont think people realize how important it is, even with all of these social platforms and job boards.Network Like MadNetworking i s one of the best things you can do for your job search. By contacting someone you already know within a company you want to work for, they can greatly improve your odds of getting a job interview and being hired.Once you get to the interview pool, referred candidates have a 20%-25% chance of being offered the job while candidates without a referral have a 1%-1.7% chance of getting hired, says Kerwin. Reaching out to someone in the company is worth doing.Stay Organized Follow UpTo get started, Kerwin recommends making a list of 20-50 organizations you want to work for and then making a list of everyone you know, prioritizing your inner circle of champions. Touch base with the people on your list and see if they know of open positions or know someone in the companies you are interested in applying to. From there, you can make connections with the second generation of your network. Most people want to helpthey just need the tools, such as your target job list, to be helpful.If you gi ve them more ways to be helpful and clear instructions on what youre looking for, its a more productive way of networking, says Kerwin, who recommends growing connections through networking events, professional organizations, and existing contacts.You also need to stay organized and follow up with your network as you search for jobs, which is why Kerwin recommends using lists.When you can track who you have been reaching out to, when you reached out to them, how the conversation went, it helps, she says. With networking, I think follow-up is a huge deal. Whether you are dealing with your own connections or recruiters, follow-up is key.Make TimeSearching for a job is now a full-time job in itself. While it can seem almost impossible to job search while working, it can be done. Think of evenings, weekends, and even lunch breaks as opportunities to expand your search.Making time to job search while youre employed is important because youre in a better position to land a new job when yo u already have a job. When you find yourself without a job needing to pay the bills, you may take the first thing that comes your way, which may not be something you are happy with. Plus, adds Kerwin, any whiff of desperation as you apply for jobs can hurt your job search.Supplement with Job BoardsMany people base their job search on job boards such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and Monster, but Kerwin says thats a mistake. She says there exists a 118-to-1 ratio on job boards, which means you have to apply for 118 jobs on average to get one interview.Only 5%-15% of hiring happens through job boards, said Kerwin. That is not the place to be spending the majority of your time. Use other strategies and make this a supplement to your search.Resources for Your Job SearchThere are a number of free or inexpensive career assessment and self-assessment tools online to assist you in identifying your passions and career goals. Kerwin recommends the O*Net Interest Profiler for self-assessments and the i nfographic Making the Most of LinkedIn to help build a strong professional profile online.You can also sign up for Google News Alerts. Simply plug in the key terms for the target industries you are interested in and Google will start sending you a batch of articles from a time frame you designate.A job search coach or a career coach can also be a great resource for professionals who are struggling with finding a position that is the right fit for them. Kerwin says there are also a number of books on job searches to keep you inspired and get you hired. Some books she recommends include-What Color is Your Parachute? 2018 edition by Richard N. Bolles-The Social Media Job Search Workbook Your Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Work in the Age of Social Media by Joshua Waldman-Im in a Job SearchNow What??? Using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter as Part of Your Job Search Strategy by Kristen Jacoway and Jason Alba-Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap i nto the Hidden Job Market Using Social Media and 999 Other Tactics Today by Jay Conrad LevinsonAre you tired of your resume being rejected by applicant tracking systems? I know how frustrating it is to submit your resume and receive no response. I hate seeing qualified people never breakthrough the screening process. It shouldnt be that way. Thats why I created this guide and I encourage you to download the FREE PDF so you can start seeing better resume response rates

5 Signs Your Company Actually Cares About Your Career Growth

5 Signs Your Company Actually Cares About Your Career Growth Stop and think about where you were five or ten years ago in your career. How much have you grown as professional? What have you accomplished that you never thought was possible? How many challenges have you overcome? Now, stop and think about the people who helped you get where you are now. What if they werent there, encouraging you, helping you be your best? What if those relationships werent supportive or helpful?Your relationship with your employer is one of the most critical to your career growth, especially if you plan on spending quality time there. How can you tell if your employer is truly supportive of your professional development? Here are five signs your company cares about where youre going and how theyre helping you get there1. You have regular one-on-one meetings with your direct manager and occasionally meet with her manager.The number one way to develop as a professional? Have a boss who advises you, chal lenges you and encourages you to live to your highest potential. You cant have a relationship like that if your boss doesnt dedicate any time to checking in with you and your professional goals. A company (and manager) that values your career growth will give you the time and space to talk about you your challenges, your strengths, your room for improvement and your accomplishments. Talking about these things once a year isnt enough.2. Your company provides a career ladder, complete with clear expectations for promotions at every level.A company that values your career growth wants to binnensee you rise through their ranks, and they want you to do it as efficiently as possible. Having a clear picture of where you can grow and how you can get there gives you great springboard for setting and reaching your goals. A company that cares knows that you deserve an understanding of what growth looks like.3. Your company holds regular performance reviews and also allows you to review your manager.To grow professionally, you need to bolster your strengths and, well, strengthen your weaknesses. But you cant know where to begin if you dont know where you stand professionally. A regular performance review process allows you to understand how youre stacking up to expectations, how you can improve and how you can take your career to the next step. Companies that value your growth want to provide this knowledge, even if it shifts time and focus away from your everyday responsibilities.4. Your company has facilitated peer learning, networking and/or mentorship.Learning from others is a critical aspect of professional development. A company that cares ensures that its employees can tap into one of their most valuable resources their coworkers. This can manifest itself in mentor/mentee pairing, networking events, employee resource groups, peer coaching programs and mora.5. Your company provides some form of continuing education or skills development opportunity.Education never truly stops, especially in the modern workforce where things seem to change everyday. But more formalized education can be helpful to career growth, too. Especially in industries involving technical knowledge. A company that wants you to reach your fullest potential will encourage your continuing education. This dedication can be shown in many ways hosting courses, offering tuition reimbursements, providing conference tickets, and more.